Greg Smith may have taken over as director of the Black River Coliseum on Jan. 1, but he’s no stranger to the facility or its operations.
“I actually started with the facility in November 1998, and we opened to the public in June of 1999,” Smith said.
For many years, Smith was the operations manager of the facility.
“I was in charge of all the setups, the tear-downs and the day-to-day operations,” Smith said of his previous position. “I was in charge of facilitating the maintenance and also oversaw the aquatic center as far as the chemicals.”
Now, Smith is the Black River Coliseum’s eighth director.
“I was the second employee hired here, and now I’m the eighth director, so I’m wearing another hat,” Smith said.
Admittedly, he was a little nervous at first.
“I’m excited but I’m nervous. I’ve had a couple sleepless nights thinking about things,” Smith said.
After just a few weeks on the job, however, he feels more comfortable.
City officials have decided to leave the operations manager position open for the time being, so Smith will continue with those duties as well as his new tasks.
“Basically, I’m going to be doing the duties I was previously doing, plus I’m going to be out seeking new events and get promoters to come in to put shows and concerts on,” he said.
“I’m still doing all the food ordering and all the chemicals in the pool. I’m still carrying the Aquatic Facility Operator certification,” he added.
“If we see the capacity picks up throughout the year, and hopefully if COVID decreases, they’ll post that job,” Smith said of the operations manager position.
In the meantime, Smith said, former director Bobby Godwin will be available to assist him during big events.
“There’s a lot of moving parts that go on the night of a show. Me and the box office manager can’t do all of that, and I can bring him in until I get an operations manager,” Smith said.
Since he began at the coliseum long ago, Smith said, he’s seen big changes in how the facility must operate to keep up with the times.
“Things are totally different in the way we have to do business now compared to back then,” he explained. “We don’t have as much of the personal contact now.”
Much like his predecessor, Smith prefers to put a face with a name to build stronger relationships.
Smith said the Black River Coliseum already has a busy schedule for the next several months, with numerous events taking place.
“As far as our schedule, we are looking good,” Smith said.
Upcoming events include the annual chamber banquet, the indoor yard sale, a gun and knife show, chili cookoff, Extreme Bulls and Bands, a United Pentecostal convention and the state gymnastics finals.
In addition, a pickleball tournament is scheduled for June, and a classic car show is set for July.
“Except for the second weekend in February, every weekend is booked now through the second weekend in May,” Smith said.
Smith also said he understands concerts are a big draw, and he’s working to get some on the books.
“I know everybody wants concerts. I understand that, and we are actively seeking them,” he explained.
The process to schedule one, he said, is not easy.
“In this business, you’ve got to know somebody who knows somebody that can get that act,” Smith said.
“I got some leads from the gentleman that’s putting on the bullride,” Smith said. “He’s got a guy in Oklahoma that does a lot of bigger concerts, so he’s wanting to come see me. Hopefully, we get a relationship with him.”
Smith also is excited about a new partnership between the coliseum and the Parks and Recreation Department, which will bring youth sports leagues and other events into the facility.
“I’m excited about joining with the park department. It’s a win-win for both of us,” Smith said.
Currently, Smith said, city officials are looking to purchase a new hardwood floor to be used for basketball and volleyball tournaments.
“We are really actively working to get a new floor. It’s a large figure, but if we can get that in here, there’s a lot of different things we can do - not just basketball, but volleyball tournaments and things like that,” Smith said.
He described holding such youth sports events in the coliseum as “more user friendly” than the locations they have been held recently.
“People feel more comfortable in a larger space,” he said.
Given the age of the building, Smith said, the Black River Coliseum is in pretty good shape, though there are things that need to be addressed.
“This is not a new facility anymore. We’re 20-plus years old. We have some maintenance that we’ve got to start working on, but it’s nothing big or high dollar,” Smith said.
The pool is his biggest concern at the moment.
“There are some things that need to be done over there. That pool lives and breathes 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” he said.
Smith also would like to get the outside of the building power washed and painted in the near future.
Despite the long hours at times, Smith said, he’s ready to make the coliseum a bright spot in the city and make it something citizens are excited about.
“I put a lot of pride in down here, and Bobby did too,” Smith said. “Everything we do down here, we take pride in it. We spend a lot of hours here.
“I want to do a good job for the community and want them to know I have their interest at heart here.”