Speaker Profile

Valerie is an innovative sports and entertainment industry leader who specializes in unlocking growth for sports properties, amusement parks, and adjacent real estate development projects. She has successfully evaluated team business operations within the NBA, MLB, and NHL and implemented strategic and operational changes to turnaround underperforming properties. For nearly 15 years, she has been a trusted partner and advisor to team owners and senior league executives and maintains a deep understanding of team economics across multiple leagues.

She is currently advising legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton on a real estate development project and is on the Board of Directors of America’s largest family-owned attractions corporation, Herschend Family Entertainment. Herschend owns and operates amusement parks, dinner and live shows, attractions, and resorts in 26 states and Canada. Valerie is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Virginia Athletics Foundation.

Valerie was the President & CEO of Comcast NBC Universal’s live sports and entertainment division responsible for the business operation of the Philadelphia Flyers, Wells Fargo Center, and Philadelphia Sports Complex. She oversaw a team of 300+ front office professionals and 1,200+ gameday employees and managed the organization’s relationship with key stakeholders including local government, the NHL league office, broadcast partners, arena tenants, and real estate development partners. Over five years, Valerie led the $400M transformation of the Wells Fargo Center—a comprehensive redesign of the arena focused on elevating the guest experience, creating new sources of revenue, and operating efficiently and sustainably. She served on the NHL’s Board of Governors and Executive Inclusion Council. Prior to Comcast, Valerie was the Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer for the Washington Nationals where she led the strategy and implementation of the club's initiatives to maximize growth for both the team and Nationals Park. Valerie’s first role in sports was for the National Basketball Association’s preeminent Team Marketing and Business Operations group—the league’s internal strategy and consulting function. She advised team owners and presidents on best practices in revenue generation, data analysis, and marketing strategies. She also launched the NBA’s first data and analytics department to assist teams in capturing and leveraging fan data to enhance the guest experience and drive commercial growth. Valerie began her career in management consulting, where she spent 15 years advising business and government leaders for Booz Allen Hamilton and PwC—building multimillion-dollar strategy practices.

She is active in the community as a member of YPO (U.S. Capital Chapter), the Economic Club of DC, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), the University of Virginia’s Jefferson Scholarship Selection Committee, and the Trust for the National Mall. Valerie holds a BS in Commerce and MBA from the University of Virginia. She resides in McLean, Virginia with her husband, Lawrence.