Walter Recher

Tel: (914) 872-4036 C: (845) 264-2997
walter@diamondsportscareers.com

Walter is a founding partner in Diamond Sports. He is the lead responsible for business strategy and market development,  partnerships, and education and training, as a member of the senior management team.

Walter led the successful development, launch and management of new education and training programs, sports marketing and career events, and new business development for some of the most successful growth companies in American business history.  Walter has over 20 years experience in education, as an adjunct professor, curricula developer, distance learning and online programs, and internship placement.  Recher worked with Dave Torromeo in the launch of the Manhattanville College Masters Degree Program in Sport Business Management, serving as Director of Sports Internships, and as adjunct professor. Recher developed the first online class at Manhattanville, Technology and Sports in the Global Market, and Entrepreneurship in Sports. As Internship Director, he has managed relationships and placed interns with major teams and organizations, including MSG, the NY Yankees, USTA, and the NY Mets. Previously, Recher led the successful launch of the University of Phoenix Online Center for Professional Development in the New York Metro market, and has been a member of the Society of Human Resource Management and ASTD.

Mr. Recher introduced new online and traditional classes at Fordham University, Marist College, Manhattanville College and State University of New York Online, and developed new courses and programs, including Entrepreneurship in Sports, and Emerging Technologies. Recher founded SmallBall Marketing to develop sports entrepreneurship, and has been involved in the organization and management of numerous sports marketing events, including  the Diamond Sports Perfect Pitch with the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Big Apple Coaches Convention featuring Don Mattingly, career seminars at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center and Bobby Valentine’s Sports Academy, the Manhattanville College Career Fair, and the inaugural Army vs. Marist baseball event at Dutchess Stadium.

Mr. Recher developed a new media marketing firm in partnership with the National Center for Missing Children, sponsoring  events with the PGA/Buick Classic and Citibank Tournament of Champions. During his career at MCI, Recher developed partner marketing alliances with Intel and Microsoft in the launch of the MCI Distance Learning Program as Director Advanced Services Marketing, and managed the GE Global Services team. Mr. Recher earned his MBA at Fordham University, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from State University of New York, College at Oswego.

David Torromeo

Tel: (914) 872-4036 C: 203 858-9230
dave@diamondsportscareers.com

Dave Torromeo is a founding partner in Diamond Sports. As the lead responsible for developing and managing relationships with professional and college sports teams, leagues, organizations and associations, Dave assumes a key role in the development of events and training program curricula and strategic partnerships. Torromeo has served as Executive Director of the Manhattanville Sport Business Management program since its inception in 2006, Manhattanville has become the largest accredited program in the NY Metro area and arguably most successful graduate sports program in the region.

Torromeo has developed new and innovative programs for over 25 years, most recently at Manhattanville. He has been responsible for developing curriculum, hiring adjunct faculty, and establishing an advisory board with senior sports executives. Torromeo developed the NY Metro area’s first Sports Career Fair at Manhattanville College in 2007, featuring 27 major industry exhibitors, senior level speakers from the NFL, and over 400 attendees from northeast. Torromeo also formed the Sports Analytic Institute and the Center of Ethics in Sport at Manhattanville (CESAM).

Torromeo has developed a distinguished career in sports, professional development, and collegiate athletics. As Vice President, Operations of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, he developed relationships with the NFL, and a nationally renowned Board of Directors across the U.S. Dave was responsible for scholarships and grants and managed a $10 million endowment and spearheaded the new Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN. As an entrepreneurial senior executive, Torromeo has developed a number of successful new sports programs and events, and provides unique insight into sports and corporate business programs, strategic management, and media relations. Torromeo played a lead role in awarding Jackie Robinson the Gold Medal Award, the highest honor that the Foundation bestows, on the 50th Anniversary of the Foundation and Robinson’s breaking the color barrier in baseball. Dave assisted in the formation of the Foundation’s PLAY IT SMART program; an educational program that works to turn inner city football teams into learning teams.

Before joining the NFF, Torromeo served as a Sports Information Director (SID) and Assistant Athletics Director for Communications, Marketing, Promotions and Fund Raising for over 10 years including six at Iona College. He has earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Rhode Island and a Master’s Degree from Iona Colleges. He resides in New Canaan, CT with his wife Laurie and two children (Stephanie and Jarrett) and serves as the Chairman of the Board of the New Canaan Day Care Center.

Art Berke

Tel: 914.872.4029 Mobile: 201.388.5419
art@diamondsportscareers.com

Art Berke has worked at the highest level of the sports industry, and has held  executive  positions with Major League Baseball, ABC Television, Sports Illustrated and most recently the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center.

Immediately before joining Diamond Sports Berke was the Chief Operating Officer at the Museum & Learning Center for three years. His responsibilities there focused on the daily operation of the non-profit’s activities, including the oversight of an expansion/renovation.

For nearly 20 years, Berke was the Director and ultimately Vice President of Communications for the Sports Illustrated franchise, responsible for all public relations, publicity and charity activities.  Berke’s duties at Sports Illustrated were wide-ranging.  He had communications oversight for SI, SI.com and SI Kids, serving as the franchise’s chief spokesman. He also was in charge of the day-to-day publicity and the promotional strategy behind the popular Swimsuit and Sportsman of the Year issues, played key roles in the magazine’s 35^th, 40^th and 50^th anniversary celebrations and represented the SI franchise in a variety of charitable and community activities. In addition to his communications duties, Berke was the Senior Production Executive for three SI-branded network primetime specials–20^th Century Sports Awards (CBS), Sportsman of the Year 2000 (CBS) and Night of Champions (NBC)–as well as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year Show 2002 (Fox), an afternoon telecast. He also was SI’s Executive in Charge of Television for four TV specials that served as the companion to SI’s annual Swimsuit issue.

Prior to joining SI, Berke served as Director of Sports and Prime Time Sales Development for the ABC Television Network; was the primary publicist for such ABC Sports series as “Wide World of Sports,” “Monday Night Football,” and Howard Cosell’s “SportsBeat”; and was Associate Director of Information in the office of Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, where he was also the editor of the Official World Series Program in 1978 and 1979.  He has authored five books on sports and was the editor-in-chief of an award-winning sports encyclopedia for children.

A graduate of Indiana University, Berke has been an adjunct professor in Sports Communications at NYU and Manhattanville College and is on the Advisory Board for the Manhattanville graduate program in Sports Business Management. He also opines about his beloved Chicago White Sox on artofthepalehose.mlblogs.com.

Kevin is Chair of our Board of Advisors, and is responsible for introducing Diamond Sports to key industry relationships and opportunities with elite, high profile sports executives. Mr. Hallinan has established a reputation in the sports industry and beyond as an innovator and leader in professional sports security and operations. During his career in MLB, he was listed in USA Today on the list of “Baseball’s 50 Most Influential People”. For over 20 years, Mr. Hallinan served as Senior Vice President of Security and Facility Management for Major League Baseball. During his tenure working for the Commissioner of Baseball, Hallinan managed the full spectrum of security resources and programs for all 30 Major League Baseball Clubs, and counseled senior management in the identification and systemic remedial resolution of problems destined to protect the game, it’s players and reputation.

During his tenure with MLB, he was responsible for professional player education programs, interaction with major law enforcement agencies in domestic and international areas, and security and crowd management planning, including all major special events, the World Series, All Star Games, and International Games, and consulted on behalf of the National Association of Minor League Baseball. Hallinan serves as Chairman of the TEAM Coalition in Washington D.C., and as a board member of the Stadium Managers Association Council. He is also a member of the I.A.A.M. Security Safety Task Force, and the Police Executive Research Forum. Hallinan services on the Board of Directors of the Greater New York Council Law Enforcement Exploring Group, and was recently named an Advisory Board member of the Manhattanville College Sports Business Management Program. Hallinan also serves as principal and Executive Vice President of Royal Diamond Security International, a security consulting firm, with clients that include Major League Soccer, Ski Industries of American, and a number of universities and colleges.

Prior to his tenure with MLB, Mr. Hallinan served as Co-Commander of the F.B.I/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr. Hallinan received the US Attorney General Award for Exceptional Public Service. Hallinan served as spokesperson for the Professional Sports Security Directors, organizing meetings with U. S. Homeland Security, sharing intelligence and information, which increased the knowledge and awareness of security professionals in that challenging time. Mr. Hallinan earned his undergraduate degree at Fordham University, and the F.B.I. National Academy, and was awarded an honorary degree from Dominican College