Billy Kennedy, a longtime NBA referee, has been voted in as the first president of Sports Officials Care, with fellow NBA referee Scott Twardoski as vice president. Dana Pappas is the Director of Officiating Services for the National Federation of High Schools, will serve as secretary and James Bowman, CEO of Carta Global Logistics, has been named treasurer.
Kennedy, Twardoski and Bowman all call Phoenix home. Pappas, a native of New Mexico, now lives in Indianapolis.
“We are thrilled to have such a high-esteemed crew to take the reins of this brand-new non-profit organization,” said Sports Officials Care Executive Director Jennifer Skolochenko-Platt. “There is a lot of work to be done, but we are working with the best of the best, and I am excited for future of this organization.”
Our full board of directors can be found HERE
Billy Kennedy has officiated 1,358 regular-season games in 24 seasons as an NBA staff official. He has also worked 127 playoff games, including five NBA Finals games.
He considers his most memorable NBA assignment to be his first NBA Finals: Game 3 of the 2010 Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Arizona native attended Arizona State University after graduating from St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix. While a student at St. Mary’s, he was named Knight of the Year in 1984 for his athletic achievements.
Kennedy’s charitable efforts include working with former NBA official Tommy Nuñez in running the National Hispanic Basketball Classic to help raise money for inner-city youth. He also works with the Boys & Girls Club of Phoenix.
Scott Twardoski (twar-DAH-ski) has officiated 587 regular-season games and two playoff games in 11 seasons as an NBA staff official. He was selected to work the playoffs in 2019 and 2022.
In addition to his officiating experience in professional basketball, Scott refereed college basketball games for 12 years in the Pac-12, Big 12, Big Sky and West Coast conferences. He also has 10 years of high school officiating experience.
Scott previously worked as an English teacher for five years in Covington, Wash., and as a speaker for five years at Learning for Living in Meadow Vista, Calif.
Scott works with several charities and non-profit organizations, including Phoenix Rescue Mission and Feed My Starving Children.
Dana Pappas was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico prior to moving to Indiana in the Fall of 2021 to join the staff of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Spanish from the University of New Mexico in 1997 and a Master’s Degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Sport Administration in 2002.
On August 1, 2021, Dana assumed the newly created role of Director of Officiating Services for the NFHS in Indianapolis. She describes this position as her “dream job,” where she is able to advocate for officials nationwide. In addition to her role with the NFHS, she was named Chairperson of the Board of Directors for NASO for the 2022-2023 school year and was inducted into the New Mexico Officials Association Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022.
Dana and her husband, Ed Drangmeister, have been married for four years and currently reside in Lebanon, Indiana. The couple spend their free time taking road trips to live music and sporting events throughout the Midwest. In addition, Dana loves watching her beloved Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners as often as she can.
James Bowman is a serial entrepreneur who has backed multiple businesses in various industries. Teamwork and integrity are the driving forces behind the collaborations that have become Carta Global Logistics.
After graduating from Arizona State University and becoming a Certified Public Accountant, James spent eight years in corporate finance. Since 1997, James has started and invested in companies as varied as technology, logistics, human resources, women’s apparel and real estate.
With no kids James has plenty of time to indulge his interests of playing golf poorly, Sun Devil sports and travel.
James also is very generous with his time and money. He supports many other nonprofits such as Sojourner Center (Home for abused women and children), the Bobby Jones Foundation, UMPS CARE Charities and the Purple Heart Foundation.
About Sports Officials Care: Founded in 2021, Sports Officials Care is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization connecting officials from the pro leagues, in addition to college, high school and youth levels, to give back to the community. There is a crisis across the country with a shortage of officials, and Sports Officials Care wants to raise awareness about the abuse of officials and help train the next generation of officials in all sports. Learn more at www. SportsOfficialsCare.org or follow us on our social media channels.
