University of Dayton Vice President and Director of Athletics Tim Wabler has announced that 1988 UD grad J.P. Nauseef, Managing Director of Myrian Capital, is the Chair of the First Four Local Organizing Committee. Nauseef, former President and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition, succeeds Jim Leftwich as the 2010-11 chair. Nauseef will serve as chair for the 2012 and 2013 First Four games.
“We’re very pleased that J.P. has agreed to Chair the First Four LOC and build on the work of last year’s committee,” Wabler said. “He brings a lot to the table. He’s a University of Dayton graduate, and someone who has remained actively involved with the University in many ways. He continues to be extremely effective advocate for the region and he is the perfect choice to become the chair of the First Four LOC.
“The LOC worked closely with many community and hospitality partners; along with the University staff to make the First Four the success it was last year. We are all looking forward to working with J.P and the LOC in making the 2012 and 2013 First Fours another tremendous success.”
“We would not be talking about a new chair if it wasn’t for the great work that Jim Leftwich and the committee did last year in not only getting the First Four off the ground, but in helping return it to the Miami Valley. I’m very happy that Jim will remain active with the committee as we work to make it even better in the next two years.”
Nauseef, an Air Force veteran who has lived in the area for more than 30 years, was selected as one of the Dayton Business Journal’s 25 Most Influential People in the Dayton Region for the decade 2001-10 for his leadership at the Dayton Development Coalition. This past February, he was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Public Service Award at a ceremony in Washington D.C. The award is the highest honorary civilian award the Secretary of the Air Force may grant to a private citizen. He earned the award for his outstanding advocacy of the Air Force and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
“This is a great opportunity to provide a national stage to showcase the Dayton region, and following Lefty (Jim Leftwich) in this role means that the foundation from which to build is very strong,” Nauseef said. “The NCAA First Four will ‘pull the curtain back’ and let a large, national audience see all of the great things happening in our region. University and committee officials expect the direct economic impact to approach $5 million, but the real upside will come as our community leverages the national exposure brought by the success of the NCAA tourney. This opportunity makes it imperative that the NCAA First Four be a community event, not just a University event…As the region moves forward, the First Four will be something positive to promote our community and our community must take ownership of it to secure future events.”
The University of Dayton served as the host for the inaugural First Four in March 2011. The games drew more than 10,000 fans each night to UD Arena, and a national viewing audience of over five million people. VCU emerged from the 2011 First Four to reach the 2011 Final Four.
All-session tickets to the 2012 First Four are now on sale to UD season ticketholders, with a deadline of Oct. 1. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Oct. 15.
