Mr. Esckilsen is an Associate Professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI and is the Chair of the Department for Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management. He is active in the development and management of sports and entertainment venues and events through his consulting company, ESVenues. During his 40-year career, Esckilsen has been involved in the development and management of public assembly venues in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Mr. Esckilsen also served as the Executive Director of six arenas, notably the pre-opening and management of the 10,000-capacity Mullins Center (UMass-Amherst) and the 21,000-capacity Manchester Arena (NYNEX-UK). He has booked and successfully managed more than 1,500 sports and entertainment events during his career. Esckilsen is a Certified Venue Executive (CVE) awarded by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). In addition, he is a Trained Crowd Manager (TCM), a Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) certified trainer, and a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), awarded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AH&LEI), Washington, DC. Esckilsen was a co-author of Public Assembly Facility Management: Principles and Practices, 2nd Edition (2009), published by IAVM, and a co-author of Public Assembly Venue Management: Sports, Entertainment, Meeting, and Convention Venues, 1st Edition (2015) and 2nd Edition (2020). Mr. Esckilsen received his A.S. Degree in Recreational Leadership from Dean College, Franklin, MA, his B.S. Degree in Recreation Administration from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, and his M.S. Degree in Recreational Sports Management from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. Mr. Esckilsen was awarded the IAVM Education and Service Award in 2023. He serves on the Board of Project Goal and lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.