Baringer’s path into ice arena management was quite unique. Report

Lisa Fedick, CAE ISI Certification Programs & Courses Chair

IAIM ELEVATES INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

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uring this exciting period of ISI rebranding, repackaging and rebirth, our iAIM program continues to be the standard training and certification model that

prepares industry professionals to keep pace with the ever- changing, competitive ice sports industry. As the calendar winds down to our major annual educational

event in May, the ISI conference and trade show, we hope you have already taken advantage of the discounted attendee registration opportunities available through April 15. Held in conjunction with the Minnesota Ice Arena Managers Association (MIAMA) this year’s event, scheduled May 30-June 2 in Minneapolis, Minn., is not to be missed. A nine-hour certification class module from each of the three tracks — Certificate of Arena Management (CAM), Certificate of Arena Programming (CAP) and Certificate of Arena Operations (CAO) — will be offered, as well as the Advanced Skating Director track. iAIM will also be returning to the Northeast Ice Skating

Managers Association (NEISMA) 2017 Spring Conference, April 23 – 26, in Falmouth, Mass. CAO Part 2, a five-hour introduction to the Skating Director tracks, and a Certified Arena Executive (CAE) class will be offered.

CAE Program

Te CAE program is the graduate school layer of the curriculum and it truly sets iAIM apart. Tis comprehensive program was designed to identify and hone our industry leaders. It is the only educational forum designed to equip tomorrow’s ice arena executives to prosper in a wavering industry. In addition to completing 27 hours of classroom activities,

participants strengthen their writing and public speaking skills. Although the path to becoming a member of this elite group is arduous, there is no greater commitment an industry professional can make to their career or the industry. Te fulfillment of the CAE prerequisites begins upon one’s completion of the first iAIM class. CAE classes are open to all and, it is never too early to start accumulating your 15 CAE class credits.

Jamie Baringer, left center, is just one of 11 individuals who have achieved CAE distinction. Robyn Bentley, right center, recently received this distinction as well.

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Born in Texas, and the daughter of an Air Force officer, she spent a large portion of her childhood in Europe before her family settled in Mansfield, Ohio. Unlike most of her peers, Baringer does not have a background on the ice. Although many would consider this an impediment, her lack of skating skills was not a detriment in her rise to the top of our industry. Baringer graduated from Baldwin-Wallace University (formerly

known as Baldwin-Wallace College) in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, with a specialization in sports management. During her undergraduate work, she was a four-year starting goal keeper for the varsity soccer team and a member of the Baldwin-Wallace University Athletic Hall of Fame. After graduation, she spent two years in Florida working

at Eckerd Youth Alternatives where she counseled and taught troubled teens. Tis position required her to live and work in the Florida woods, an experience that would shape her life. In 2001, Baringer applied for the soccer director position at the new

Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor Michigan, managed by JRV Management. Te position had already been filled, but the owners, Jack and Eileen Vivian, saw something special in Baringer and her life experiences, and decided to groom her for the future expansion of their company. She was initially hired as a shift supervisor and after three months she was promoted and tasked with the design and administration of an all sports summer camp. Six months later, she was running the entire field house side of the facility as well as special events. In 2003, Jamie was promoted to acting general manager/

assistant general manager of the Alice Nobel Ice Arena in Wooster, Ohio. After a year, she opted to leave the industry to pursue a master’s degree in education with a specialization in sports administration. Before graduating in 2006, Baringer once again joined forces

with JRV Management at the Newark Ice Arena in Newark, Ohio, where she served as general manager during the 2.5-million-dollar renovation of the facility, now known as the Lou and Gib Reese Ice Arena. A second life-defining experience, the renovation quickly turned into an on-the-job training program, as she tied down rebar, painted walls and installed rubber flooring. Once the arena was up and running, Baringer received help

from friend and mentor, Margy Bennett, in the creation of a thriving skating school program. She left the Lou Gib Reese Ice Arena in 2010, but not before increasing the revenue stream substantially and insuring the facility’s long-term viability. Moving onto her next challenge, she accepted her current position

as Bowling Green State University Ice Arena (BGSU) director. During her seven-year tenure, the arena has successfully undergone two major renovations which have served to bring the facility back up to the standard required for success and continued growth. In January 2016, Baringer was promoted to assistant athletic

director of arena operation. In this new role, she is responsible for the oversight of all operations of the BGSU Ice Arena as well as the Stroh Center. Seizing every opportunity possible, she is currently a doctoral student in the BGSU Department of Education, Leadership Studies Program. Her dissertation will focus on crisis readiness of ice arena management within the United States and Canada, a document that she hopes will set a new safety standard for our industry.

ISI EDGE SPRING 2017