The Selection Committee of the Board of Directors has appointed Patrick Klinger, owner of Patrick Klinger & Company, as Independent Director. The Independent Director position, as created by the ACF constitution, is designed to be held by an individual who can bring valuable expertise and skills to the Board of Directors. We believe that, in the selection of Patrick Klinger, this directive has been fully achieved.
Patrick Klinger was vice-president of marketing for Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins.
Patrick Klinger & Company is a sports strategy and activation firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Before founding it, Patrick Klinger spent more than ten years as vice-president of marketing for Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins and was named “Sports Person of the Year” in 2006 by Horizon Awards, which recognizes outstanding achievement among interactive media producers.
As vice president of the Twins, Patrick was responsible for the team’s efforts in advertising, promotions, broadcasting, game presentation, special events and emerging markets. His marketing efforts with the Twins resulted in numerous regional and national honors for advertising and branding campaigns.
Before joining the Twins, Patrick was the Director of Marketing for the RiverCentre complex in St. Paul where he developed an expertise in sponsorships and the securing of naming rights partners.
Patrick serves on the boards of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), Caring Souls, Play for Her and the Minnesota Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He also is on the advisory board for Tee It Up for the Troops and the development committee for Summit Academy. He recently traveled to Kuwait as a volunteer with “Serving Our Troops.”
Also today, ACF announces that it is widening the membership of the Honorary Advisory Board beyond its former scope of legendary cricketers to include leaders in the American cricket community at large. To that end, ACF is please to announce the addition of Vincent Adams, PhD and Stephen Rooke, J.D., L.L.M.
Twice honored by the White House for his service to the nation, Vincent Adams has served our country at the highest levels of government, including as consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency and as Chairman of two international conferences. A former first-class cricketer in his native Guyana, Vincent remains close friends with contemporaries such as Clive Lloyd and Lance Gibbs.
Stephen Rooke is a young lawyer who is familiar to many at ACF, as he was instrumental in the construction of the ACF constitution in 2012 as a member of the Steering Committee. He now works for McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. Stephen received his bachelor’s degree at Rice University, his law degree at the University of Michigan Law School and his Master of Laws degree in Space, Cyber and Telecommunications Law from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“I’m honored to be part of the ACF’s efforts to expand the participation and enjoyment of cricket in the United States,” said Klinger. “Though I have a great deal to learn about the game, the passion of those who play and watch is as strong as anything I witnessed during my career in Major League Baseball.
“I’m confident that there is an audience in the US for this international sport and I’m excited to help contribute to its success.”
CEO Jamie Harrison said, “The addition of three such accomplished individuals to the ACF team is a great sign for cricket in the United States, and demonstrates our commitment to raising the standards for cricket governance. We are not content to rely on a small cadre for leadership and innovation, and we are not afraid to expand the circle beyond traditional limits.
“The face of cricket in America is changing, and today’s announcement is just one more representation of that reality.”