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 November 15, 2022.
Moses has led the Fiesta Sports Foundation with an approach that infuses the organization’s rich history 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” rebranded to the Fiesta Sports Foundation, cemented its place within the expanded College Football Playoff and created a new football engagement department that has more deeply integrated the organization into youth and scholastic tackle and flag football across Arizona. He has built a team that is delivering in new and enhanced ways on the Foundation’s mission is to 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.
“The Fiesta Sports Foundation has a rich history for innovation and a commitment to meaningful impact on and off the college football field. I’m excited to continue and enhance its inspiring work within Arizona’s communities,” Moses said. “The joy of sports, entertainment and charitable giving is how we help to connect our communities make our state a better place to live, work and visit. I look forward to working with the talented staff, collaborating with our dedicated Board of Directors, Yellow Jacket Committee and our incredible volunteers to ensure our prominent standing in a vastly changing college football landscape.”
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 elevated teams and organizations as an attorney, entrepreneur, economic development professional and chief executive.
Moses joined the Fiesta Sports Foundation after serving as President and General Manager 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 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 the Nation’s Capital for more than 12 years. As CEO of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, Moses oversaw the formation and founding of the Military Bowl, now celebrating its 14
th anniversary, and also facilitated 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, Moses solidified his expertise in sports tourism and event creation as the chief advocate for sports, entertainment and live events. He managed multiple venues – including the historic RFK Stadium, the Entertainment and Sports Arena at St. Elizabeths and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. His responsibilities included creating industry-leading partnerships with A-list brands to support local events, overseeing a community grants program and maintaining strong relationships with major league sports teams and their governing bodies.
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 climbed to become the standard bearer of the league in the areas of gameday experience, ticket sales, corporate partnerships, content and community engagement.
Prior to entering the sports and entertainment space, Moses excelled in a career that included being the first Director of the District of Columbia’s Department of Small and Local Business Development, as a 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.
Moses currently serves as a National Trustee for Boys & Girls Clubs of America – Pacific Region, on the board of directors for the McLendon Foundation, on the board of trustees for Cumberland University and the board of directors for the DC Jazz Festival. 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, Belmont University, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. among others.
With a B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and J.D. from the Duke University School of Law, Moses 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.
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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
