Dayton native named to leadership position with Harlem Globetrotters

Sunni Hickman, a Dayton native, has been named vice president of marketing and sales for the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Atlanta resident and former west Dayton native got her start in street teams promotion for parties and live events while in college at Clark Atlanta University. The Meadowdale High School graduate said she wants to give not only her family something to be proud but the city she grew up in as well.

“I love marketing. I’m able to influence people and especially in the space that I’m in now, it’s really influencing people to spend time together,” Hickman said. In her new position, Hickman will oversee marketing, sales and brand development for the basketball performance team.

“Sunni has successfully demonstrated her abilities with Herschend over the past six years, and her strategic approach, combined with her experience and expertise in brand building and marketing, is the perfect fit for the role,” Globetrotter executive vice president and general manager, Jeff Munn said in a statement. “We welcome her leadership style and her ability of connecting people to unique experiences.”

Harlem Globetrotters International Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned themed entertainment company in the U.S.

Hickman said this opportunity differs from othera as it is more like a passion project as basketball has been a large part of her life. Her husband is a coach and former player. “I’ve been around basketball my whole life and I’m now able to bring my love of the sport to the Globetrotters which is a beloved and sort of storied brand with its history.”

Harlem Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 124 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their first-ever basketball experience, a release says. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans – among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents – over nine thrilling decades.

“I remember them as a child, now today to have the opportunity to revitalize the brand where we have these great live shows that people love but for even more generations just to sort of allow them to have the opportunity to experience this brand in some new ways,” she said.

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