Jun 20
by Jeff Fannell & Associates in Events 0 comments tags: A Better Chance, ABC, College, MLBPA, Scholarship, student support, Students

A Mission of Hope

  Recently, my wife and I were blessed to attend the 2017 A Better Chance Awards Luncheon in New York City.  We were guests of one of the honorees, Tony Clark, the Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.  Joining Tony as honorees were Marvin R. Ellison, Chairman and CEO of JCPenney, and David Coleman, President and CEO of The College Board.  Though each of the award recipients was impressive, the work of the organization and the beneficiaries of that work stole the show.   According to its printed and digital materials, the mission of A Better Chance “is to increase substantially the number of well-educated young people of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American society.”  ABC achieves this through its College Preparatory Schools Program, which recruits, refers and supports about 500 student scholars in grades 6-12 at more than 300 member schools in 27 states.  Through ABC, these students gain access to rigorous educational opportunities at some of the most prestigious college preparatory schools in the nation.  Since 1963, ABC “has been finding talent in communities where it is often overlooked and placing it in the path of opportunity.”   […]
Read More
Jan 11
by Jeff Fannell in Uncategorized 0 comments tags: 2017, CBA, MLB, MLBPA, New Year, Reset

Back at it

It’s been a good minute since I’ve been in this space.  From June through December, I was blessed to be actively involved with the Major League Baseball Players Association as they hammered out a new collective bargaining agreement with MLB.  It was a challenging and rewarding time; the culmination of over two years of working as a consultant to the PA for what was a particularly challenging round of bargaining. By far, the best aspect of it all was agreeing to a deal that is fair and equitable for the players and the clubs.  A close second was the opportunity to work closely with a terrific group of talented professionals at the MLBPA.  It was truly rewarding to work alongside the Executive Director, Tony Clark, the brilliant attorneys in the legal department (many of whom are long-time colleagues and friends), and to interact with all of the great people on the PA’s staff who do so much behind the scenes to make life easier. Of course, by reaching a fair deal, we have the assurance of another five years of baseball without a work stoppage.  That is certainly good news for the players and clubs, but also for fans, many […]
Read More
Mar 07
by Lori Lord in Baseball, Career, MLB, Sports Business, Sports Law 0 comments tags: Baseball, Business, Leaders, MLB, MLB Diversity Business Summit, MLBPA

Jeff Fannell to Join All-Star Speaker Line Up at MLB Diversity Business Summit

  PHOENIX, AZ- Tuesday March 8th, Jeff Fannell, President of Jeff Fannell & Associates, will be speaking at the MLB Diversity Business Summit, featuring some of the best talent the business has to offer. Jeff will speak on panel “The Laws of Baseball: The Complexity of the Legal Issues of the Game” in two separate sessions. The complexity of the game of baseball on the field of play is matched only by the complex legal issues surrounding the business of the game.  Panelists will speak about a broad spectrum of topics ranging from labor issues (including collective bargaining and player arbitrations) to intellectual property issues (including the licensing and protection of trademarks and copyrights) to a whole host of topics that teams are faced with on a day-to-day basis (including complex contract negotiations and issues relating to facility management, marketing, security and customer satisfaction). The MLB Diversity Business Summit is the premier sports employment conference and supplier diversity trade fair. This two-day event allows job seekers and entrepreneurs the unique opportunity of meeting with MLB’s Clubs at both the Major League and Minor League levels as well as sponsorship partners. For more info on attendance and speakers visit:  http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/mlb_official_info_diverse.jsp?content=summit   […]
Read More