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Lee Kallman ’91
Zn Ga Ge Marketing and Business Development for UCI Road World Championships—Richmond 2015
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Background: After graduating from Radford in 1995, Lee Kallman moved to Atlanta. “Richmond was buried in the past, and the job that I wanted didn’t exist here,” he says. At the time, Atlanta was gearing up for the 1996 Olympics, and there was considerable work to be found in sports-related events. “I raced bikes, but I was never any good,” he says. “It didn’t take long to realize that it was not going to be my calling…I might have had the passion for it, but I didn’t have the genes.” Mr. Kallman worked in an advertising agency and claims that it was fantastic training for anything else he has done in his career. “The communications part is a skill—you don’t have to know everything about the product. Agencies aren’t for everybody, but I probably got the equivalent of ten years of experience in a short amount of time. It helped me hone in on more of what I wanted to do,” he says. He also gained experience working in the soccer world during the 1999 Women’s World Cup, when Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain were household names.
2010, and Mr. Kallman became involved in early 2011; Richmond was awarded the bid that September. “Eventually it became clear that this would happen,” Mr. Kallman says. “The infrastructure was in place, and Richmond is the right size for this event.”
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The significance of the UCI event: Since 1921, the UCI Road World Championships have typically been held in Europe; the last time the race took place in the United States was 1986 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “We hope Richmond will be known as the cycling capital of the U.S. after this race,” Mr. Kallman says. “It’s been a catalyst for transformational change. This is like the Super Bowl around the world.” As soon as the winning bid was announced, the city hired a bike and pedestrian coordinator, which jumpstarted the initiative, Mr. Kallman says. He is one of eight people who comprise the main staff for the event, and they are all aware of the importance the race will bring to the region. “That’s why we’re doing this….This event is bigger than any one thing—there are not a lot of [events] here that have had this many key stakeholders—not just Richmond concerns, but the global piece.” For example, the start and end times of the races have been major considerations. They typically conclude at 4 or 5 p.m., and when the event has been hosted in Europe, that’s morning or lunchtime in the U.S. However, with a mid-afternoon concluding time on the East Coast, it will be prime time for viewing in Europe.
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Returning to Richmond: Mr. Kallman became interested in returning to Richmond when a friend moved here from Washington, D.C. “I’d come visit, and I noticed there was something different going on—the mindset, the attitudes, the culture,” he says. “Five or ten years before, there was zero chance [that Richmond could host the UCI event], but Richmond is a different place than it was in 1995.” He officially returned in 2006 and eventually heard a rumor that the city was submitting a bid to host the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. The plan was getting off the ground in mid-
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“ equivalent of ten years
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Pd Ag Cd of experience in a short amount of time. It helped me hone in on more of what I wanted to do.
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His future plans: What will Mr. Kallman do once the UCI race is part of Richmond’s history this fall? “I’m available,” he says with a smile. “If we do what we’re supposed to do with the race, the opportunities should be there.”
Crossroads Crossroads Spring/Summer Spring/Summer2015 2015
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