THE SHINING ST R THAT ISADINA ERWIN, CVE
received her Master of Science degree in 1995. That advice would
early in college. “Those experiences started to expose me to the fact that there is a
career in this,” she said. “It was something then you just didn’t hear about. There is more to the Smith Center than what’s happening on the court. It takes a lot behind the scenes to get the court ready and the players on the court and then turn it for a concert. It’s like, wow, I didn’t know that. seed planted at the university started to grow. Then I became close to the people who actually do make it happen and made it hap- that went into that. It tapped a part of my personality that I didn’t know existed at the time. It was the part of wanting to be in an ever-changing environment. I needed to be in something that was right industry. That was where that came from.”
Making The Right Moves Following her studies in Massachusetts, Erwin returned home and
worked again at the Charlotte Coliseum, before landing a position as director of ticketing at Blockbuster Pavilion (now PNC Music Pavil- ion) in Charlotte. The new knowledge picked up there obviously in- cluded ticketing as well as learning about the amphitheater business. found in Bob Newman another person she would call a leader and
continued
mentor. Newman served as general manager of SMG’s newly con- structed convention center and civic center, and he provided Erwin experience with the convention business. “It was a good experience in my career I had worked at an arena, amphitheater, and convention center and even had experience with a small expo center and theater.” As Erwin recalls her early experience, the obvious question begs about her service in an industry dominated by men. as well as the fact there was also fewer African-Americans in the business. Combine the two, and the number really dwindles with African-American females in the public assembly venue industry. For Erwin, the experience was not as traumatic as it could have
been. -
ing up, even before college, as a little girl starting school right in the 70’s when integration began … you still had teachers that had taught when schools were segregated. You had a lot of communities segre- gated in the south. My parents were very progressive in wanting to make sure that we lived in an integrated community and going to schools that may not have had any African-Americans that went to those schools before, even though they were being bused in. “From a very early age I experienced being the only one, or one
of a few, and all that comes with that. Fast forward to a professional perspective. I felt like I was prepared, even in some meetings or an environment where you are the only one. It doesn’t require or cause me to recoil or think about the fact I am the only one or what have you. I don’t think about that very often. I think that goes back to my childhood.”
Still, Erwin was aware of her surroundings, even if she was not intimidated.
26 Facility Manager Magazine
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