Dave Brown Named 42nd Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chairman

ARLINGTON, Texas – Dave Brown, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of the American Airlines Center in Dallas, has been elected to a two-year term as Chairman of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (CBAA), which oversees the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, and Cotton Bowl Foundation.

Brown becomes the 42nd Chairman, succeeding Bry Patton who remains on the CBAA Executive Committee as the Immediate Past Chairman. In his role as Chairman, Brown works closely with the CBAA staff to facilitate all aspects of the business affairs for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Cotton Bowl Foundation during a two-year term that runs from Feb. 1, 2022 to Jan. 31, 2024. The 87th and 88th Classics will be played at AT&T Stadium under his leadership.

"I am truly humbled and honored to be selected as Chairman of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association," said Brown. "I step into this role with a deep understanding and appreciation for what the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic stands for and what it means to so many in North Texas and across the college football landscape. I look forward to being an ardent advocate for the Classic and all the positives it brings and to help amplify and evolve the impact we make in our community annually through the Cotton Bowl Foundation. I am so excited to roll my sleeves up and get to work."

Brown is a fixture in the operations of major sports facilities in North Texas. He joined the Center Operating Company, LP staff in 1998 to help bring the vision of the American Airlines Center to reality. The home of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks and National Hockey League's Dallas Stars opened its doors in 2001. Prior to his time at the American Airlines Center, he served as General Manager of Reunion Arena.

A civic leader in Dallas for decades, Brown has served on numerous boards and commissions, most recently completing a second term as Chairman of Visit Dallas where he was instrumental in the creation and growth of the Dallas Sports Commission.

The Houston, Texas, native graduated from Texas A&M University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Management and Operations. He and his wife Tamara reside in Dallas.

Brown leads the 2022-24 slate of CBAA officers, which includes W. Kelvin Walker serving in a newly-created role as Chairman-Elect. In this role, Walker will work in tandem with Brown during his tenure in preparation to take over the reins as Chairman for 2024-26.

Walker serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Dallas Citizens Council, a non-profit organization comprised of CEOs and top business leaders in North Texas. Working in this role for nearly three years, Walker guides DCC on providing guidance on policy issues that move Dallas forward and serve in the moments that matter the most for the city. Prior to this position, he was a Managing Director of RLJ Equity Partners in Dallas, a private equity fund with over $450 million under management. His extensive experience in the finance and banking industry also includes stops at 21st Century Group, Mesirow Financial and Pryor, McClendon, Counts & Co. and Bank of America.

Walker earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from Morehouse College in 1984 and received his Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and Organizational Behavior from the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 1986. He, his wife Celia and children, Olivia and Kingston, reside in Dallas.

Joining Brown, Walker and Patton on the CBAA Executive Committee for 2022-24 are three Past Chairmen (Fin Ewing III, Carl Ice and Dan Novakov) and three returning Vice Chairmen (Dee Kelly, Baker Montgomery and Monica Egert Smith). The seven-person officer group governs the organizations' Board of Directors and Council, which comprise a diverse collection of civic and community leaders with strong North Texas ties.

Follow the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Cotton Bowl Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.