Celebrating the Lives of Our 2024 Active Lifestyle Trailblazers: A Tribute to Their Legacy

As the year draws to a close, SGB Media honors the business leaders from the active lifestyle sector who have departed in 2024 and recognizes their contributions and influence on the larger community.

Al Anderson
Founder, Source for Sports 

Anderson, the sole Canadian to hold the position of Board Chairman for the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA), commenced his journey in the sporting goods sector in 1955 as the initiator of Athletic Equipment Sales in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Today it is recognized as Al Anderson’s Source for Sports.

Anderson became a member of the NSGA’s Board of Directors in 1971 and chaired the board from 1974 to 1975. Throughout his tenure, he also occupied roles such as vice chairman, chairman-elect, treasurer, and past chairman within the NSGA.

Bill Battle
Founder, Collegiate Licensing Company and College Licensing Pioneer

In 1981, Battle entered into a licensing agreement with his previous coach, the renowned Paul “Bear” Bryant. He subsequently assisted the University of Alabama in establishing a licensing department, which led to Battle’s creation of the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and what evolved into a multi-billion dollar market in collegiate licensing.

Employing a model akin to that of the National Football League (NFL), Battle engaged with college administrators directly, persuading them of his vision wherein all trademarks were monitored and officially documented with an “officially licensed collegiate products” insignia. Under his stewardship, the CLC expanded to include representation for over 200 schools, conferences, bowl games, NASCAR, and the PGA Tour.

Richard Beebe
Owner, Redding Reloading Equipment

Beebe acquired Redding Reloading Equipment in 1974. Over the years, he phased out older products while introducing new innovations. He was also awarded multiple patents for these advancements, which have benefited today’s handloaders in various ways.

In 1986, Redding procured the assets of Santa Anita Engineering Company (SAECO) and ventured into the bullet-casting market alongside the necessary accessories beyond molds. In 2005, Redding obtained Imperial Lubricants, known for their Imperial Sizing Die Wax and Imperial Dry Neck Lube. This acquisition transformed Redding into a comprehensive reloading resource, with every product manufactured using U.S.-made machinery, labor, U.S. iron, and steel.

John Connelly
Founder, Oboz

Connelly commenced his career at an outdoor shop in Richmond, VA, and collaborated with over 15 outdoor footwear brands throughout the next four decades. In 2007, he established Oboz, transforming it into one of the prominent outdoor brands. In 2018, he sold the business to one of the original retailer partners, New Zealand’s Kathmandu.

A passionate entrepreneur, Connelly adored sports car racing nearly as much as designing innovative footwear. He successfully integrated both passions into his latest venture, Chicane footwear.

Robert Griffin
Former CEO and Chair of Escalade, Inc.

Griffin managed Evansville, IN-based Escalade for 53 years, taking on various roles, including CEO from 1976 to 1999. He was pivotal in recognizing the necessity to diversify the company and its products beyond archery equipment into a multi-category brand. Though he stepped down as chairman of the Board of Directors in 2015, he continued to maintain his office at the company.

Escalade’s brand portfolio encompasses Bear Archery, Stiga table tennis, Accudart, Rave Sports, Victory Tailgate, Onix Pickleball, Goalrilla, Lifeline fitness products, Woodplay, and Brunswick.

Don Green
Founder, Sage Fly Fishing

Green established Sage Fly Fishing in 1980, originally named the Winslow Rod Company, with six employees in a space measuring 1,500 square feet. The company is still located on Bainbridge Island, WA, now employing 175 individuals and occupying a 30,000-square-foot facility.

The brand was one of the original trio acquired by a Seattle-based investment firm in 2005, leading to the formation of Far Bank Enterprises, alongside Redington and Rio Products.

Douglas Houser, Esquire
Nike Board Member

Houser, related to Nike Co-founder Phil Knight, played a critical role in incorporating Nike and was a member of the company’s Board of Directors for 50 years. He is credited with guiding Nike through a significant lawsuit in the early seventies against Onitsuka Co. Ltd., which would later become Asics, concerning the distribution rights of Onitsuka Tiger.

Houser’s legal tenure spanned nearly sixty years, specializing in insurance law at the Portland, OR firm that evolved into Bullivant Houser Bailey PC. He retired from Nike’s board in 2015.

Richard Hendrickson
CEO, Lifetime Products

In 1988, Hendrickson embarked on his journey at Lifetime Products, a manufacturer of residential basketball hoops, polyethylene folding tables and chairs, starting as a welder in the production shop while pursuing his education at Weber State University. After college, he joined the firm full-time, where he held positions in manufacturing, R&D, sales & marketing, and played an essential role in establishing…

up Lifetime’s global segment.

Hendrickson was appointed president of the organization in 2005 and CEO in 2014, following the retirement of Founders Barry and Kathy Mower in 2013.

Peter Hurley
Owner, American Bicycle Group (ABG)

Hurley transitioned into the bike and triathlon sector from a background in investment banking, focusing on mergers & acquisitions. He initially entered as a minority stakeholder in ABG and assumed full ownership in 2012 after his partners grew weary of the notion of managing a bicycle enterprise. Hurley pioneered a consumer-direct approach allowing clients to customize made-to-order bikes, which the company then shipped directly to them.

ABG, headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, is the parent organization of the Quintana Roo, Litespeed and Obed bike brands.

Jorma Kasslin
CEO, Rapala VMC

Kasslin had been a member of Rapala VMC’s Board of Directors since 1998, serving as chairman from 2016 to 2018 and holding the roles of president and CEO from 1998 to 2016. Throughout Kasslin’s leadership as CEO, Rapala VMC grew internationally across various segments of the sports fishing industry. Lars Ollberg, Rapala president and CEO, remarked, “Jorma consistently sought constructive solutions in his endeavors. His influence has been pivotal in Rapala VMC’s evolution into one of the leading firms in the sector.”

Craig Koenig
Former Board Chairman, NSGA

As the chairman and CEO of the Cleveland, OH-based family enterprise Koenig Sporting Goods, Koenig managed the company’s expansion from just two locations in the late 1960s to an autonomous retail network of 40 outlets in the 1990s, collaborating with his brother Brian. He broadened Koenig’s retail reach to include Akron, OH; Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania; Buffalo and Upstate New York; Virginia and West Virginia. The firm also bolstered the presence of its team division in these areas.

Koenig participated on the NSGA Board of Directors from 1985 to 1992 and chaired the board from 1990 to 1991.

Murray McCory
Co-Founder, JanSport

In the 1960s, McCory conceived the concept for JanSport while a student at the University of Washington after securing first place in a national contest hosted by aluminum manufacturer Alcoa. His award-winning prototype was an adjustable hiking backpack with a lightweight aluminum frame and a nylon pack equipped with a water bottle pocket. Conventional hiking backpacks at that time typically had one-size-fits-all wooden frameworks.

McCory established JanSport with his future spouse, Jan Lewis, in 1967. They concentrated on producing external-frame backpacks but rapidly diversified into snowshoes, a frame backpack for dogs and sleeping bags. McCory’s cousin Skip Yowell managed sales and marketing and aided in founding the enterprise.

Other breakthroughs by McCory include JanSport’s SuperBreak backpack, which became prevalent in high schools by the mid-1980s, and a tent featuring a dome-shaped frame known for being lightweight and wind-resistant. JanSport sold the business to K2 Corp. in 1972. Subsequently, VF Corporation acquired the company in 1986 and has maintained ownership ever since.

Jeff Miller
Owner, Scholastic Sports Sales

Miller’s parents, Harvey and Nancy, founded Scholastic Sports Sales in their family garage in Cazenovia, NY, in 1974. The enterprise experienced rapid growth, becoming one of the nation’s most esteemed team distributors and relocating to a 25,000-square-foot facility in Manlius, NY. It continues to be a family venture with Jeff’s spouse, Wendy, involved in accounts payable, and their sons Justin, Josh, VP of Sales, and Matt, who oversees the numbering department, playing key roles. Scholastic Sports Sales commemorated its 50th anniversary in April 2024 and is in its third generation of family ownership.

Miller served on the NSGA Board for two terms from 2015 to 2021. He sadly passed away unexpectedly on December 19 at the age of 69.

Goksel Ozturk
Country Managing Director, Turkey, VF Corp.

VF Corporation declared the passing of Goksel Ozturk. He had been with the organization since 2014. Prior to that, he spent 3.5 years at Levi Strauss & Co. and 4.5 years at Nike, Inc.

VF stated in a LinkedIn announcement, “His talent for connecting with and elevating those around him made him not just a leader but a mentor and friend to many. Goksel’s legacy will endure in the hearts of his team and throughout our organization.”

Rusty Saunders
NSGA Hall of Famer

Saunders dedicated his initial 13 years to the sporting goods industry with MacGregor-Brunswick Corp., where he held various roles, including East Coast Regional Sales Manager for its team division, professional golf and retail areas, as well as the national accounts and premium manager, and VP of merchandising. He was honored four times as MacGregor’s top sales producer and product innovator.

Saunders proceeded to become EVP and COO of two regional retail chains owned by Recreation Products Retailing Brendamour’s and Hollywood Sports Plaza. He guided both chains, which had rich histories but faced financial difficulties, back to profitability. Later, he established the Saunders & Associates Sales Agency, where he spent the next 19 years covering five Midwestern states.

In retirement, Saunders served as a 12-year member of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Committee, a founding partner of SportsOneSource, a moderator of Coach and Connect, founder of Get in the Game Careers, and a long-standing moderator of the NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit. The NSGA inducted Saunders into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 2013.

Jack Smith
Founder, Sports Authority

A member of the Sporting Goods Hall of Fame and NOVA Southeastern University Hall of Fame, Jack A. Smith passed away at his residence on June 26. He reached the age of 88.

Smith was the mastermind who transformed Sports Authority into one of the largest sporting goods retail brands worldwide. He also held the position of chairman for the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) board and was honored with induction into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 2016.

Mike Ullman
Former CEO JCPenney 

Ullman managed JCPenney on two occasions — initially joining the retailer in 2004 as chairman and CEO, helping to advance the turnaround efforts initiated by his predecessor, Allen Questrom, who had kept JCPenney from filing for bankruptcy. By making the retailer appeal more to younger consumers and its middle-income demographic, Ullman elevated the store to its historically highest operating profit at 9.7 percent, along with a share price reaching $88.

In 2011, Ullman left JCPenney without much fanfare, replaced by Ron Johnson, who was brought in from leading Apple Retail under Steve Jobs. Johnson’s “reinvention strategy“ almost led to the downfall of JCPenney and was subsequently halted.

Ullman returned to the role of JCPenney CEO from 2013 until 2016, revitalizing both the business and the brand. Prior to his time at JCPenney, Ullman had a retail career that included serving as chairman and CEO of Macy’s, as well as chairman and CEO of the DFS Group. He also gained substantial experience in government service, including a position as a White House Fellow during the Reagan administration, as well as work in academia and philanthropic endeavors focusing on health care for underserved individuals, among various other humanitarian projects.

Chris Walsh
Former Reebok and Crocs Sales Executive

Walsh served as Reebok’s VP of national accounts for numerous years following his management of the footwear division for the company’s Southeast region. His 26-year tenure at Reebok culminated in the position of VP of U.S. sales. He subsequently transitioned to Mizuno as the corporate VP of sales for a brief period before joining Crocs, where he acted as the brand’s VP of sales for the Americas from 2015 to 2018.