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Pistons host sports career seminar for Detroit King HS students

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE — To end its Black History Month festivities in the month of February, the Detroit Pistons fittingly convened at Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

Published

8 years ago

March 7, 2019

Oakland Post

By Branden Hunter

To end its Black History Month festivities in the month of February, the Detroit Pistons fittingly convened at Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

Through the Business of Sports Seminar, a first-time event, the Pistons’ goal was to use the game of basketball as a vehicle to inspire students and bring awareness to the numerous sports-related career options available off the court.

Over 150 sports management students who attend King High School had the opportunity to listen to Detroit Pistons front office leadership team members share their career path stories and offer advice to the younger generation. The starting five included Vice President of Business Affairs Awenate Cobbina, Assistant General Manager Sachin Gupta, Vice President of Brand Marketing Alicia Jeffreys, Senior Director of Community and Social Responsibility Erika Swilley, and FOX Sports Detroit Reporter/Host Trevor Thompson.

“We wanted to make sure the students at King had an opportunity to interact with individuals in sports that look like them,” said Lawrence Fitz, assistant principal at King. “The students expressed an interest in actually being able to meet and talk to some of the big-name people that are in sports marketing and it’s a collaboration with our sports marketing program to make sure that we have viable programs in the Detroit Public Schools Community District for students who have a desire to go into the sports field.”

Many of the students in attendance were King football and boys and girls basketball players. The game will end for many of them at some points, whether that is after high school, college, or even pro, and they will need to find another career to venture off into in order to provide for themselves. That is the story of Cobbina, who played basketball at Emory University in Atlanta and put the basketball down to pursue a career with professional sports teams in the front office.

“I knew growing up that I wanted to work in sports,” said Cobbina. “I played basketball and baseball and at some point, I realized that I couldn’t jump high enough to make the NBA. But I played college basketball to keep my education going and when I graduated, I decided I wanted to have a career in sports. I applied for an internship with the NFL, luckily I got it, and I turned that opportunity into other opportunities.”

Brand marketing and social media are two vital components among NBA teams. One of the primary reasons that fans watch the Pistons or buy team gear is because the brand is strong in the city. If you have established credibility, then people easily see the value of your offerings. Social media has played a vital role in building this influence and Jeffreys and Swilley have played a larger part in that process.

Jeffreys has been with the team since 2002, beginning as a market development manager, climbing up the ranks over the years as an African-American woman from Flint, Michigan.

“Twenty years ago, Flint was a basketball city,” said Jeffreys. “I’m not as tall as Awenate, so I knew I wasn’t going to play basketball either. But because the Flint community rallied around basketball, I always wanted to be a part of the sports landscape. I attended Michigan for sports management, stepping out of my comfort zone there, working with hockey and golf, things I was not familiar with growing up in Flint. But that allowed me to be more diverse in my career.”

Detroit Pistons activities throughout the month of February focused on celebrating Black History and culture, while inspiring and providing opportunities for Detroit youth through arts, education, and basketball. The organization also aims to bridge divides while demonstrating the importance of equality, diversity, inclusion, respect, and teamwork.

Equality and inclusion was the main theme for the Pistons’ Black History Month activities and African-Americans breaking in the sports journalism field and be difficult. There is no manual that explains how to break into the world of sports journalism as a minority. The usual route through university and internships is there, but trying to learn the craft and looking for a foothold in the industry, there are very few minorities accessible enough to ask for guidance.

Thompson beat the odds, growing up and receiving his education in Canada and is now an Emmy Award-winning reporter who has covered the Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons over the years.

“As corny as it sounds, I just followed my dreams,” said Thompson. “A wise man once told me that if you do a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. That sounded good to me. I had a dream to be a sports broadcaster and I followed my dream to where it has brought me today. I’ve been blessed enough to be here in Detroit and it’s been a great run since I came here 19 years ago.”

Representation in sports marketing is essential. Those looking to potentially pursue that career like to feel that they can relate to something or someone currently in those roles. They also like to know that they are not alone or that they, too, can be a high-ranking official in the front office for the Pistons or some other team.

“The five individuals that were here this morning not only represented the African-American community, but they represented female professionals, and people of other ethnicities,” Fitz added. “We hope that our students left here knowing that their goals and dreams are obtainable.”

This article originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle.

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Trader Vic’s Returns to Its Oakland Roots

Trader Vic’s, the internationally recognized brand and birthplace of the original Mai Tai, has officially returned to its roots in Oakland. Originally founded in 1934 on San Pablo Avenue before moving to Emeryville, the hospitality giant has launched Trader Vic’s Outpost at Oakland International Airport’s Terminal 2. The new full-service location offers travelers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails in a 108-seat space designed to celebrate the city’s status as a top national food destination. Visit the website to read more.

Published

5 days ago

October 19, 2026

Post News Group

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee cuts the ribbon at the official opening of Trader Vic’s Outpost and Plum Market at Oakland International Airport. She is assisted by U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon as Port of Oakland Board President Stephanie Dominguez Walton, left, and representatives from Trader Vic's, Plum Market, look on. Photo courtesy of the mayor’s office.

By Special to The Post

Oakland has always been a city of innovators, entrepreneurs, visionaries, and world-class hospitality. Trader Vic’s—the birthplace of the original Mai Tai – first opened in Oakland back in 1934 on San Pablo Avenue, long before becoming an internationally recognized global brand.

More than 50 years after it moved to Emeryville, Trader Vic’s is returning to its roots. Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee touts the return as another victory for Oakland.

“My administration is deeply committed to backing businesses like Trader Vic’s and Plum Market—partners who invest in our city, uplift our local workforce, and support thousands of local jobs,” Lee said.

The latest Trader Vic’s – called Trader Vic’s Outpost – is located at the Oakland International Airport in Terminal 2 near Gate 25 and had a soft opening in August.

With 108 dining seats, 28 bar seats and a counter for standing-room customers, travelers from around the world can have a full-service restaurant and bar experience or take-out for those with planes to catch.

Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails will be served.

Trader Vic’s returning to its roots confirms Condé Nast’s decision to name Oakland the #1 Food City in America two years in a row, and just earlier this month, ranked Oakland #6 on their list of Best Cities in the U.S.!

“The opening at OAK is incredibly meaningful for us,” said Rhett Rosen, CEO of Trader Vic’s Hospitality Group, according to the company website. “Trader Vic’s was born in the Bay Area, and this new location gives us the chance to welcome travelers with a taste of that original spirit before they take off. It brings together everything people love about Trader Vic’s — great cocktails, flavorful food, warm hospitality and a little sense of escape — in a place that connects Oakland to the world.”

Trader Vic’s is an Oakland institution and one of the region’s most recognizable hospitality brands, said Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Craig Simon on the web site.

“Travelers are increasingly seeking dining options that are memorable, locally rooted, and uniquely representative of the communities they are visiting. Trader Vic’s delivers all of that while providing a high-quality food and beverage experience for our guests. We are proud to welcome this hometown favorite to Terminal 2,”

The original Trader Vic’s in Oakland:

In 1934, with an investment of $500, Bergeron opened his initially small restaurant at 65th Avenue and San Pablo, serving comfort foods for lunch and dinner and beers and whiskeys. As his clientele grew, so did his restaurant, expanding space and menu options. After visiting this establishment, famed San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen proclaimed that the “best restaurant in San Francisco is in Oakland.”

There were as many as 25 franchises worldwide, including the U.S. Trader Vic’s is now headquartered in Martinez.

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Oakland Coal Terminal Backed by Trump Would Be Bigger, Dirtier Than Promised, Says Report

A recent feasibility study commissioned by potential investors says an Oakland coal terminal backed by President Donald Trump could export 13 million tons a year — three times the amount estimated in an earlier environmental review. Surprisingly, the report also contradicts devel

Published

5 days ago

October 19, 2026

Post News Group

East Bay residents have been fighting alongside No Coal in Oakland for more than a decade. Photo courtesy of No Coal in Oakland.

By Post Staff

Surprisingly, the report also contradicts developers’ and project advocates’ repeated pledges that the coal would be stored in a covered terminal. Instead, the millions of tons of coal shipped annually from inland states to the West Gateway terminal in Oakland would be stored in “two open-air bunkers,” with about 150,000 tons of coal per stockpile, before being sent overseas, according to the recent report cited by the L.A. Times. (https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf)

Residents and clean air advocates have long expressed concerns that coal dust would worsen pollution in West Oakland and throughout the East Bay.

The proposed site of the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal (OBOT) is located at the former Army base near the Port of Oakland, which developer Phil Tagami has been trying for years to turn into a shipping terminal despite determined community opposition.

Trump announced a $75-million investment in the project in June, about a third of its estimated cost. The new terminal would be the largest coal export site on the West Coast, transporting coal to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia, according to the Trump administration.

Opponents say a new terminal would undermine years of progress cleaning up the air in West Oakland, which has a history of disproportionate pollution and high asthma rates due to its proximity to the port and other industry.

According to No Coal in Oakland organizer Ted Franklin, who has been active for 11 years in the fight to stop the coal terminal, the report indicates that investors may be looking for a cheaper way to build the terminal.

“We were shocked but not surprised” by the report, Franklin said. “Basically, it seems that the plan now is to store open piles of coal, which is a less expensive project than creating a completely enclosed facility.”

The threats that the project poses are real, but it faces a lot of economic and legal hurdles, he said.

Coal production is in permanent decline worldwide, he said, wondering who was going to “invest money in an industry that has no future.”

Further, the project has not yet attracted big investors. “There’s no bank, no financing, no financial institution backing this,” he continued.

A major legal hurdle facing the project is the passage of Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s bill, AB 40, the Community-First Coal Review Act, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 30.

The law requires developers of large-volume bulk coal facilities to complete a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) before they can operate.

The law was specifically designed to block or delay the coal terminal project.

The report to potential developers was produced by consulting groups Norda Stelo and Wood Mackenzie in July and released this month. It was commissioned by the Rural Utah Infrastructure Coalition, made up of eight Utah counties that are considering investing about $43 million into the terminal to receive Utah coal.

The consultants produced their findings after visiting Oakland, examining engineering documents and holding discussions with Savage Cos., a Utah-based transport and logistics company selected to operate the facility

Research has shown that coal terminal operations can be dangerous to public health. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach moved away from open-air coal and petroleum coke storage three decades ago.

The report says that the site could process 12 million metric tons, or 13.2 million tons, of coal each year, three times more than the terminal’s approved environmental impact report from 2002 and its 2012 addendum. Neither document mentions coal specifically, but rather bulk commodities.

The coal arriving in Oakland could also be dirtier then had been previously stated, according to the report. Project officials previously said the terminal would handle only high-grade western bituminous coal from Utah, but the recent report says it will also handle Powder River Basin coal from Wyoming and Montana, known to be much dustier.

Nor does the report mention plans to cover the rail cars to prevent pollution, though project officials previously promised they would only utilize coal transported in covered rail cars.

“It appears the developers want to build something much bigger and more polluting than anything they previously revealed, either in court or to the West Oakland community,” said Colin O’Brien, deputy managing attorney at the nonprofit Earthjustice, speaking to the L.A. Times.

The report indicates that the project may be much more expensive and take longer to complete than anticipated. The Energy Department estimates the terminal will cost about $231 million, but the report places the price at between $430 million and $625 million.

The terminal will take 53 months to complete according to the report, significantly longer than Trump’s promise of exports beginning in 2028.

Ted Franklin’s column, “Utah Study Blesses Investment in Oakland Coal Terminal but Leaves Key Questions Unanswered” is available at https://nocoalinoakland.info/utah-study-blesses-investment-in-oakland/