In a move that Billiard Congress of America directors hope will put the association’s desire to become more of a marketing arm for the industry on a fast track, the BCA announced the selection of veteran motorsports executive Rob Johnson as its new executive director.

Johnson, whose most recent duties as executive vice president/general manager of Sutton International Motorsports included the staging and marketing of the Grand Prix of Denver, was unanimously confirmed by the BCA board of directors at its meeting in Baltimore, Aug. 13. At Sutton, Johnson managed sales, marketing and public relations initiatives for NASCAR, Baja and Champ Car projects. In 2002, Johnson formed Professional Sports Management, a company that managed and operated the Pikes Peak International Raceway, a 1,200-acre, 42,000-seat motorsports complex that hosted major events, including NASCAR and Indy Racing League.

“We’re very fortunate to have found someone of Mr. Johnson’s caliber,” said BCA President Gregg Hovey, of Olhausen Billiards. “He has experience taking major projects from inception to the finish line. He’s gotten major races off the ground, and has put butts in the seats.”

The move follows the retirement of Steve Ducoff, who led the BCA office for nearly six years, and coincides with the association’s revised long-term vision. “We’re looking for someone to develop ideas to get pool into the forefront of consumers’ minds,” said Hovey. “We think this will also get our membership excited, and will even help grow our membership.”

Johnson, who graduated from the University of Colorado’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications, currently resides in the Denver area. With the lease on the BCA’s current Colorado Springs offices set to expire in April 2007, Hovey did not discount the notion that the association’s offices might relocate to Denver. “We’ll wait for Rob’s proposal once he’s had a chance to work in the office and evaluate the staff and the association’s needs,” Hovey said.