Who Is Our 2012 SB, Inc.?

The nonprofit organization created to help put on the Super Bowl 2012 host committee activities is known legally as "Our 2012 SB, Inc.", a fact uncovered by fellow blogger Pat Andrews while poking and prodding the corporation counsel's office to produce any legal agreements entered into by the city with the nonprofit organization. The group's purpose, as quoted on Andrews' Had Enough Indy blog, reads:

a mutual benefit corporation organized to promote the common business interests, growth and opportunity, and the general economic welfare for businesses in and around Indianapolis, Indiana (the "City"), by attracting and hosting a professional football championship game in the City.

Our 2012SB, Inc, submitted a successful bid for the National Football League's Super Bowl XLVI, a profession football championship to be held in Indianapolis in 2012.

Under the supervision of the National Football League, Our 2012SB will centralize the planning and the execution of the 2012 Super Bowl to ensure coordination of all efforts and community resources. Our 2012 SB will serve as an extension to the National Football League in the local community, as the City's ambassador to the incoming Super Bowl fans, guests, and corporations, and as a manager of local resources such as City services (emphasis added), event venues, accommodations, and thousands of volunteers.

Note that the self-appointed nonprofit leaders have deemed themselves the "manager of local resources, such as City services." Andrews learned that the nonprofit organization had on its own hired an engineering firm to redesign Georgia Street and, after the fact, signed a contract with the Department of Public Works under which the City had to reimburse the nonprofit for more than $1.5 million in engineering fees it had incurred on the Georgia Street project. The George Street project is expected to cost taxpayers more than $12 million and is being done exclusively to benefit the Super Bowl event.

A look at the tax returns filed by Our 2012 SB, Inc. reveals that its board of directors reads like a Who's Who of city insiders. The organization's CEO is Allison Melangton, who was paid a salary and benefits of more than $232,000 according to the most recent tax returns filed for the organization for the 2009 tax year. The board's leadership and members include the following:

Mark Miles, Chairman (CEO, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Inc.)
Cathy Langham, Vice Chairman (President, Langham Logistics)
Derrick Burks, Treasurer (CPA, Ernst & Young)
John Lechleiter, Secretary (CEO, Eli Lilly)
Tony George (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
Earle Goode (Chief of Staff, Gov. Mitch Daniels)
David Simon (CEO, Simon Property Group)
Susan Williams (CEO, Indiana Sports Corporation)
Eugene White (Superintendent, IPS)
Jack Swarbrick (Athletic Director, Notre Dame)
Jeff Smulyan (CEO, Emmis Communications)
Paul Okeson (Vice President, Keystone Construction)
Pete Ward (COO, Indianapolis Colts)
Tom Jernstedt (Retired President, NCAA)
Alfredo Lopez Yunez (Doctor of Neurology, IU Neurology)

The host committee had taken in more than $10 million since its formation in 2007 through the end of 2009, which included more than $400,000 in public support when it started in 2007. In 2009, the organization spent $932,000 for operational expenses, including: more than $86,000 on travel, $10,000 of which went to pay travel expenses for "federal, state or local public officials"; $25,000 in conference-related expenses; more than $212,000 on undisclosed management fees; more than $28,000 for legal fees; and more than $11,000 for accounting expenses. The committee reported about $3.9 million in assets as of the end of 2009. One can only imagine who all will get their hands on the tens of millions of dollars to be spent by this organization before the Super Bowl event is concluded, not counting the tens of millions of dollars the organization is dictating that taxpayers spend on the event out of the City's budget.