Speaker for May 13, 2013

Danette Leighton joined the Pac-12 Conference in April 2010 as the Conference’s Chief Marketing Officer.   Her responsibilities include leading the Conference in the development, expansion and implementation of strategic marketing and communication programs, overseeing the execution of the Conference's major championships (football, men's and women's basketball) and facilitating best practices with member institutions in the areas of marketing, ticket sales and operations.

Danette is familiar with Sacramento Rotary from her days running the Sacramento Monarchs and Kings as Vice President of Marketing and Brand Development (and de facto COO) for Maloof Sports & Entertainment before being recruited back to the Pac-12 in the new expanded role created for her by Commissioner Larry Scott.   Together (Rotary, Kiwanis & Monarchs) we were responsible for multiple Court of Dreams & Reading-Learning Centers (Children’s Receiving Home, YMCA, Oak Ridge Elementary and St. John’s Shelter) and the WNBA all time group attendance records;  making her one of the most respected leaders in the NBA-WNBA family.

An Arizona graduate, Leighton returns to the Pac-12 where she began her career as a public relations intern. With Maloof Sports & Entertainment, she spent the last decade overseeing all marketing and branding efforts for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and ARCO Arena, as well as the business operations for the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs.

Previously, she led Sony’s sports marketing division, focusing on the PGA Tour and the Sony Open in Hawai’i. She also served as the executive director of the 1999
NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four at Stanford and worked in public relations for the Fiesta Bowl.  The 1993 U of A graduate majored in political science and minored in Media Arts and as an undergraduate worked within the Wildcat Athletics Department in both the ticket sales and media relations departments as well as interning with the -TV Sports Department.  Danette is a well-known advocate for women in sports and an East Bay resident, where she lives with her husband Chris and daughter Olivia, and pursues an appreciation of the beauty and wine of Northern California.