Sports ETA Adds Jordan Dillon, Raelyn Dessart to New Roles

The Sports Events & Tourism Association has announced the addition of Jordan Dillon and Raelyn Dessart to its membership and engagement team. The pair will support Sports ETA’s mission to unite and elevate the organizations and professionals driving the sports events and tourism economy across the nation.

“I’m excited to welcome Raelyn and Jordan to our team,” said Michelle Wessels, Sports ETA’s senior director of membership and engagement. “They both bring incredible passion and fresh perspectives that will help us strengthen relationships, grow our membership, and continue driving engagement and participation across our events.”

Dillon will serve as associate director of membership and engagement for rights holders, a new position for the association. She brings more than 15 years of experience in sports, partnerships and community engagement with a career that has spanned national governing bodies and local nonprofits, including USA Gymnastics and USA Artistic Swimming, where she built impactful programs connecting athletes, fans and cities through sport.

Before joining Sports ETA, she served as executive director of the Broad Ripple Village Association, where she led community engagement, membership growth and event strategy. Her background also includes managing national sports tours, large-scale sponsorship activations, and brand partnerships.

“I’m thrilled to join the Sports ETA team and return to the sports events community that has been such a meaningful part of my career,” said Dillon. “Having been on the member side of this organization, I know firsthand how valuable the connections and resources can be. I’m excited to work alongside such a passionate team and help our members make the most of everything Sports ETA has to offer.”

Dessart will become associate director of membership and engagement, destinations and industry partners, another new position. She has eight years of experience in sports tourism, destination development, and stakeholder engagement and was previously senior sales and events supervisor at Visit Central Florida Sports, where she helped recruit and manage more than 300 annual events generating over $215 million in economic impact.

Dessart spearheaded innovative programs such as the Sweetest Sports Experience and the Visit Central Florida Partner Summit, fostering stronger collaboration among industry stakeholders. Under her leadership, Visit Central Florida Sports was recognized as Sports ETA’s 2025 Sports Tourism Organization of the Year.

A member of Destinations International’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2025, Dessart also co-founded the Women in Sports Tourism (WiST) Collective and holds STS and RRCA Certified Race Director credentials.

“I’m thrilled to join the Sports ETA team and contribute to an organization that has played such a meaningful role in my professional journey,” said Dessart. “I look forward to supporting our destinations and industry partners, fostering connections, and continuing to elevate the incredible impact sports tourism has on communities across the country.”

“The addition of Jordan and Raelyn marks an important next step in Sports ETA’s growth story,” said John David, Sports ETA president and CEO. “Over the past two years, we’ve grown membership by more than 20%, increased retention by 7%, and seen double-digit participation growth at every Sports ETA live event. These new roles will ensure that momentum continues while allowing us to provide more one-on-one support for our members.”