Linda Logan celebrates her 25th anniversary with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission & Experience Columbus this year. Linda has helped bring nearly 600 new sporting events to Columbus since 2002, including the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, 2016 & 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship and the 2018 Women's Final Four. Her efforts have enriched the quality of life for those in Columbus, enhanced the image of the city and driven economic and social development in Central Ohio. 

She recently completed a Q&A to share her inspiration, top career moments and more. 

You’ve been a pioneer for much of your career. Was there anyone or anything in particular that inspired you to pave the paths you did?

I have had so many wonderful mentors throughout my career. I do think that at a young age (10), I went to my first Cleveland Indians (now Cleveland Guardians) baseball game that ignited a spark in me that continues today: it changed my life. It was actually two games, a double-header vs. the Angels. I still remember walking out of that tunnel into Municipal Stadium to see that beautiful green field and even now recall so many details of the day. 

Between games, the man sitting next to us left for a few minutes and came back to his seat and handed me a  bobble head doll to commemorate the day! A complete stranger recognized my delight in learning how to keep score while asking my dad so many questions.
I could never have imagined what a defining moment that would be for me, and as Dr. Seuss would later say, "Oh, the Places You'll Go," because of the spark that was ignited that day. 

This 50+-year love affair has provided me with so many memories, traditions, opportunities and adventures. 

What’s been your favorite moment in your time with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission & Experience Columbus?

There have been many different milestones and achievements. A few favorites:

• Hosting our peers at the National Association of Sports Commissions Symposium in 2010
• USA Volleyball Junior Girls Championships in 2012
• Losing the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2008, but then regrouping and winning it in 2014 for 2018! 
• Hosting the Women’s Final Four in 2018
• The list goes on and on!

What’s one thing you would say to your past self if you could go back in time to when you were a new hire?

Be patient! I could not have imagined what our downtown footprint was going to become. We only had a couple of restaurants and hotels within walking distance of the convention center. Look at US now. Wow!

When you look ahead to the next year or so, what – in the future of the organization and of Columbus – makes you excited?

There is so much energy and creativity in our office and around the city that makes me so proud of the next generation of leaders that will take the baton and run with it.