Charlie Firestone is President of the Rose Bowl Institute, which champions sportsmanship and promotes the power of sports to unite people everywhere.

Previously, he was a Vice President and Executive Vice President of The Aspen Institute, and for 30 years was the Executive Director of its Communications and Society Program.

Firestone was Director of the Communications Law Program and  Adjunct Professor of Law at UCLA Law School. He was also the first President of the Los Angeles Board of Telecommunications Commissioners. Firestone argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and many before the U.S. Courts of Appeals as an appellate attorney at the Federal Communications Commission, director of litigation for a public interest law firm, and in private practice in Los Angeles.

Firestone graduated from Amherst College, where he captained the wrestling team, and Duke Law School. He resides with his wife, sculptor Pattie Porter Firestone, in Santa Barbara, California.

Darryl Dunn has served as the CEO & General Manager of the Rose Bowl Stadium since 1999. He is responsible for managing all aspects of the facility, including contract negotiations with prospective events, ongoing relationships with existing tenants and all financial, marketing, and operational needs for the stadium.

He is extensively involved in long range planning for the facility and spearheaded the planning and execution of a $183 million renovation for the historic facility beginning in 2011. He negotiated thirty-year agreements with tenants UCLA and the Tournament of Roses and long-term agreements with sports marketing companies IMG and Legends.

In the spring of 2016, Dunn oversaw the approval of a multi-year music and arts festival at the Rose Bowl beginning in 2017 in partnership with worldwide promoter AEG. During his tenure, the Rose Bowl has hosted four National Championship Games in college football), the annual Rose Bowl Game, Copa America, numerous international soccer matches, including hosting the national teams of Brazil, Columbia, Mexico and the United States, as well with clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United. Concerts have included the record breaking U2 2009 event, as well as Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Kenny Chesney and many more.

Mr. Dunn also serves as the primary representative of the City of Pasadena to American Golf Corporation related to the operation and long-term planning for Brookside Golf Course, a 36-hole public golf course in Pasadena. Prior to coming to the Rose Bowl, Mr. Dunn worked for the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Raiders, Los Angeles Clippers and World Cup 1994 Organizing Committee. Dunn has been involved with several local and national non-profit organizations and serves as the honorary co-chair of the annual NAACP event held in Pasadena.

He has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the 500 most influential people in Los Angeles from 2016-2020. He has received numerous community, business and neighborhood awards for his commitment to others.

A native of Connecticut, Mr. Dunn resides in Pasadena and is married and has two children.

Lauren Hall currently serves as the Program Director for the Rose Bowl Institute, which promotes sportsmanship values to make better citizens. The institute champions the power of sports to unite people everywhere.

Hall led various aspects of the Legacy Foundation from 2015 -2019 as the Stewardship and Development lead for the Stadium’s non-profit organization in charge of preserving, protecting and enhancing the future of the Rose Bowl Stadium as a National Historic Landmark. She has had 15 years of experience in marketing, fundraising and public relations with sports entertainment organizations and top tier companies.

Before joining the Foundation, Hall was a consultant for Marketing and Public Relations for the Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC) in 2011. As the chief of staff and executive assistant to the CEO and General Manager of the Rose Bowl, Hall played a central role in the conceptualization, planning and implementation of the largest renovation project in the venue's history. In this role, Hall was also responsible for leading the communications and marketing strategies for the Rose Bowl Stadium.

Her responsibilities included ensuring brand integrity, advertising, sponsorship development and relationships, website creative and the solicitation of special events.

Prior to her start at America's Stadium, Hall worked for AEG as a project manager for the in-house creative department, managing both traditional and new media projects, clients and vendors. During her time at AEG and even after, Hall also worked as a production manager on the Amgen Tour of California for four years and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado. As a production manager she oversaw the day-to-day operations, scheduling of interviews, all facets of media from pre-production to final delivery including live web feed of the race, and budgeting.

Hall began her career in New York City with Winston West, Ltd. where she worked as an associate in-house producer for a photography agency that represented 14 photographers bi-coastally.

Hall graduated from Syracuse University and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and photography. A native of Massachusetts, Hall resides in Yorba Linda with her husband and two sons.

Brian Brantley, who has accumulated more than 14 years of experience in fundraising, sports marketing and sales comes to America’s Stadium from his most recent stop at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he has been the Director of Development and Individual Sport Philanthropy for the past two-plus years.

While at Cal Poly SLO, Brantley managed the annual fund and solicited major gifts for current facility campaigns including track, football and softball. During his time with the Mustangs, Brantley secured the lead gift for the softball hitting facility, secured funding to send women’s basketball team on international trip to Australia, designed strategic plan and timeline for all development communications for handling both annual fund and major gifts, worked in securing scholarships for cross country and track teams.

Prior to his appointment with the Mustangs, Brantley was director of the Tiger Scholarship Fund at the University of Memphis, overseeing a $7 million annual fund and witnessing an increase in membership of over 200 people and $250,000 in funds raised. Brantley was Assistant Director of Development for Athletics at American University in Washington, D.C., from 2011-12 and served as marketing director for the Harlem Globetrotters from 2008-09. A graduate of Towson State (MD) with a bachelor of science degree in sports management, Brantley went on to earn his master’s degree in sports administration and facility management at Ohio University.

He served as a senior account executive for D.C. United of Major League Soccer from 2003-04 as well as for the Washington Nationals from 2004-07. Held various positions for the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles. Brian volunteers and supports the American Heart Association and the ALS Foundation. Brian is a NACDA Member and a two-time NAADD Diversity Stipend Award Winner. Bobby Purcell Athletic Development Mentoring Program Participant. Contributing author for the academic text, Event Management Blueprint: Creating and Managing Successful Sports Events.

Brian is originally from West Chester, PA.

Meredith Thomas currently serves as the Director of Communications for the Rose Bowl Stadium. In this role, she manages all media relations, communications, community relations initiatives including website management and external and internal relations activities for America’s Stadium. Since January 2019, Thomas now serves as an extension of the Legacy Foundation team helping to better tell their story.

In her time prior to working at America’s Stadium, Thomas spent three years with Motorola Solutions where she served as the public relations lead for the North America region in the Professional Commercial Radio, Fire, Emergency Services, PremierOne and Next-Generation 911, WAVE and Utility Businesses, while providing support to the Government Segment. As a Pasadena native, Thomas also worked for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and served as their Public Relations and Parade Media Coordinator helping to bring America’s New Year Celebration to the world on New Year’s Day.

In her time away from the office, Meredith is very involved with the work of The Salvation Army. She is active in her local church, The Salvation Army Pasadena Tabernacle where she participates in musical ministry opportunities through the church’s choir and brass band.

Meredith is a graduate of Trinity International University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications. She lives in Pasadena with her husband and three-year-old daughter