GALLAS TABBED TO SUCCEED DUFF AS ILLINOIS STATE BPA E.D.

Chris Gallas, who managed 15 state associations during a 10-year tenure with the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, has been named Interim Assistant Executive Director of the Illinois State BPA. Plans call for Gallas to succeed Executive Director Bill Duff when Duff retires in June 2023. Duff’s earlier-than-planned retirement was necessitated by a need to help his wife with her increasing health issues.

For Gallas, the new position marks a return to the Chicagoland area. He grew up in Schaumburg, Elk Grove and Arlington Heights, and attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Gallas has an extensive background in sports administration, holding early-career positions with the minor league baseball Hickory Crawdads and Columbus Catfish teams, the NASCAR Busch Series, Route 66 Raceway and the Arlington Park horse racing track. He was hired by BPAA in 2011, initially managing six state associations.

“I am thrilled to be joining the ISBPA team and to be coming home to Illinois,” said Gallas, whose wife, Kristi, works for KR Strikeforce in the same building that houses the ISBPA’s offices. “It’s an honor to be working for one of bowling’s great state proprietor associations, and I’m looking forward to learning about all the ISBPA programs and tournaments.”

With that in mind, Gallas will work closely with Duff and the ISBPA team. If all goes as planned, Gallas will become only the fifth executive director in the association’s seven-decade history.

“I am grateful to have been able to work for this outstanding organization and group of members for more than half my life,” said Duff. “The ISBPA leadership has thought through this to provide for an orderly transition, and the association will be in very capable hands with Chris. We have already scheduled a Board of Directors Retreat in March to update our near-, mid- and long-term strategic plan as the bowling landscape continues to evolve.”