BOARD OF DIRECTORS

With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment and hospitality industries, Hill serves as Vice President of Finance & Administration at OVG. In her role, she oversees the financial infrastructure and ensures compliance, develops budgets and monthly forecasts, assists in projecting event deals and P&L, and manages the daily operations of human resources, accounting, and finance functions.

Before joining OVG, Hill held positions with several prominent NBA teams, including the Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs, as well as with the NHL’s Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. She also worked at the full-service marketing agency Mod Op and taught accounting at the University of San Francisco’s Masters in Sports Management program.

Hill earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from the University of Utah.

John is a Senior Vice President at the Oak View Group, the global leader in venue development, management, and premium hospitality services for live events.  Specifically, John is responsible for the management and oversight of the new Acrisure Arena, the Coachella Valley Firebirds and OVG360 Facilities.

Before joining OVG, John served as President of Spectra, where he supported 10,000 employees across the company’s wide portfolio of venues and stadiums. He holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in public administration from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Known for his ability to motivate employees, John emphasizes a “Client First” approach. His success has resulted in being nominated

ten times by Pollstar as Facility Executive of the Year.

The former USC Trojans offensive lineman got his start in 1991 as an event coordinator at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena. His passion for sports has followed him to the Coachella Valley with his commitment to the One Valley Foundation which is the philanthropic arm of the CV Firebirds.

John and his wife, Kellie have been married for 24 years and have three college aged children, Jack, Sam and Grace.

A 30 year desert resident Gino LaMont spent 25 years anchoring the news on NBC Palm Springs. In 2022 Gino stepped down as NBC’s main anchor and News Director to join the Coachella Valley Firebirds broadcast team. In addition to the One Valley Foundation Gino also sat on the board of the Plaza Theatre Restoration Foundation as well as the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce “Walk of Stars” board.

John Payne is the Director of Sales & Service with the Firebirds, arriving to the valley in Early 22’. A native of Vancouver, Canada, John has worked in the sports entertainment industry for over 12 years. John lives in Indio with his wife Nicole, 2 boys Weston and Leo and their beloved retriever/Shepard mix dog, Stella.