Cynthia C. Hogan, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Counsel to the Vice President of the United States, has been named the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, the NFL announced today. 

Hogan will develop and implement the league’s public policy and legislative initiatives and work with NFL teams on local and state issues. She will be based in the NFL’s Washington, D.C. office and will begin September 22. She will report to Paul Hicks, the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs.

“We are pleased to welcome Cynthia to our leadership team,” said Hicks. “Cynthia’s broad experience on a wide-range of public policy issues will help advance our initiatives in Washington and around the country.”

“The complex and compelling issues of interest to the NFL and the opportunity to help shape policy on those issues is a unique and exciting challenge,” said Hogan. “I could not be more excited about joining the NFL team.”

As part of the White House staff from 2009 to 2013, Hogan analyzed complex legal and policy issues before for Obama Administration, including health care, financial regulation, information technology, privacy and other civil liberties, criminal justice, and national security.

Hogan led numerous special projects, including the Obama Administration’s effort to confirm Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court and also helped coordinate the Administration’s gun violence proposals.

Prior to joining the White House, Hogan was Chief Counsel, Staff Director, and Counsel for Constitutional Law for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 1991 to 1996.

From 1985-1991, Hogan was an associate at Williams & Connolly. Her practice focused on federal grand jury investigations and litigation. She also was law clerk to the Honorable Edward Cahn, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Hogan holds a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and is a graduate of Oberlin College. A native of Cincinnati, Hogan resides in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband and two children.

English Championship club Birmingham City has chosen mobile and web specialists, RE:SYSTEMS, as its partner to create a brand new app for the club’s corporate and commercial client base, the Blues Network.

The corporate app concept, unveiled at the Soccerex Global Convention 2014 on Monday, is currently in development for launch in October. It aims to enhance service during match days, facilitate networking amongst corporate clients, and provide an efficient sales and communication facility. 

Planned to be used as a primary vehicle for the development and support of the Blues Network community, the corporate app is being developed for both iOS and Android smartphones. Features will include news and information on the team and club including social feeds, and matchday details for corporates with direct messaging, feedback and teamsheets. Corporate networking through LinkedIn with access to client profiles, in addition to push notifications and promotions, and the ability to view sponsorship opportunities will also be available for app users.

Ian Dutton, Blues’ Head of Commercial, commented: “We’re delighted to be partnering with RE:SYSTEMS on the creation of the new Blues Network app.

“Through our presence on Linkedin and our quarterly networking breakfast meetings at St. Andrew’s Stadium, the Blues Network community has gone from strength-to-strength. The new app will help take the Blues Network to the next level and further enhance the award-winning service we offer our corporate clients.”

The World Curling Federation (WCF) has announced the hosts for a number of events during 2014-15.

The events World Junior Curling Championships, viagra usa European Junior Curling Challenge, cialis European Mixed Curling Championship and World Wheelchair Curling Qualification Event for the 2014-15 curling season. 

Tallinn, ampoule Estonia will host their first World Championship when they welcome the world’s best junior men’s and women’s teams for the World Junior Curling Championships between 28 February and 8 March 2015. 

One men’s and one women’s team will qualify for that event from the European Junior Curling Challenge, with Prague in the Czech Republic confirmed as hosts for the event taking place between 3-8 January 2015. 

Denmark will welcome the world of curling back to Taarnby Curling Club for the European Mixed Curling Championship which will be held from 13-20 September 2014. This is an open invitation event for mixed gender curling teams consisting of two male and two female athletes. 

The World Wheelchair Curling Qualification Event will be hosted by Lillehammer in Norway from 1-6 November 2014. This event sees the top two teams qualify for the World Wheelchair Curling Championship in 2015 which will take place in Lohja, Finland in February. 

The announcements were made following the WCF’s Executive Board meetings which were held at the CPT World Men’s Curling Championship 2014 which are currently taking place in Beijing, China until the sixth of April. 

Speaking from Beijing, WCF President Kate Caithness said: “We are excited to be taking our events to these locations and in particular Estonia who will host their first major international curling event and have shown great ambition in recent years by helping develop our sport in Eastern Europe. We are in no doubt that that each of the local organising committees will put on a great show and we look forward to welcoming everyone to these venues next season.” 

Looking towards the World Junior Curling Championships 2015, President of the Estonian Curling Association, Fred Randver, said: “We are honoured that the World Curling Federation has given us our first opportunity to host a World Championship event. Curling has grown considerably since the sport was introduced to our country more than 10 years ago and this Championship will mark a key milestone in the progress we have made. Over the next few months we will be working hard to prepare for these Championships and look forward to welcoming the world to our country next February.” 

Taarnby Curling Club has hosted several World Curling Championship events in the past, most recently the European C-Group in 2013 and the World Senior Curling Championships in 2012. 

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the European Mixed Curling Championship, Johannes Jensen, said: “We are delighted that the World Curling Federation has placed its trust in us once again. Following the success of previous World Curling Federation events in our club, we will look to once again put on a fantastic competition for everyone to enjoy.” 

After being awarded the World Wheelchair Curling Qualification Event, Pal Trulsen, General Secretary of the Norwegian Curling Association, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to test out our venue ahead of the Winter Youth Olympic Games which will be taking place in this same curling venue in February 2016.” 

He continued: “In Norway, we are always looking to increase awareness of the various disciplines of curling and this event will give Lillehammer the opportunity to see wheelchair curling shortly after the hugely successful Paralympic Winter Games held in Sochi earlier this year.” 

The Czech Curling Association will host the European Junior Curling Challenge for the sixth time, having held it as recently as 2013. 

On the host award, President of Czech Curling Association, David Šik, said: “We are honoured to be given the opportunity to host the European Junior Curling Challenge again. It is always a wonderful opportunity for Czech curling fans, to see for themselves, some of the best young curlers in Europe and we strongly believe that it will be a successful event. Of course, we would also like to invite fans from around the world to join us in Prague for this event.”

Heineken, the nation’s leading upscale beer importer, have announced they will debut the Heineken House at the US Open in its 22nd year of sponsorship.

The new installation will provide a unique oasis at the grounds with live screenings of the biggest matches, VIP service, food, entertainment and ice-cold Heineken. Along with the return of the Red Star Cafe and launch of “Crack the US Open,” an innovative interactive digital game, the destination marks Heineken’s return to the tournament and will be the must-see experience at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The LPGA have announced its return to a region rich in golf history with the announcement of the North Texas LPGA Shootout, there to be held April 25 to 28, therapy 2013 at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas.

The tournament is the Tour’s first in the North Texas region in more than 20 years, though the LPGA last made headlines in the area when LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member Annika Sorenstam teed it up at the PGA TOUR’s Colonial Invitational in 2003.

The North Texas LPGA Shootout will also provide a unique opportunity for amateur players in the area to earn spots in the field through qualifying. Tournament exemptions will be awarded to the winners of a high school and collegiate “shootout” played in advance of the event. More information on the format of the qualifier will be announced at a later date. Tournament proceeds will benefit The Nexus Club which primarily supports and raises funds for the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf in North Texas.

Many of the LPGA’s current players were junior golf stars in Lone Star state including 2012 Rolex Player of the Year Stacy Lewis, five-time LPGA winner Angela Stanford, 2012 Rolex First-Time Winner Brittany Lang and Katie Futcher.

“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to play in my home state again,” said Stanford, a four-time member of the U.S. Solheim Cup Team and native of Saginaw, Texas. “North Texas is a community with a passionate golf fan base and I know they will love having the Tour in town.”

The $1.3 million North Texas LPGA Shootout will host a full-field of 144 players playing 72 holes of stroke play over four days of competition. The tournament will be the Tour’s first stop in the state of Texas since the 2009 LPGA Tour Championship Presented by Rolex, played outside Houston. It will also mark the Tour’s first stop in North Texas since the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open, won by 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup Team Captain Meg Mallon at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.

“Irving has a deep history of hosting premier golf events,” said Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalez. “We roll out the red-carpet and provide athletes the comforts and amenities they need while competing.  On top of that, we also have top-notch facilities that are accustomed to servicing large and passionate groups of sports fans. The LPGA will find Irving convenient, friendly and fun.”

“We are truly thrilled to return to the great state of Texas and to bring the LPGA Tour back to a region where we have a great history and passionate fans,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan. “It makes sense for the LPGA to be in North Texas and we look forward to showing golf fans in the region why it’s different on the LPGA.”

Harry Scott Jr., longtime minority owner of Turner Motorsports, will expand his involvement with the team, partnering with Steve Turner as co-owner of the newly rebranded Turner Scott Motorsports.

Scott began his involvement with the team as both a minority owner and sponsor in 2009, first partnering with Braun Racing, which was later acquired by Turner Motorsports.

Scott’s decision to increase his stake in the racing organization was driven by his desire to be more involved in the operations of the team. In addition to sharing the duties of overseeing the organization, Scott will manage the team’s marketing, public relations and business development efforts, while Turner will manage the competition side of the multi-series team.

“Harry [Scott Jr.] becoming a co-owner is very positive for this organization as a whole,” said Turner. “This team has grown and accomplished so much in the last few years, and it is still continuing to grow. Harry has been committed to our racing program, its drivers and our sponsors for several years, and he is a vital part of our organization. He is passionate about our sport and our employees, and has proven himself as a very successful businessman, so putting him in charge of our marketing and business efforts is a natural and perfect fit. We have always considered him to be an integral part of the Turner Motorsports family, and this is an opportunity for him to formally take over some of the reins as we continue to build this organization into one of the most successful teams in NASCAR. I am very optimistic that Turner Scott Motorsports will build upon our solid base and achieve continued success.”

The organization, which captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship in 2012 with James Buescher behind the wheel of the No. 31, has already announced that Buescher, Miguel Paludo and Jeb Burton will all pilot trucks under the Turner Scott Motorsports banner in 2013. In addition to the NCWTS championship, Turner Scott Motorsports tallied seven wins and five pole awards in the Truck Series in 2012. In the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), the team scored three wins and three pole awards last season. Details regarding the team’s driver and sponsor lineup for the 2013 NNS program are forthcoming.

“I am very excited to be taking on this new role within the organization,” said Scott. “As a Carolina native, NASCAR racing is something that has always been in my blood, and my passion for the sport has only grown since I began my involvement with Steve Turner a few years ago. He has built a very strong organization with incredibly talented people in place, and I can’t thank him enough for the opportunity to be a co-owner of this team. This race team has already experienced so much early success at many different levels, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that everyone here is committed to working together toward a common goal. We are fortunate to have some of the best sponsors, partners and team members in the sport, and I look forward to continuing those relationships, as well as building new ones. I foresee a very bright future for Turner Scott Motorsports.”