2009 Hallmark Awards

2009 Hallmark Executive Award

Scott Reifert

As vice president of communications, Scott Reifert is responsible for all the club's communications with White Sox fans. He oversees the club's strategic communications efforts, media services, mass communications functions, branding, public relations activities, community relations initiatives and the team's website, www.whitesox.com. Since 2005, Reifert has authored a blog, "Inside the White Sox" (available at www.mlblogs.com), that provides fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the team and its players.

At the 2008 Baseball Winter Meetings, Reifert received the prestigious Robert O. Fishel Award for public relations excellence. The award, started in 1981 and names for the popular long-time baseball executive, is presented to the "active, nonuniformed representative of Major League Baseball whose ethics, character, dedication, service, professionalism and humanitarianism best represent the standards propounded by Bob Fishel."

In additional to his communication responsibilities, Reifert serves as president of Chicago White Sox Charities. As president, Reifert heads the club's efforts to give back to the Chicago community through White Sox Charities and the club's community relations efforts. In 2008, Chicago White Sox Charities unveiled its newest fund-raising initiative, a brick baseball diamond and granite and bronze sculpture located outside the ballpark's main entrance that celebrates the franchise's 2005 World Series Championship season.

Chicago White Sox Charities donated more than $3.2 million to 30 Chicagoland organizations in 2008, moving the team's not-for-profit arm beyond $12.2 million in cumulative giving since its inception. Included in 2008's giving were $1 million donations to Children's Memorial Hospital for the development of the new Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and the second to Easter Seals of Metropolitan Chicago toward construction of the new Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research. CWSC also donated $500,000 to After School Matters' Sports, 37 sports apprentice program. In 2005, Chicago White Sox Charities worked with the Chicago Park District to build a $1 million, four-field complex in the Mt. Greenwood neighborhood on Chicago's southwest side.

Reifert also oversees the team's market research initiatives to gather feedback on the White Sox and fan perceptions. Reifert, in his 19th season with the club, is a member of the team's advertising committee and is involved in the commissioning of bronze sculptures of past Sox greats that stand on the main concourse in center field.

Reifert, who joined the White Sox in 1991 as assistant director of public relations before being promoted to director of public relations in 1997, was named vice president of communications in April 2004.

Prior to joining the White Sox, Reifert worked at Wirz & Associates, a Connecticut-based sports marketing and public relations firm with a variety of baseball-related clients. A 1988 graduate of the University of Iowa, Reifert also has a master's degree in sports management from Western Illinois University. He is married to Amy Howley, head women's soccer coach at the University of Chicago. They reside in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago with their three children.

2009 Hallmark Marv Samuel Award

Willy Roy

The dean of professional sports coaches in the City of Chicago has earned his title of a "winner." Coach Roy directs his team to season after season of winning much in the same style that he performed as a player... in the spirit of playing to wine with aggressive and exciting teams year after year.

Willy Roy has the singular distinction of having won the honors of Rookie of the Year (1967 with the Chicago Spurs) and also the Coach of the Year (1981 Chicago Sting). No other coach in the history of pro soccer can make that claim.

In 1979, Roy became the head coach of the team that he once played for after serving in that captivity on an interim basis in 1977 and 1978.l Since he took over, the Sting has been on a constant rise, with the 1981 Soccer Bowl Championships as the first jewel in the crown of "Chicago's Champion." That was followed by the prestigious TransAtlantic Challenge Cup title in 1982 and another Soccer Bowl Championship in 1984.

Under the direction of the former NASL All Star and US National Team captain and player, the Sting has never failed to qualify for the playoffs in five years of indoor play. In the seven seasons of Roy's outdoor leadership, the team missed the post season only once. Career stats are impressive also with an outdoor record of 117-89, putting him in another unique category for being the only coach to see 100 wins with the same team in the NASL.

As an indoor coach, Roy has led the Sting to two divisional titles and a total slate ot 101-63, which includes the 1984-1985 MISL season that saw the Sting tie a league record for home victories with 20.

The championships are a part of Willy Roy's makeup. He guided the 1984 Sting to the Soccer Bowl title after everyone had written off the team's chances to even make the playoffs with just three games to play in the regular season. Motivation of his players is something that Roy specializes in and getting the most out of personnel a trademark.

A quick check of the Sting record books finds Willy Roy as the answer to a few trivia questions about the team. He was the team's first captain in 1975, scoring their first assist, (5-9-75 vs Dallas) in that game, and that was the first victory (3-2 Chicago, for the record) in the franchise history.

Willy, his wife Karin and sons Willy Jr., Karsten and Markus live in Chicago's western suburbs.