Photo courtesy of Jack Mrozinski

Terry Kalna, Senior Vice President of Sales for the Pittsburgh Penguins visited Point Park to share how he arrived at his current job, and how that job is all about working with people.

Kalna said the best part of his job is the “people” and getting to help them. When asked why he came to Point Park said that he didn’t have much help coming out of college.

“When I was your age I didn’t get told any of this," Kalna said. "If anything I said today helped you out, then that’s awesome."

Kalna spoke to a room of about 60 people at the Feb. 16 event. The first point Kalna emphasized was the importance of time. The purpose of his presentation was to share what it takes to be successful in the sports marketing field.

Prior to working for the Penguins, Kalna worked for eight years as the managing director of International Speedway, a sister company to NASCAR.

Kalna is a native of Greensburg and has worked with the Penguins since last April. He oversees corporate sales, partnership activation, ticket sales, premium sales and the Penguins Radio Network.

Kalna’s first question to everyone was, “What is the most valuable resource we have?” A few people answered, but none had the answer he was looking for. He said “time” is our most valuable resource and how everyone should use it wisely. Kalna also stressed patience and the importance of waiting on the right time to make the right move in the workforce.

“I was very pleased with the event. Terry was awesome, had great energy, and I loved his presentation.” said Kelsey Veydt, who helped coordinate the event and is a graduate assistant for The Pittsburgh Center for Sports Media and Marketing, a program Point Park set up in 2011.

Students listened intently to Kalna’s talk, including Blaine King, a junior broadcast reporting major, who thoroughly enjoyed it.

“I felt as if it was successful and informative. Especially for those who would like to work in the sports field. Having Kalna here was another proof of success for the program here at Point Park, and I look forward to future events.”

Morgan Osikowicz, a sophomore sports, arts and entertainment management major, also had high praise for the event.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for Point Park students to listen and ask questions to a working professional in the Pittsburgh area," Osikowicz said. "It was nice to learn how Terry go to the position he currently has with the Pittsburgh Penguins.” 

Kalna is not the first professional the center has brought to Point Park. Past visits have included professionals from numerous companies including: ESPN, ROOT sports, HBO sports, Nike, and many more. The program has also brought well-known hockey announcer Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, and Major League Baseball player and Point Park alumnus Don Kelly to campus.

The Pittsburgh Center for Media and Marketing celebrated its success with this event and is already looking forward to the future.

“The next event is planned for April 14,” Veydt said. “We will have two individuals for MasterCard Inc., they head the US sponsorships with team sports, and professional sport organizations. More details are coming soon.”

Kalna wrapped up his presentation by stressing to the students the importance of internships and thanked the students for their attentiveness.