‎The director of marketing and ticketing/championships for the NCAA is a proud husband, father and industry professional. He collects something that INTIX members will relate to while dreaming of a better tee shot and life on a warm, sunny beach. Here, Josh reflects on his favorite writer and vacation destination, things he loves to do in his spare time, and the ways INTIX has changed his life.

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Whom do you admire most and why?

My parents. They provided me the work ethic and support I needed.
 

Who is your mentor?

Doug Hall and Mark Norelli. They are my mentors and my former bosses when I started with the Houston Rockets. Mark was vice president of ticket sales, and Doug was general manager of the Toyota Center. I admire them because they taught me a lot of things I still use today. They also helped to prepare me for my career and get me where I am today.
 

What is the quality you like most in a person?

Trust. I feel like you have to have trust in a person before anything else.
 

What is the quality you most like in a colleague?

Someone who is committed to everything that they do — both on the work side and personal side.
 

What qualities are important to you in a leader?

Accountability.
 

What do you value most in your friends?

Someone who is good listener. Someone you can share your thoughts with and who shares constructive feedback.
 

Who or what is the greatest love of your life?

Tricia, my wife of 20 years.
 

Which talent would you most like to have?

I wish I could hit a golf ball farther and more accurately.
 

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Personally, my wife and family. Being married 20 years and raising three children is an ongoing achievement. Professionally, being named Outstanding Ticketing Professional of the year by INTIX in 2014.
 

Where would you most like to live?

In a warm weather climate, preferably on the beach.
 

What is your most treasured possession?

I have a collection of tickets and game programs from major live events that I’ve attended — including Super Bowls, World Series and Final Fours.
 

Who is your favorite writer?

Darren Rovell, ESPN’s sports business writer. He is a pioneer who created his own position and convinced ESPN that they needed a business writer. Being in the sports business as long as I have been, I find his information both valuable and entertaining.
 

What’s the best live event you’ve ever seen and why?

NCAA Final Four, but not any specific year. One of the reasons is that I work on the event and it takes year-round planning. The other reason is the college atmosphere. It’s amazing to have four unique, different fan bases inside a football stadium that’s set up with a basketball court at the same time. Then, a day later, playing the championship game with two teams and eventually crowning a national champion.
 

What is your favorite venue and why?

Toyota Center in Houston. I was part of the staff that opened the building in 2003, worked there for more than eight years and started my ticketing career there.
 

What is your favorite song, musician, band, artist, player or team of all time and why?

My favorite team is the Houston Rockets. I was part of that organization for so long. When you work for a sports organization, you go through the highs and lows and wins and losses with them — especially when you are in ticketing. My favorite bands are Zac Brown Band and Dave Matthews Band.
 

What is your favorite place to visit or place you’d love to visit and why?

Orlando, Florida, for both Disney and Universal Studios, with my family. Disney is truly magical and different based on the age of your children, but their customer service and the way they can make your kids feel special when you’re there is amazing. Universal Studios is the same. As my kids have gotten older, they’ve moved away from the Disney princesses and those things to Harry Potter and Marvel superheroes. Universal Studios is now our favorite place and we’re going there over fall break.
 

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?

Work hard, slow down and enjoy the things most important to you.
 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I don’t have a major hobby, but I like to participate in any activities my children are passionate about. If they’re at an event, that’s where I’m spending my spare time, so it could be anything from soccer and chess tournaments to swim meets. I also love enjoying a nice evening on the back porch with my family and maybe a beer, cocktail or glass of wine.
 

What brings you the most joy/greatest meaning in life?

Being a father and seeing happiness in my children. Them getting joy brings me great joy.
 

Why are you a member of INTIX?

When I first joined INTIX, it was to learn new skills and learn about the industry. Since then, the connections I’ve made with INTIX members have evolved into some of my best friendships.
 

What do you get from INTIX?

For networking and as a resource. Whether you need to run an idea by someone, ask about new technology, find a person who has done something or who uses that technology — it all helps me better myself professionally.
 

What does INTIX give you that is different from everything else you are doing?

It gives me a different perspective. Whoever you are working for, you only get that point of view. It’s nice to see what other people are doing — whether it’s similar events or how a performing arts or music venue is doing something [that could be applied to sports]. You can learn from others outside of your specific genre.
 

Who is your mentor?

It’s a whole category of people ― strong women, especially those in leadership roles. There are so many of them; I could give you 20 names for 20 things.
 

What do you love most about your job?

I get an opportunity to work with a lot of different sports championships and throughout the different seasons. I like the variety, and that it’s not one specific sport that I’m working on. I can go from a football championship to a basketball championship to a baseball championship all in the same calendar year. We also get to work with some of the most passionate fan bases in the country and eventually award a national championship to one of those fan bases.
 

What is your most memorable INTIX moment?

We are not selling tickets; we are selling experiences. You never know what you are doing for someone with that experience. For a college fan, it could be watching their team play and win a championship. Or for a dad, you’re helping him take his son to his very first College World Series game. We’re impacting our fans with experiences that could last a lifetime.
 

What is your most memorable INTIX moment?

Chairing the INTIX conference in Houston in 2007. It was my first opportunity to really get involved in INTIX. Our original chair was relocated for work, and I was recommended to replace him. That was memorable in itself and it spearheaded my involvement in INTIX, which later included being a board member.