Better job, bigger pay draw Kossow to Wash.

The outgoing executive director spent about a year in Youngstown.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jeff Kossow is resigning as the Chevrolet Centre's executive director because he got a better job that pays more money.
"Quite simply in one word: money," Kossow said when asked why he was leaving.
But there's more to it, he said.
Kossow, 44, said he has a personal 10-year plan and the new job as executive director of three facilities in Kennewick, Wash., is a better fit for that long-range plan than staying in Youngstown.
"This is a better opportunity for me," he said. "This is a stepping stone in a career path."
Kossow's reputation in the arena management business is as a start-up specialist. The Chevrolet Centre in downtown Youngstown was the sixth facility Kossow opened.
"But I'm looking in a new direction," he said. "I came to do a job and I stayed focused on it. I enjoyed my stay here. I'm excited to see the revitalization of downtown."
Those in arena management are known as "gypsies" because they constantly move, Kossow said. Kossow's last day as the Youngstown facility is Dec. 16. He held the job for slightly more than one year.
During his time in Youngstown, Kossow oversaw the construction of the facility, expected to cost about $45.38 million, and booked acts for the arena.
Kennewick complex
In 1993, Kossow spent 10 weeks at the Kennewick, Wash., complex handling operational and financial duties during a transitional period between two management companies.
The Kennewick complex includes the 2-year-old Three Rivers Convention Center, as well as the Toyota Center, an arena that holds up to 7,000 people and is about 16 years old, and the Toyota Arena, an ice-skating rink. The Toyota Center has a Western Hockey League team and a National Indoor Football League team as its primary tenants.
The facilities are managed by Compass Facilities Management Co. of Ames, Iowa. Compass and Global Entertainment Corp. of Phoenix manage the Chevrolet Centre.
Kossow said he was approached by management at the Kennewick facilities to become executive director.
Roger Swanson, vice president of Global Entertainment's Facility Management Division, will temporarily replace Kossow in Youngstown until a permanent replacement is hired.
skolnick@vindy.com