PBA BOARD TO NAME NEW PBA COO/GAME COMM MAY 14
No new Commissioner just yet.
Outgoing PBA Commissioner Chito Salud announced that the Board of Governors are going to convene on May 14 to finally name the league’s new chief operating officer.
“The Board decided that they will assess and evaluate each one based on their presentation, background, track record, consult with their respective principals, and meet again and take the appropriate action,” he said.
Undergoing separate interview processes with the remaining aspirants on Thursday, Salud explained, “The four gentlemen presented themselves to the Board, shared their insights with respect to the manner in which they will discharge the duties and function as the league commissioner. They presented their long term goals and why they are motivated to take on the challenge of the next league commissioner.”
SBP finance chair Ernesto Jay Adalem, FBA commissioner Vince Hizon, PBA operations chief Rickie Santos, and former PBA coach Chito Narvasa all had approximately 30-minute interviews with the Board where they laid out their plans if they get the nod as the PBA’s ninth commissioner, which Salud described as “a spontaneous presentation. Very friendly, very informal, not stiff at all.”
“They made a brief statement on how they envision the role of the Commissioner and how they intend to discharge the duties and the functions of the office and what motivates them to take on the challenge,” Salud said. “All four understood the intricacies of the job and the expectations of the team owners, the governors, the players, and the coaches.”
Prior to the Board meeting, Salud already convened with each of the applicants as he made an assessment of “each one’s strengths and attributes.”
“Each one has his own strengths and assets, and all of them bring different attributes that they will bring to the table. But in the end, ultimately, it’s the call of the team owners and their companies,” he said.
Salud also explained the duties of the new Commissioner will be solely focused on all game-related concerns.
“He will handle the PBA and the PBA D-League. All issues and concerns pertaining to the games and the conduct: trades, sanctions, scheduling, venue selection, format, and the like. I think being at the games is a must,” he said.
The new Commissioner will formally take over the position on August 23, the day of the 2015 PBA Rookie Draft, but Salud insisted that once the Board names his successor, he will immediately be thrusted to the intricacies of the job.
He said, “I will make it a point to include him in the day-to-day operations of the PBA so that he will have a glimpse on how to work as Commissioner.”
As for now, Salud could only keep himself mum as he doesn’t want to preempt the Board of Governors on its upcoming big decision.
“Anybody can get the position.” (RL)
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