The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has completed assembling its sports and special events management team by hiring a 30-year veteran of sports tourism.
Janis Burke, chief of international sport and strategy for the Cincinnati, Ohio-based Sports Events & Tourism Association and the longtime CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, will become the LVCVA’s chief sports officer.
She replaces Lisa Motley, the LVCVA’s vice president of sports and special events, who left in June and became the executive director of business development for Landry’s.
Burke will lead a team comprised of Will Hunter, vice president of events, and Jennifer Hawkins, vice president of sports business development, at the LVCVA.
“Janis brings an extraordinary track record of leadership and achievement in sports tourism,” Steve Hill, president and CEO of the LVCVA, said in a Thursday release. “Her expertise and vision will strengthen our ability to attract and deliver world-class events, reinforcing Las Vegas’ standing as the premier destination for the biggest moments in sports and entertainment.”
Burke brings more than 30 years of sports tourism leadership to the LVCVA, having overseen some of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, including Copa America, the NCAA Men’s Final Four, the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff and the U.S. Women’s Open.
She most recently served as chief of international sports and strategy for the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA) in Cincinnati, becoming the first person appointed to lead a global initiative for the nation’s largest sports tourism association. She will continue supporting Sports ETA’s international efforts in a volunteer capacity as chair of International Sports & Strategy.
As chief sports officer, she will oversee efforts to attract and secure high-profile professional, collegiate, youth and amateur sporting events that drive significant economic impact across Southern Nevada.
Over the course of Burke’s career, she has received numerous honors and awards, including being recognized among the Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs in 2019, induction into the Sports Events and Tourism Association’s Hall of Fame in 2024 and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Disrupt Gives, a Houston nonprofit focused on housing insecurity in 2025.
Burke’s team will have its work cut out for it in the years ahead, with the national College Football Championship game and the NCAA March Madness Final Four already scheduled in Las Vegas and the city anticipating hosting another Super Bowl game in the near future.
Burke, who will begin the new position on Monday, will join Hunter, who leads the strategy, development and execution of major sports and special events, overseeing the Event Design team and event execution efforts. He has delivered events for global brands, including the National Football League, National Basketball , Pac-12 Conference and the NCAA.
Her team also includes Hawkins, who spearheads the acquisition of high-profile and emerging sporting events that generate significant economic impact for Southern Nevada. She previously oversaw the national growth strategy for Fastbreak AI’s event activation and data platform, Fastbreak Pulse. Prior to that, she spent a decade as executive director of SportsPittsburgh, the sports tourism division of VisitPittsburgh.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
