A GREAT EXPERIENCE

A view into life at the Host Committee through the eyes of a summer intern

By Hy Cotten

July 17, 2009

Phillip Hiner-Leamon stepped out of Greenhill School a few weeks ago in nearby Addison and stepped right into a world of good at the Dallas offices of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.

As one of the host committee’s summer interns, Hiner-Leamon has plunged head first into broadening the host committee’s social networking presence. He has helped build sites on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

(Sidenote to readers: At the bottom of this northtexassuperbowl.com website are links to all three sites; click the “Become A Fan” button if you are already a Facebook member. The myspace site can be found at myspace.com/northtexassuperbowl).

Hiner-Leamon reports to Tony Fay, the host committee’s Director of Communications. The young intern has helped set up speakers’ bureaus, done research, fact-checking, writing, legwork, whatever is needed.

“We’ve had him do a whole variety of things,” Fay said. “He’s really helped us grow our fan base on Facebook, helped us improve our myspace page, Twittering, all the stuff his generation has really owned.”

From Day One, Hiner-Leamon admits he’s had his head spun around a few times.

“I had kind of strange expectations when I came into this job, and it turned out to be the exact opposite,” he said. “I was expecting a bunch of men around a table talking about football all day. It ended up being completely different. A lot of women work here.”

When he begins his freshman year this fall at Trinity University, he admits the internship that runs through July 31 has even opened his eyes to a new career possibility.“I’ve never really had a job in the corporate world,” Hiner-Leamon said. “I’m more of a community service guy. I haven’t really worked for money before.

“I was thinking about majoring in computer science in college. Now I’m thinking of majoring in sports media and communications. Also, now I know what to expect. I know the do’s and don’ts, and how to communicate with people, and it’s going to really help me throughout college and the world after that.”

For the Greenhill varsity football team, Hiner-Leamon played every position but quarterback and free safety. Trinity recruited him to play inside linebacker. He also played two years of basketball and participated in track & field.

But his education has not been in sports this summer. It’s been in people skills, in teamwork of a somewhat different nature, yet still with a winning goal in site. He has also learned a great deal simply by watching.

He says he has been particularly impressed with Kit Sawers, the host committee’s Vice President/Special Events, and by Bill Lively, President & CEO.

“Kit is just a really fast worker,” Hiner-Leamon said. “It’s just snap, snap, snap, gets the job done, and does it correctly. I’m real interested in her communication skills and by how well she works.

“I’m also impressed by Mr. Bill. When I sit in staff meetings, I learn so much from him. Like how he really cares about our company attitude. He wants to make sure that we’re always on task, we’re always on point. And he always encourages us at all times.”

Fay forecasts a promising future.

“Folks in the media relations side of the business tend to start out as interns,” Fay said. “I started as an intern with the Dallas Mavericks in 1987. He loves sports, and he found a way to get involved. He’s opened doors that will help him later on.”

“When I go into the elevator everyday and look in the (elevator) mirror on my way down after work,” Hiner-Leamon said, “I always realize how blessed I am to have such an opportunity, and how great this experience is for me.”