Joe Rooney - TheSkiChannel.com

Joe Rooney is a luminary in the media business and specifically in cable television. He is the Chief Marketing Officer of Cox Communications and began his career in media in 1981. Joe has been with Cox for 22 years, and has overseen Cox’s national marketing, sales, branding, marketing sciences and research since 1999. Joe is a tireless advocate for the US Disabled Ski Team and co-chair of SkiTAM, the cable television industry’s fund-raising arm for the US Disabled Ski Team.

How did you get involved with the US Disabled Ski Team?

The cable TV industry is celebrating its 13th year of fund-raising for the US Disabled Ski Team though an event we call SkiTAM (www.skitam.com). My first involvement was 6 years ago, and I was quickly recruited to be sponsorship co-chair. It turns out I am pretty good at raising money and a few years ago I was elevated to overall co-chair, with Steve Raymond, who started the organization.

What made you want to devote so much time, effort and resources behind this particular cause?

These athletes are not just gifted athletes but they are also amazing people! It is so inspiring to spend time with the team – I truly get as much as I give! I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a ticket to Torino in 2006 and to go and cheer on the team at the Paralympics. That was truly a highlight!

Tell us about your upcoming event and what it does?

Our upcoming event, SkiTAM XIII, will be held April 3-6, 2008 in Vail, CO. We expect over 1,000 attendees from 57 sponsor companies. Between this event and the Athlete Partnership Program, we will raise over one million dollars for the US Disabled Ski Team. SkiTAM provides the majority of the funding to allow the USDST to remain one of the top disabled ski teams in the world. Over the years, SkiTAM and the Athlete Partnership Program (APP) have generated more than $5.9 million for the team.

What are your goals for the Disabled Ski Team?

Of course we love it when the US team dominates at the World Cup circuit and at the Paralympics! Our goal at SkiTAM is to make it easier for the athletes to train year-round. SkiTAM has enabled the USDST to compete at the highest levels and to travel around the world to compete against the best disabled teams in the world. They are great examples of how people with physical limitations actually know no limitations to being the best at their sport in more than 270 races and bring home 84 Paralympics medals and 100 World Cup podiums.

How long have you been skiing?

I started skiing in the 70’s as a kid in Iowa (trekking to Colorado once a year) and then I took many years off while starting my career and raising four wonderful kids. We got back into skiing as the kids got old enough – probably just these past twelve years or so.

Where is your favorite place to ski?

I live in Atlanta. So, I don’t get that many ski days each year. I love Deer Valley, UT and I really love Vail, CO as it is host to our beloved SkiTAM event each year.

What’s new with your buddy, US Disabled Skier, Ralph Green?

Ralph is an amazing person and a gifted athlete. Ralph is the only person I know flying down the hill, 50 MPH+ with a Cox logo on his helmet! Cox, the company I work for, has a great relationship with Ralph. He and I have visited San Diego, Omaha, Providence RI, Fairfax, VA, New Orleans, Las Vegas and many other Cox markets. Ralph is a terrific public speaker, and we love to have him tell his story to Cox employees, as well as kids in Cox markets. We have a website for him… Check it out: www.ralphgreen.net.

What does the future look like for SkiTAM and the support of the US Disabled Ski Team?

While we continue to set records for attendance and for fund-raising, we also face industry consolidation and a review of all industry events. So, it is possible that it will be a little harder to gather 1,000 cable people (including their families) for this event each year. But those who have attended know what an amazing event it is, and keep coming back. We are booked for Vail for 2009 and I encourage people to check SkiTAM.com to keep up on us and see how you can get involved. As long as the USDST has brave athletes who want to represent the US in the best possible light, Steve Raymond and I will be out there raising money to help them do that!