Anne Warner Cribbs
President & CEO
Cribbs is an accomplished businesswoman, civic leader, Olympian and health fitness advocate. Cribbs was President of the advertising and public relations firm of Anne Cribbs and Company, providing strategic communications counsel to clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to San Francisco Bay Area local businesses.
In 1991, Cribbs joined with Gary Cavalli to form Cavalli & Cribbs, a Northern California advertising, public relations and event management firm. They represented clients and events such as World Cup '94, San Jose Sumo Basho, the Quadrennial Olympians "Welcome Home Dinner," the East-West Shrine Game and the Stanford University Centennial Celebration. In 1996, they founded the American Basketball League, a professional women's league. During its existence, the ABL set the standard for what women's professional sports can and should be, providing an inspiration to female athletes to this day.
She served as Chief Executive Officer of the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC), leading the 2012 Olympic Bid effort from 1999 to 2002. Out of this effort a legacy project, the Monterey Horse Park, was born and she continues to advise the group working to make this a reality.
An Olympic Gold medal swimmer (Rome, 1960), Anne Cribbs has served on the boards of the U.S. Olympian Alumni Association, Stanford Athletics, Northern California Olympians, San Jose Sports Authority, 50-Plus Fitness, the Stanford Health Library, the Senior Coordinating Council and the American Heart Association.
Born in Burlingame, CA, she is a graduate of Stanford University. Currently a Palo Alto resident, Cribbs and her husband, Ian Cribbs, have nine children and 21 grandchildren.
Jürgen Padberg
Managing Director
After 15 years in journalism, Jürgen Padberg moved to a career in event management and sports marketing in 2003. Over the past 5 years he has held positions with IMG, the Silicon Valley Marathon, and the 2006 FINA World Masters Championships. He served as a consultant for ADC Partners of Alameda, advising clients such as the Central YMCA of San Francisco and the Amtrak Capitol Corridor line. In 2004 he coordinated the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee's (BASOC) successful bid for the 2009 Summer National Senior Games and has been involved with its organization ever since. Padberg serves as the Coordinator for the annual Bay Area Senior Games which he helped launch in 2006.
Padberg holds a masters degree in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco where he earned the Director's Award for Academic Excellence. Born in Germany, he lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children. He runs marathons, enjoys the California outdoors, and keeps bees in his backyard.
Susie Thom
Administrative Director
Susie Thom has 30 plus years experience in business administration and running companies. At Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation's Technical Center she was responsible for directing the office support services provided to 1,100 employees. As Owner and President of her firm, Preferred Office Concepts, the company provided leased offices and administrative support services to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Most recently as the co-owner and Director of Human Resources at Entech Analytical Laboratories, Inc., she managed and implemented employee policies and procedures, benefits administration, and employee training.
Thom has worked with numerous non-profit organizations and volunteers, effortlessly motivating personnel from the mailroom to the boardroom. She is widely recognized for her organizational and people skills as well as team building. She was on the Hospitality Committee for the 1992 U. S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach; and, was an administrative volunteer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Thom has coordinated many health and fitness conferences around Stanford University. A resident of Palo Alto, Susie and her husband, Craig Thom, have four children, six grandchildren and a golden retriever, Brandy.
Scott Schuhmann
Director of Competition
Scott Schuhmann is a 19-year veteran of the Stanford Athletic Department, most recently serving as Associate Athletic Director and manager of the Avery Aquatics Center. An acclaimed logistics and operations expert, he came to Stanford as an assistant coach with the football program from 1989 to 1992. He progressed to become Athletic Recruiting Coordinator, Athletic Service Coordinator, Assistant Athletic Director for Football Support and Athletic Services and ultimately Associate Athletic Director in 2001.
In addition to Stanford football operations, he has overseen day-to-day details for women's basketball, men's and women's golf, softball, and men's and women's gymnastics. As such he has been an integral part of Stanford University's incredible domination of the Academy Director's Cup, awarded to the top athletic program in the country.
Schuhmann lives on the coast in Half Moon Bay with his wife, Berni, and has two grown children, son Aron and daughter Gillian.
Helen Mendel
Director of Marketing/Operations
Mendel has more than 20 years of marketing and public relations experience working with various Bay Area corporations and non-profit organizations. An expert in the hospitality industry, most recently she has worked with the Professional Business Women of California (PBWC), founded by Congresswoman Jackie Speier. She served as Director of Marketing for the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC) the group responsible for the 2012 San Francisco Olympic bid effort and was Chairman of the Board for the American Cancer Society (ACS) of California.
In all of these roles, Mendel produced premier celebrity fund-raising events and innovative media campaigns, for which her marketing expertise has been highly recognized. Mendel has been the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the 2005 St. George Medal of Honor from the National American Cancer Society of California, the highest national volunteer award.
Helen lives in the East Bay town of Pleasanton and has a grown daughter, Deborah, a teacher in San Diego, California.
George Broder
External Affairs Director
George Broder brings 28 years of experience in government, media, campaigns, public affairs, corporate communications and community relations to bear on every project. A Bay Area resident since 1985, he has worked around the region as he developed a network of professional contacts in the civic, corporate, elected and non-profit communities.
Broder moved to Los Angeles in 1981 to join the team being assembled by Peter V. Ueberroth at the Organizing Committee for the 1984 Olympic Games. As a Deputy Press Secretary he served as an official spokesman for the Committee. After the Games, he moved north to San Francisco as a Special Assistant in the Office of Mayor, now U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. During the 1990's he worked for the nation's largest outdoor advertising company, and has been on the Executive Committee of the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC) since its creation.
Broder lives in San Francisco with his wife, Wendy, and has a daughter, Lauren, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Scott McRoberts
Athlete Services Director
Scott most recently served as Chief Operating Officer for the 2008 San Francisco International Children's Games. He has worked in event sponsorship and execution at Van Dillen Partners in 2006-07. Scott has also managed various events including the SAP Open tennis tournament in San Jose for six years and served as Director of Staffing Operations for the 2007 NCAA March Madness West Regional in San Jose. Scott began his career as Executive Director of the San Francisco Junior Tennis League and as National Director of Chapter Relations for First Serve Inc. His teaching endeavors include adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco Masters Program, lecturing on event and sponsorship management.
Scott McRoberts holds a BS honors degree in Sport Management from Brock University (Canada) and a Masters Degree from the University of San Francisco in Sports Management where he served as commencement speaker. Scott's sports passion includes tennis, hockey and going to the gym where he is staying in shape for his wedding in May of 2009.