George Veras To Deliver Keynote Address At Leadership 100 Annual Conference

George Veras is Chief Operating Officer & Executive Producer of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (PFHOF) and 10-time National Sports Emmy Award winner as writer, producer and director of national television live events and documentaries. He produced seven Olympics for CBS Sports and NBC Sports. Veras joined the PFHOF in 2009 after 15 years with CBS Sports and time as owner of Veras Communications Production Company, and as Manager and Executive Producer for the world-renowned musician Yanni, for whom he produced shows including “Live at the Acropolis”, “Live at the Taj Mahal” and “Live at the Forbidden City”.

Veras was named to his current position in December 2016 by Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker. As Chief Operating Officer & Executive Producer, he oversees marketing, sponsorships, ticket sales, hospitality, guest services, social media, events, media, content and television. He is contributing the programming, media,  and event support for the $886 M Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village.

Veras came to the Hall of Fame in 2009 as President of PFHOF Enterprises, the for- profit arm of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He created the Hometown Hall of Famer program, celebrating the community’s support of the Gold Jackets, the US Army Award for Excellence and the Fan Vote, along with five one-hour television specials for NFL Network. He secured first time national sponsors Phillips Van Heusen, Allstate, Ford, Guinness, and the US Army, for $20 million, with appearance fees for the Hall of Famers of $4 million.

Veras is an Adjunct Professor of Sports Business at Case Western Reserve University, a judge for the National Sports Emmys, an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Order of Saint Andrew, a member of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Rocky River, Ohio and an Ellis Island Gold Medalist. Past associations include member of 1996 Athens Olympic Committee, Board membership for the Cleveland Pops Orchestra and Anatolia College, Thessaloniki. He has been honored three times as Man of the Year by the Greek-American community, in 1994 by the Hellenic Spirit Foundation, in 1999 by the Elios Society and in 2005 by the American Hellenic Institute.

Veras’ wife, Kimberly (Gallas), has a B.A. of Journalism from The Ohio State University, worked for the New York Yankees in promotions and marketing, and currently is serving her second term on the City Council in Brecksville (OH). They are the parents of four sons, Dr. Dimitri Veras, Gregory, Alexander (Jennifer), Christopher, and granddaughter, Savannah Noel.