Fort Worth, Texas, June 22, 2010 – The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl is pleased to announce the addition of six new members to its 2010 Executive Council.
The Executive Council, led by Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl executive director Brant B. Ringler and council co-chairs John Roach and Bill Thornton, consists of 39 diverse men and women from across the country who collectively provide leadership and direction to the bowl game and its operations. This year’s new members include Lance Barrow (CBS), Jim Darwin (Texas Veterans Land Board), Joseph Faust (BNSF Railway), Bryan Warren (Bell Helicopter), Andrew Yanez (Concussion, LLP) and, serving in an ex-officio role, Captain T.D. Smyers (NAS Fort Worth JRB).
“We are very excited to bring these six individuals on board,” said Ringler. “The leadership and expertise each delivers certainly enhances the prestige of our Executive Council, and we are thankful they have agreed to serve as ambassadors of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl going forward.”
The 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Executive Council includes the following:
John Roach – Co-Chair
Bill Thornton – Co-Chair
Larry Auth
Ross Bailey
Michael Barber
Lance Barrow*
Bob Bolen
Kim Brimer
Johnny Campbell
Brian Conway
Jim Darwin*
Barton Davis
Pete Derzis
Colonel Tom Dials
David DuBois
Joseph Faust*
Mike Flynn
Paul Galvan
Jim Gross
Craig Harbuck
Dennis Holland
Kip Hyde
Joanne Ingle
Devoyd Jennings
Malcolm Louden
Scott Murray
Rosa Navejar
Ken Nicholson
Susan Nix
Clint Overby
Alex Powers
John Pritchett
Lisa Rettew
P.D. Shabay
Jake Smith
Captain T.D. Smyers* (ex-officio)
Gary Terry
Bryan Warren*
Andrew Yanez*
* denotes new member for 2010
Owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television, the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will be televised live at 11 a.m. CST on Thursday, Dec. 30, on ESPN. The bowl has featured a military theme since 2006. Patriotic overtones recognizing all five branches of the military are prevalent throughout the game. Past Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowls have included fan-fest areas showcasing military hardware; flyovers; demonstrations by several of the military’s top skydiving teams; on-field induction ceremonies; military bands and honor guards; and the awarding of the annual “Great American Patriot Award” (GAPA) presented by Armed Forces Insurance. In 2009, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, accepted the GAPA at half-time on behalf of the men and women of the armed forces. Previous recipients include General David H. Petraeus, Preston “Pete” Geren and Gordon England.
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, joined the bowl on August 23, 2006 as the title sponsor of the postseason college football game formerly known as the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl (2003, 2004) and the Fort Worth Bowl (2005). 2006 marked the first year for the adoption of the “Armed Forces Bowl” name, making the official title the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. Bell Helicopter has exercised its option for title sponsorship of the game twice. The current agreement was signed September 2009 to continue the sponsorship for the 2010 and 2011 games with a two-year option for 2012 and 2013.
Ticket information for the 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will be released later this summer and can be obtained by calling the bowl office at 817/810-0012. Military veterans receive discounted tickets and active-duty personnel receive free admittance via the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl corporate military ticket underwriting program.
