The NFL’s 100th season is about to get underway, with the upcoming season set to conclude in South Florida on Feb. 2, 2020 when the community hosts the Super Bowl for a record 11th time. As the season and the game approaches, the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee has made one major promotion from within to establish new leadership, and brought in four new hires in key roles as part of the committee’s support of the community and the events around the game. Raymond “Ray” Martinez has been promoted to executive director after having worked over the past year as vice president of operations for the Committee. Martinez’s previous work at the Host Committee included organization of the Stop Sex Trafficking Campaign, a multiagency partnership working with more than 100 collaborating partners. A decorated 35-year law enforcement veteran with the Miami and Miami Beach police departments, including serving as Miami Beach chief of police, Martinez most recently served as chief of security and spokesperson for the Ultra Music Festival.
Martinez also serves as an adjunct professor at Florida International University. Greg Terp is stepping into the position of vice president of operations. Terp brings the Host Committee a long career of law enforcement and security experience, including working in safety operations at six previous Super Bowls. Terp served as director of law enforcement planning and operations for both Super Bowl XLIV and the Pro Bowl in Miami in 2010. He served as director of security for the Miami Marlins for several years and supported the 2017 MLB All-Star Game. Terp is a 35-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department, working in a variety of capacities including bomb disposal, patrolling and the K9 unit. Carlos Valdes joins the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee as operations manager. Valdes also brings law enforcement and event logistics experience, serving for almost 40 years as a local police officer. His tenure included 13 years as supervisor of the Special Events Unit for the City of Miami, coordinating and supervising all events. His career also included work with the Special Investigations Section and time in mounted patrol. Prior to his 35 years with the City of Miami Police Department, Valdes served the City of Sweetwater. Since retiring in 2017, he has served as a security and operations consultant for several large South Florida events. Gloria Garcés joins the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee as senior director of corporate communications and public affairs. Garcés comes from Fuente Latina, a Miami-based nongovernmental organization dedicated to providing global news stories in Spanish about Israel and the Middle East. She has worked extensively in PR and advertising, including as director of public relations for CNN Latino. Garcés also brings the Host Committee valuable journalism experience, including work as host of various TV, radio and online programs. Garcés began her career in local public affairs, working as a director of protocol and community relations for Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz. Shawn McGee joins the Host Committee staff as senior director of partnerships and marketing. McGee recently served as vice president of sales and marketing for the Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he was responsible for all facets of revenue generation at the facility, including ticket sales, corporate sales, merchandise sales, concessions and other business lines. McGee taught sports marketing at the University of Miami and is the past chair of the UM Sports Industry Leadership Council. He has worked on the business side of both men’s and women’s professional soccer across the country and served as associate athletic director at Southern Methodist University. Being the host city for a Super Bowl is a massive and complex undertaking. There’s so much to be done when the world is watching, and so many things that are already well underway to making sure it’s a great experience for everyone lucky enough to call this paradise home. With this team in place, we’re getting ready for what’s going to be an amazing season for all of us. The Miami Super Bowl Host Committee headquarters is located at the Miami Tower in downtown Miami.
Additional information on partnership and volunteering opportunities is available at www.miamisb2020.com.
