Ushering in a new chapter in the Fiesta Sports Foundation’s storied history, seasoned sports executive and business leader Erik Moses joined as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer on December 1, 2022.
Moses has led the Fiesta Sports Foundation with an approach that leverages the organization’s rich history and combines it with innovation, enhancing the Fiesta Sports Foundation reputation as a national player in college football and an impactful local community leader across the state of Arizona.
Under his direction, the organization previously known as the “Fiesta Bowl Organization” has rebranded to the Fiesta Sports Foundation and launched its first integrated organizational marketing campaign to communicate the year-round breadth and scope of the Foundation’s activities and impact. Moses has restructured the Foundation to install greater expertise and experience in the areas of community engagement and donor development, volunteer engagement, event management, marketing and finance. The Fiesta Bowl has cemented its place within the expanded College Football Playoff system while the Foundation has increased its 50-plus years of positive community impact for the State of Arizona. The Foundation is delivering in new and enhanced ways to its mission -- produce positive economic impact and distribute charitable resources across the state of Arizona through world-class sporting events, unparalleled hospitality and life-changing community impact.
Moses implemented a strategic vision to generate greater impact in Arizona and nationwide with the development of a football engagement department to deepen ties across multiple levels of football. The organization built the Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Classic, the first-ever national collegiate women’s flag football invitational tournament for Division 1 universities; the Copper State Invitational, a new in-season tournament for Arizona high school girls flag football programs; Fiesta Bowl All-State Teams, annually highlighting Arizona’s top boys tackle and girls flag football players in front of a 1,000+ person audience; a season long high school football game of the week with live television broadcasts and on-location activations; and expanded youth football clinics into targeted communities.
For more than two decades, Moses has built successful ventures for sports and entertainment properties through the creation of innovative events and development of community-centric programming and as a leader in elevating teams and organizations. He arrived in Arizona with a proven track record as an attorney, entrepreneur, economic development professional and chief executive.
Prior to joining the Fiesta Sports Foundation, Moses was President & GM of Nashville Superspeedway, making him the first Black person to hold that title at any NASCAR track in the sport’s history. Moses led the efforts to reopen and revitalize the Nashville Superspeedway – which had been dormant for nearly 10 years. The sold-out inaugural Ally 400 on Father’s Day 2021 marked the first NASCAR Cup Series race for the facility, the first Cup Series race in the Nashville market since 1984 and the first full grandstand sellout for NASCAR since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to that role, he led three sports and entertainment organizations in Washington, D.C. for more than 12 years. As CEO of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, Moses oversaw the formation and founding of the Military Bowl and the creation of the AT&T Nation's Football Classic featuring the tradition, unity and heritage of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). While in DC, he was also influential in the successful recruitment of MLB to the Nation's Capital and the construction of the acclaimed Nationals Park - home of the MLB Washington Nationals and cornerstone of the revitalization of the Southwest area of Washington, DC into a vibrant destination point of the city.
As senior vice president of Events DC (Washington Convention & Sports Authority), Moses solidified his expertise in sports tourism, venue management and event creation as the chief advocate for sports, entertainment and live events in the Nation’s Capital. He managed multiple venues – including the historic RFK Stadium, the DC National Guard Armory, the CareFirst Arena and the sports related activities at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. His responsibilities included creating industry-leading partnerships with A-list brands to support local events, overseeing a robust community grants program and maintaining strong relationships with local college athletic programs, major league sports teams and their governing bodies and local government.
Moses' last stop in Washington was as the founding President of the DC Defenders of the newly launched XFL spring professional football league, where he guided all aspects of the team's business operations and fan experience. The team quickly became a standard bearer of the league in the areas of gameday experience, ticket sales, corporate partnerships, content and community engagement.
Before his career in the sports and entertainment space, Moses excelled in a career that included being the first Director of the District of Columbia's newly constituted Department of Small and Local Business Development, as Director of Business Development and Senior Legal Counsel at AOL and as an attorney at Dow Lohnes PLLC and Fisch Sigler, LLP. He served as an adjunct professor in the renowned Sports Industry Management Program at Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies.
A devoted advocate for the communities where he lives and works, Moses currently serves as a national trustee for Boys & Girls Clubs of America – Pacific Region, a board member for USA Fencing, a board member for Teach for America – Phoenix, a board member of the McLendon Foundation, a board of trustees member for Cumberland University, a board member for the DC Jazz Festival and Experience Scottsdale and on the executive committee of Coca-Cola Bowl Season. He is a frequent guest speaker for public and private companies, civic organizations, nonprofits and sports organizations, including The Hershey Company, Dow, Graphic Packaging International, BIC, Match Group, Nestle, Kindred Hospitals, Nextar Media Group, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Mauel, Belmont University, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. among others.
Moses received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from the Duke University School of Law. He holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from LeMoyne-Owen College and is a member of the bar in both Maryland and the District of Columbia.
What They’re Saying about Erik Moses:
“It was important to identify the right person who could guide the future of the Fiesta Bowl, and help build innovative ways to engage our fans, community, stakeholders and partners at every touchpoint. The landscape of college football and fan expectations continue to evolve. We selected a dynamic leader who we believe will deliver and meet those expectations and position us as the premier bowl game providing world class hospitality. We are excited to welcome Erik to the Fiesta Bowl family,” said Fiesta Bowl Board Chair Randal Norton. “Thank you to our exceptional staff, board, committee and volunteers for their support through the hiring process. I would also like to mention our partners at TurnkeyZRG for producing an exemplary slate of candidates who expressed interest in being a part of the 52-year history and tradition of the Fiesta Bowl.
“Erik brought tremendous passion to motorsports in Nashville, helping to elevate NASCAR and bring our sport to race fans throughout Tennessee. The legacy of his leadership will benefit our sport in many ways for years to come.” – Steve Phelps, President, NASCAR
“Can’t think of a better fit for the role of chief executive of the Fiesta Bowl – Erik Moses is the consummate leader. Having worked with Erik and witnessed his tremendous success over the years, I’ve been so impressed with his effortless ability to build consensus and drive results. There is no one better at building dynamic teams that innovate and thrive on accomplishing the impossible.” – Greg O’Dell, President of Venue Management, Oak View Group
“Erik Moses is a consummate professional, who in a very short period of time became integrally engaged in numerous organizations and truly distinguished himself throughout Nashville and the entire Middle Tennessee community. Among his many contributions and accolades, he has served with distinction on the Board of Trustees at Cumberland University, where his keen insights have positively influenced our institution.” – Dr. Paul C. Stumb, President, Cumberland University
“Erik is a disruptive and visionary executive who is changing the landscape of how sporting events are developed, executed and consumed. He brings fresh thinking around creating full ecosystems that don't relegate sports events to a moment in time, but rather a full year activation that is inclusive, engaging and energizing. He will be an amazing leader for the Fiesta Bowl.” – Andrea Brimmer, Chief Marketing and PR Officer, Ally
Hometown: Somerset, NJ
Alma Mater: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (undergrad), Duke University School of Law
Favorite Book(s): Hit Makers, The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Favorite TV show(s): Ted Lasso and Game of Thrones
Interesting Fact: As a kid, I had the opportunity to win a leading role in a Norman Lear/Alex Haley created TV show called "Palmerstown USA", but couldn't deliver a convincing Southern accent. Ah, what might have been . . .
Which college football stadium would you like to visit the most: The BIG HOUSE at University of Michigan
Which college football game in history would you attend: 2005-06 national championship between Texas and USC - Vince Young vs Reggie Bush & Matt Leinart
