Ep. 69: Kelli Towles, Pacers’ Director of Community Relations

Kelli Towles is in her 24th year with the Indiana Pacers heading up the community relations department. She is in charge of community outreach, and involving the players to positively impact Central Indiana. There are NBA initiatives, such as Jr. NBA Week and Hoops For Troops, and then there are dozen of events unique to the Pacers. Towles and her team — which includes Darnell “Dr. Dunk” Hillman, Richie Smith, Bobbi Courtright, and Kristina Wedseltoft — field requests, find the right locations and groups to take care of, and then execute the vision. With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, Towles is the perfect guest to discuss how the Pacers are giving back and making a positive impact on the community. Subscribe to the Pacers Podcast on Apple Podcasts. I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email. Topics Discussed: * Her start with the franchise and learning through an internship with the team * The success of Read Like a Pro * Victor Oladipo and Glenn Robinson III pitching an idea and the execution * Their signature event – “Come To Our House Thanksgiving Dinner,” this year hosted by Al Jefferson and Thad Young. * How she learns about new incoming Pacers through their previous teams’ community relations department * The Sideline Soldiers program and Tyler Hansbrough’s influence