PRO PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

EXECUTIVE  and ADVISORY BOARDS

GARY R. ADLER is CEO/President and Founder of Pro Players Association, a non-profit organization of professional athletes, media and entertainment personalities, and associate members whose mission is to raise funds for charitable causes and provide community service.

He attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, William Patterson University, Juilliard School of Music, The New School University at NYU and Red Rocks Community College.

Gary grew up in New Jersey. He founded the American Cancer Society Juniors in 1970, a national branch of the American Cancer Society comprised of youth volunteers raising funds through a variety of activities for the cause. He was appointed at the age of 11 to the National Board of Managers of the American Cancer Society and served as a manager on the local Passaic County Board. Gary was very active in the community as a volunteer for emergency services and the Office of Emergency Management. He had been a past member and officer of the Wayne First Aid Squad, NJ Forest Fire Service, NJ Search & Rescue, NJ State Police Office of Emergency Management, and Wayne Flood Control. Gary volunteered as an American Red Cross CPR Instructor and assisted in teaching American Red Cross emergency childbirth at Wayne General Hospital for many years. He served as a Law Enforcement Officer and Communications Specialist with the Wayne Police from 1980-1986, 1988-1992. Gary served as Secretary of the Wayne Police Officers Association for two years. He was among some emergency responders who were presented with the Wayne Citizen of the Year Award for saving lives during Hurricane Gloria and the subsequent flooding disaster by Wayne Mayor Walter Jasinski in 1985.

NJ Motor Vehicle Services in Trenton and Wayne employed Gary as an assistant administrative law judge and the NJ State Assembly appointed him as a Notary Public Officer in 1988. He was honored by NJ State Attorney General Cary Edwards for leading a team to reorganize the NJ Motor Vehicle Customer Service Division in 1989.

Gary had also worked as the Assistant Director of the Office of Emergency Management for the County of Marin, and as a Communications Specialist for the Marin County Sheriff's Office in California from 1986-1988. During that time, he was project manager for a Marin County's mobile command unit. Having designed the conceptual plans and then implementing a fundraising effort for the construction of the vehicle. With the financial assistance of major corporate sponsors who Gary solicited such as Lucas Film, Pacific Bell, Macy's California and Kaiser Permanente, the unit became reality in early 1989. Its arrival was just in time for the Loma Prieda Quake of 1989, where the mobile command unit served as the primary command and communications post for all of the bay area during the disaster and for weeks to follow.

Gary arrived to Colorado in 1992 and pursued a career as a pro sports, media and entertainment photographer and digital imaging artist. His subjects have ranged from Pope John Paul to Muhammad Ali to Bruce Springsteen. Gary was the personal photographer to Mayor Wellington Webb of Denver from 1993-2001. Many of his photographic works have been widely published and adorn the walls of museums, governmental buildings and sports venues around the country, including the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and the Frank Lloyd Wright Marin Civic Center. Gary is legally blind and photographs under the name, "Blind Images".

Appointed as a member of the Colorado Rockies Prospector Club from 1993-1998, he helped promote Major League Baseball to the Rocky Mountain Region. The Colorado Rockies awarded Gary for obtaining "#1 in Number of Seasons Tickets Sold" and "#2 in Ticket Sales Revenue" for the 1994 season.

Gary reorganized the NFL Alumni Rocky Mountain Chapter in Colorado. He held positions as the Media Relations and Membership Director for the Alumni from 1999-2002. During the 2001 and 2002 seasons, Gary was the Media Relations Director for the United Women's Professional Football League. In the 2004 and 2005 minor league football seasons, he temporarily filled the position as the Vice President of Business Operations for the Colorado Lightning Semi-Pro Football Club.

A member of the Coors Field, Pepsi Center and Denver Center for the Performing Arts Access Advisory Boards, and Consultant to the NFL for Super Bowl, he was instrumental in the design of the disability accesses at these venues. He was appointed and served as a member of the Denver Mayor's Commission for Older Persons and People with Disabilities, 1994-2003, and the Colorado Governor's Commission 1994-1999.

The Salvation Army Intermountain Regional Headquarters elected Gary to serve as a board member to their Emergency Disaster Services committee in 1999, following his three week volunteer coordination of resources at the Columbine High School Shooting Tragedy. The Mayor and Town Council of Castle Rock appointed Gary to a two-year term as a Public Safety Commissioner for the Town of Castle Rock, 2004-2006. During his term, Gary attended the Castle Rock Citizens Police Academy and was a member of its first graduating class.

In 2009, he founded an umbrella organization of Pro Players Association, CYMBAL- Colorado Youth in Music Benefits Academic Learning. In affiliation with several local music professionals, a music academy for youth is being developed which will offer an introduction to music and teach instrumental lessons to underprivileged, disabled, and at-risk youth. The programs will help to get those kids acquainted and familiarized with musical possibilities through discipline, respect, responsibility, and success.

Pro Players Association Radio Network's 'Sports in Perspective' hit the airwaves in 2010. Gary was the executive producer, director and owner of the weekly radio show broadcast on Mile High Sports Radio AM1510/FM93.7 and streamed globally on the Internet. The show was co-hosted by former CU Buff and AFL Quarterback Bobby Pesavento and former NFL Defensive End Ebenezer Ekuban, and interviews guests from around the world of sports, media and arts & entertainment. As the show was frequently pre-empted by major league sports broadcasts and the studio was relocated, PPA's board decided to conclude broadcast in late 2011.

Gary is single and resides in Colorado, where he works on organizing, producing and coordinating a variety of small to large-scale fundraising events through Pro Players Association. In his spare time, he enjoys many outdoor activities including camping, hiking, water and snow sports, volunteering as a severe storm spotter with SKYWARN, and as the Director of Denver Search and Rescue with his yellow lab, Storm.

STORM, Executive Assistant, double-degreed in Service and Search & Rescue. Official PPA Labrador Receiver.

KURT HANSEN, retired Formula race car driver and host of Race Central TV and Radio. A 1982 graduate of the Jim Russell Racing School, Hansen was a member of the French Formula 3 AVIA team in 1986, and claimed both the West Coast Formula Atlantic and Pacific Coast Racing Championships in 1991.  Hansen broke three qualifying lap records in Portland, Ore., Laguna Seca and Sears Point Raceway and competed professionally in the Toyota Atlantic Championship 1991-93. After retiring as a driver, Hansen saw broadcasting as a way to keep his competitive fires burning. Hansen launched his broadcasting career in 2001 at KNBR 1050 in San Francisco as host of Race Central before moving the program in 2003 to Denver’s ESPN Radio affiliate KLZ 560, and can now be heard on the Rocky Mountain’s FOX Sports Radio affiliate KKFN 950 ‘The Fan,’ where it is heard every Saturday. Hansen could also be heard nationwide as motor sports correspondent for ESPN Radio’s The V Show, heard on all 450 of the network’s affiliates. Hansen also hosts a television version of Race Central on Rocky Mountain’s Altitude Sports and Entertainment Network – television home of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche - reaching over nine million homes blanketing an 11 state area, and is also seen regionally and nationally on Comcast, Dish Network and Direct TV. Hansen also makes regular appearances on ESPN2, Speed TV and the Outdoor Channel’s racing coverage. Race Central’s guest list is a ‘Who’s Who’ in auto racing, including Bill Elliott, Matt Kenseth and Danica Patrick, as well as numerous celebrities from sports and entertainment. Kurt is a member of the PPA Executive Board.

BILL HARRIS, former Denver Bronco Running Back, Punter, Kick Return, Defensive Back and Special Teams player, graduated the University of Colorado in 1968. At CU, he was voted the Big 8 Sophomore Back of the Year, and 2^nd Team Look All-American in 1965. Bill was voted Most Valuable Player in 1967, and was Senior Team Captain. Bill’s professional football career began when he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons where he played the 1968 season. The following two seasons, 1969 and 1970 he played for the Vikings and played in Super Bowl IV. In 1971, Bill played for the New Orleans Saints. He completed his football career playing with the Denver Broncos in the 1972 season. Bill has since completed post-graduate work at the Wharton School and MIT. He resides in Colorado and teaches business at Colorado Tech and the Art Institute, and lectures at Metro State College. Bill is the father of four (4) sons and a daughter. His daughter Keela is a former Denver Bronco cheerleader.

BOB MCCASLIN, Baseball Umpire, graduated Metro State College. Bob has been officiating for baseball and wrestling for more than three decades. He has been very active in organizing fund raisers for many charities in Colorado. He was recently inducted into the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame Umpires Association, National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, NY. Bob resides in Colorado where he has been an outstanding educator in special education with the Douglas County school system for many years. He is a member of PPA’s Advisory Board. Bob recently was re-elected to his third term as an Englewood Councilman. 

BOBBY PESAVENTO, former University of Colorado and Arena Football League Quarterback. A native of Indiana, Bobby was a transfer from Miami (Ohio), via a junior college, when he replaced injured Buffaloes starter Craig Ochs midway through the season and led the team to five straight wins, including their 62-36 defeat of #1 ranked Nebraska. Bobby then took the Buffs on to their 2001 Big XII championship from which he brought home the trophy with a 39-37 victory over Texas. Bobby led his team on to play in the 2002 New Year’s Day Tostito's Fiesta Bowl against the Oregon Ducks. Following college, he went on to try out for the NFL and AFL. His talents led him to a Quarterback position playing in the Arena Football League for a period of six years with the Colorado Crush and Austin Wranglers.

His experience in broadcasting includes several guest appearances on TV and radio shows in the Colorado market since his graduation from CU. Bobby was the host of the Pro Players Association’s Radio Network presentation of ‘Sports in Perspective’ which aired Sunday afternoons on Mile High Sports Radio AM1510/FM93.7, 2010-2011. He also appeared weekly on Drivetime with Mac & Doog in their "Monday Afternoon Quarterback" segment, reviewing college football stats and scores.

At present, Bobby is an Executive Board member of the Pro Players Association and he is employed working in Business Development for an insurance carrier in Colorado.

DAVE STUDDARD, former Denver Bronco Offensive Tackle, graduated from the University of Texas. Dave joined the Broncos in 1979, where he was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. Dave was influential in the Broncos Super Bowl appearances in 1986 and 1987. He played with Denver until 1988. Following in his father’s footsteps, his son Kasey is currently a left guard with the Houston Texans. Dave is an Advisory Board member of the Pro Players Association.