Winston Kelley

Executive Director

Winston Kelley is the executive director of the highly anticipated National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Hall of Fame. Formerly vice president of economic and business development and vice president of government and business relations for Duke Energy Carolinas, Kelley brings with him a wealth of public sector experience, a lifelong background in NASCAR and an immense enthusiasm for the sport.

Born into a racing family, Kelley’s passion for NASCAR began over 40 years ago when he attended his first race -- the 1964 Daytona 500. His father, Earl Kelley, served as a public relations director for the Charlotte Motor Speedway and was also a pioneer public address announcer and member of the Universal Racing Network broadcast team. Kelley attained one of his lifelong dreams when he became a member of the Motor Racing Network (MRN) radio broadcasting team in 1988. To this day, he still reports and serves as MRN Radio's lead pit reporter. His background also includes working as a race statistician for the Universal Racing Network and a public address announcer for several NASCAR facilities including the North Wilkesboro Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Darlington Raceway and Daytona International Speedway. Kelley also worked as a field reporter for “NASCAR This Morning” on Fox Sports Net from 2001 to 2004.

Kelley is especially grateful for the open access the NASCAR owners, drivers and team members have provided him and cherishes the strong relationships he has developed and maintained within the NASCAR community and fan base over the years. He was a member of the Charlotte NASCAR Hall of Fame team that helped secure what he and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority will strive to make Charlotte’s signature tourist attraction.

Kelley graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina State University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in business management and economics. A native of Concord, North Carolina, Kelley currently resides in Charlotte.

George Hite

Facilities Manager

George Hite is the Facilities Manager, directing construction activities for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Hite is also responsible for developing many of the operational initiatives for the Hall of Fame. Hite manages all CRVA capital improvement programs, CRVA ticketing operations, creation and management of multi-facility vendor relationships, serves as the CRVA liaison to the American Red Cross and other emergency preparedness organizations and compliance of CRVA facilities with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Hite has spent over 18 years with the CRVA serving as Charlotte Coliseum staffing coordinator and box office manager, Bojangles’ Coliseum building manager, Charlotte Coliseum Director of Support Services and Assistant Building Manager and Director of Support Services for the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Leslie Horne

Sales & Marketing Manager

Leslie Horne is responsible for the development and implementation of sales, sponsorship and marketing strategies for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Horne has over 12 years experience in global sports marketing, including engagements with franchise members of the NFL, MLB, NBA and various motorsports entities, as well as international assignments in the United Kingdom and Australia. Horne’s resume includes serving as Senior Project Manager with IMG/Muhleman Marketing, Inc, where she had key roles in research, development and activation of marketing studies in over 25 professional sports markets. She also participated in the design and execution of 10 PSL programs, including management of new facility projects for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Bears as well as the renovation and expansion of Churchill Downs. Horne also worked with the Carolina Panthers from 1995 - 1997 and was a leading producer for the department responsible for designing and developing personal sales strategies for Permanent Seat Licenses, Luxury Suites and Sponsorships to new and current customers, as well as, existing and relocating businesses.

Albert “Buz” McKim

Historian

Buz McKim concentrates on the interior development of the Hall of Fame and telling the rich and storied history of NASCAR. He works closely with exhibit designers, Ralph Appelbaum and Associates, in the development of exhibits, artifacts, video and audio documentation to provide a thorough, accurate and authentic representation of NASCAR’s history. McKim, like Kelley, was born into a racing family. His father changed roles from car owner to race announcer. McKim attempted a brief driving career but found his niche in designing paint schemes and painting the numbers on the cars which fit his artistic and creative talents. His commercial art career included designing many paint schemes for cars in NASCAR’s premier series during the 1970’s including the 1975 and 1976 Daytona 500-winning cars of Benny Parsons and David Pearson. McKim was named Director of Archives for the International Speedway Corporation in January 1999 and accepted the position of Coordinator of Statistical Services with the NASCAR Public Relations Department in 2003. In 2004, McKim collaborated with writer and fellow NASCAR employee Herb Branham to create the book, NASCAR Vault. The book chronicled many unique aspects of the history of NASCAR.

Carol Weeks

Executive Assistant

Carol Weeks is responsible for serving as Executive Assistant to Winston Kelley and the NASCAR Hall of Fame staff. She has over 18 years of combined experience in Executive Support and Office Management. Her most recent position was with Duke Energy Carolinas supporting executives in the Economic Development department. Weeks also worked with the non-profit agency Community Health Services where she was instrumental in helping the agency achieve their financial and community outreach goals. Her key roles at the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be providing high-level administrative support to facility executives, assisting in event planning and implementation, representing the organization to customers, the public and government, as well as assisting with facility related financial reports and statements. Weeks is a native Charlottean.

Kevin Schlesier

Exhibits Manager

Kevin Schlesier is the Exhibits Manager and will lead the exhibit department working with the Historian, Registrar and Collections Manager, exhibit design team, artifact experts, and others to ensure the successful implementation of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s exhibits and interactive experiences. Schlesier is responsible for developing policies and procedures to guide the creation and long term planning of exhibits. His duties also include collaborating with the Historian on creating sustainable collections plans to make certain that items will be available for future generations. A lifelong car enthusiast, Schlesier assisted in the development of the Route 66 portion of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History exhibition America on the Move.

Michele Leopold

Registrar and Collections Manager

Michele Leopold is the Registrar and Collections Manager and is responsible for managing all registration operations for the NASCAR Hall of Fame collection. Leopold works alongside the NASCAR Hall of Fame Historian, Exhibits Manager and exhibit design team to ensure all of the artifacts are properly cataloged, tracked, stored and shipped, as well as administering the preparation and conservation of these artifacts. Leopold has over 20 years of hands-on experience serving as the founding Chief Registrar for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, and registration and collections roles at the Atlanta History Museum and the Ringling Museum of Art in Florida.

Steve Burrell

Operations Manager

Steve Burrell is the Operations Manager responsible for the day to day functions of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Burrell’s responsibilities include setting customer service standards and overseeing staffing and training, event management and ticketing, as well as risk management planning. Burrell has over 14 years experience in the entertainment/tourism industry working with Carowinds Theme Park. During his tenure, Burrell served as the Loss Prevention Manager, Paladium and Campground Manager in addition to his duties as Operations Manager. He served on the North Carolina Amusement Advisory Committee as well as the Education Committee for the American Industry for Maintenance and Safety. Burrell has served as the Corporate Safety and Chief Ethics Officer for a government contractor with multi-sites throughout the United States. Burrell graduated from the University of South Carolina and currently resides in Clover, SC with his wife and two children.

Kimberly Meesters

External Relations Manager

Kimberly Meesters is responsible for development and implementation of external relations strategies for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Her department manages communications, media relations, education initiatives and public and community relations. Meesters brings a unique perspective of auto racing with more than a decade of experience in various facets of the motorsports industry, including track, sanctioning body, team and sponsor roles. She joined the NASCAR Hall of Fame from Sprint where she led marketing communications for the Fortune 100 company’s title sponsorship of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Her resume also includes media relations roles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Indy Racing League and Orleans Racing. In addition to her professional work in the sport, Meesters has a lifetime of auto racing involvement stemming from her family’s grassroots motorsports business in Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Texas A&M University and is pursuing a Master of Arts in communications studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Meesters resides in Mooresville, N.C. with her husband, Scott, and daughter, Maclaren.

Libba Barrineau

Travel and Tour Sales Manager

Libba Barrineau is responsible for developing travel strategies, building group ticket programs and maintaining active participation and ongoing sales efforts with all state, regional and national group tour organizations. She attends tradeshows and conventions and assists in familiarization tours for group, travel agent and international markets. Barrineau joined the NASCAR Hall of Fame from the Statesville Convention and Tourism Bureau where she served as executive director. She has also served as director of sales and marketing for the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau, director of tour and travel for the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau, and tour and travel sales manager for the DeKalb Convention and Visitors Bureau. Barrineau holds a Bachelor of Science in hotel, restaurant and tourism administration from the University of South Carolina and currently resides in Concord, N.C. with her husband, Scott, son, Brighton, and daughter, Reilly.

Angela Basso

Group Sales Manager

As group sales manager, Angela Basso is primarily responsible for corporate group sales. She also will work closely with the education department to develop a comprehensive educational program for field trips, birthday parties and other youth-related activities. Basso was most recently the youth program sales manager for the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte. Her experience also includes seven years in the NBA with sales roles at Bobcats Sports and Entertainment and RDV Sports in Orlando. Basso is not new to the hall of fame business; her career started with a marketing internship at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., which is near her hometown in upstate New York. In her spare time, Basso enjoys traveling and attending sporting events. A graduate of Clemson University with a B.S. in sports marketing, she lives with her husband, John, in Charlotte.

Cathy Buchhofer

Assistant Operations Manager

Cathy Buchhofer is responsible for assisting with day-to-day operations of the venue. Her role is primarily focused on ensuring positive customer service, but she also works on ticket operations, event coordination and staffing. She brings more than five years of operations experience to her role at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Most recently, Buchhofer helped open the new Heritage Park Amphitheater near Greenville, S.C. Prior to that she served worked for Live Nation as director of operations for the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte. Originally from Cherry Hill, N.J., Buchhofer has lived in Charlotte for 10 years and enjoys watching sports and attending live music shows. She earned a B.S. in economics from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Matthew Aldrich

Membership Sales Manager

As membership sales manager, Matthew Aldrich is responsible for all aspects of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s annual membership program. He is charged with developing membership packages, recruiting members, ensuring superior customer service and retention. Aldrich brings five years of membership experience from the world-renowned National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. In addition to having hall of fame experience, he has a deep understanding of auto racing. He was first exposed to motorsports at a young age by his grandfather Jim Malone (a.k.a. The Flying Farmer), who has the second most race wins of all time at historic Riverhead Raceway in N.Y. Aldrich has a Bachelor of Professional Studies from Cazenovia College and is in the process of earning a Master of Science in Sports Management from The State University of New York at Cortland. A native of New York, Aldrich and his wife, Brandy, are relocating to Cornelius, N.C.

Seth Denton

Business Manager

As business manager, Seth Denton’s responsibilities include financial reporting, budgeting and general accounting. Denton has seven years of finance experience, all with NBA-related businesses. Most recently, he worked for Bobcats Sports and Entertainment. Denton has a bachelor’s degree in economics with a concentration in monetary economics and finance from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. While in college, Denton was a pitcher for the university’s baseball team. During his senior year, Denton set both the single-season ERA and Saves school records. Originally from Kings Mountain, N.C., Denton and his wife, Rebecca, live in Gastonia, N.C., with their 3-year-old son, Luke.

Imani Clenance

NASCAR Hall of Fame intern

Participating in a six-month, cross-functional internship for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Clenance comes to the facility having completed two internships within the sports industry with the University of Florida football program and the Orange Bowl Committee. Her experience also includes working for the Florida Gators men’s basketball program, student ticket office and sports information department. Clenance holds a Bachelor of Science in sport management from the University of Florida and is completing a Master of Business Administration in sport marketing and management at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Originally from Miami, Fla., she currently resides in Charlotte, N.C.

Joelle Lapsley

Administrative Assistant

Lapsley provides administrative support and assists with a variety of NASCAR Hall of Fame projects. Lapsley comes to the NASCAR Hall of Fame from Cannon Memorial YMCA in Concord, N.C., where she served as playhouse coordinator. Prior to that, she held positions as executive assistant at Abercrombie & Kent Destinations in Westport, Conn., marketing coordinator at WilsonMiller Inc. in Naples, Fla., event manager at TECO Arena in Estero, Fla., and legislative and administrative assistant for the Office of the Mayor in New Haven, Conn. Lapsley resides in Concord, N.C., with her husband, Frank, son, Declan, and daughter, Gage.

Natividad Lewis

External Relations Specialist

Lewis is responsible for media relations and various communications functions for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. She comes to the NASCAR Hall of Fame with an extensive background in the family entertainment industry. She previously was the marketing and public relations manager at Discovery Place in Charlotte, N.C. Prior to that, Lewis served in marketing and public relations positions at Paramount’s Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C., and Six Flags Great Adventure, Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor and Sovereign Bank Arena in New Jersey. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. Originally from New Jersey, she currently resides in Charlotte, N.C.

Chris Manley

A/V Technical Supervisor

Manley oversees all of the audio/visual operations including the technical aspects of all exhibits for the facility. He brings more than eight years of large-venue experience. Prior to joining the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Manley spent five years with the Charlotte Bobcats and Time Warner Cable Arena overseeing audio/visual operations for the facility. He also held a similar position with the Houston Rockets and Toyota Center in Texas and has served as a broadband network engineer at AOL/Time Warner in Charlotte, N.C. Manley resides in Huntersville, N.C., with his wife, Kim, and chocolate lab, Cody.

Jonathan Mitchell

Admissions Manager

Mitchell is responsible for controlling ticket sales and ticket operations for the facility. He brings 10 years of ticketing experience within the minor league hockey and arena football industries, previously holding positions at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del., as manager of athletic ticketing and the Crown Center in Fayetteville, N.C., as director of ticketing. Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Science in sports medicine and Master of Business Administration from Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. Originally from Wendell, N.C., Mitchell resides in Fayetteville, N.C., with his wife, Mica, son, Ezekiel, and boxer, Rumble.