COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) is proud to welcome the newest member to its Champion’s Circle: Steven Curtis, VP, Olympic and Paralympic Marketing, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). Toyota recently announced a multi-year partnership with the NWBA, which includes vehicles for athlete and staff transport, support for grassroots programs, and entitlement sponsorship of all national events, competitions, camps, and teams.

The Champion’s Circle is an advisory group that allows leaders to play an integral role in the sport of wheelchair basketball, focused on the NWBA Mission: to provide access to sport for people with disabilities. These leaders will impact the organization in a variety of ways leveraging their business acumen and professional networks. Members of the Champion’s Circle include leaders from a cross-section of industries with specific domain expertise that they will use in the role of ambassador for the NWBA and its 2,400 athletes from coast to coast.

Steven will serve The NWBA through the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in partnership with our existing members:

- Joe Ruocco

- Brian Kurtz

- Nick Vojnovic

- Greg Smith

“On behalf of the Board, we couldn’t be any more excited to have such an impressive person and Marketing professional as Steven become a part of the NWBA,” said Sarah Castle, NWBA President. “Based on his role at Toyota supporting Paralympic and Olympic sports, and his commitment to grassroots development, he will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our organization.”

Steven Curtis has nearly 20 years of experience at Toyota, and prior to that, he accumulated several years of PR experience at an NYC PR agency. Over his career with Toyota, he has moved around the country and globe playing a key role in Sales, Communications, and now Marketing as Toyota makes the shift from an automotive to a mobility company. He graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and government. He also holds a Master of Business Administration in finance and media management from Fordham University.

“I’m humbled by the invitation to join the Champion’s Circle,” said Steven Curtis. “I have been able to learn a great deal about the NWBA over the last several months, and I’m genuinely motivated to play a role in helping this historic organization and its members, at all levels, achieve their goals.”

The NWBA will continue to recruit members for the Champion’s Circle who will enable the fulfillment of its strategies and goals for the near, medium and long term. Please join us in welcoming Mr. Curtis to the NWBA family.

## Roll With U.S. ##

About NWBA

The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) is the recognized National Organization for Wheelchair Basketball in the USA by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation and the High-Performance Management Organization by the United States Olympic Committee. The NWBA trains and selects teams for participation in the Paralympic Games, World Championships, and other international competitions. The NWBA was founded in 1948, and today consists of eight divisions including Adult Division (I, II and III), Women's Division, Intercollegiate Men's Division, and Intercollegiate Women's Division, as well a Varsity and Prep level of play in the Junior Division. The NWBA will host The National Wheelchair Basketball Championship Series, featuring 120 teams and over 1,400 athletes, between March and April of 2019 across multiple cities in the US. The Toyota National Championship Series is the world’s largest wheelchair basketball tournament.