BOS Center Announces Resignation of General Manager, Brian Oaks
- Jenny Vaughn
- Oct 26, 2021
- 2 min read
(Springfield, IL) The Bank of Springfield (BOS) Center announced today that General Manager, Brian Oaks, has formally tendered his resignation, effective December 31, 2021. He has accepted a position with the Little Rock Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
During his 18 year tenure at the BOS Center, Oaks served briefly as Box Office Manager and Director of Operations before assuming the role of General Manager in 2007. As General Manager, Oaks facilitated a $17 million renovation that included the addition of bathrooms on the main hall, scenic terrace reception and event spaces, and a hard-scaped plaza that allows for outdoor concerts. He also secured a partnership with the Bank of Springfield that led to a half a million dollar naming rights agreement and the rebranding of the Prairie Capital Convention Center to the Bank of Springfield Center. He brought national touring acts to the Center like Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Cirque Du Soliel, Disturbed and Kevin Hart
In his letter to the Springfield Metropolitan and Auditorium Authority (S.M.E.A.A.), the elected board that governs the BOS Center, Oaks reminisced, “My personal career journey would not have been possible without the board’s willingness to take a chance on a 31-year old who was still learning his way through the world of facility management, and I will be forever grateful that you gave me that opportunity. I feel proud of what we have accomplished, and hope you all feel giving me this opportunity worked out for the betterment of the BOS Center, and the Springfield community as a whole.” [Resignation in its entirety is provided as an addendum.] In a letter to fellow board members, S.M.E.A.A. Chairman, Mike Coffey, Jr. stated, “Brian has done an excellent job for our board and the citizens of Springfield and surrounding area. I know this was a difficult decision for Brian, but his professional growth leads him to a much bigger operation. I wish Brian the best in his new position.”
Brian Oaks clearly had a huge impact on the BOS Center over the years. The renovations, new partnerships, and ability to bring major national acts to Springfield show how much the venue grew under his leadership. It’s always interesting to see how strong management can completely transform an entertainment space and create more opportunities for the local community. I also enjoy communities built around shared entertainment experiences, even in games like SoFlo Wheelie Life, where people connect through common interests and memorable events.
Reading about how he built community relationships and brought big shows to Springfield reminded me of Among Us in a rather interesting way — long-term success always depends on maintaining connections and trust among people.
That’s a big change for the BOS Center, and it’s impressive how much Brian Oaks helped grow the venue over the years. On a lighter note, after reading updates like this I usually take a break with Subway Surfers since it’s such a fun and relaxing game to play for a few minutes.
Wishing the BOS Center team the best during this transition. Leadership changes are never easy, but hopefully this opens the door for new opportunities ahead. I actually read this while taking a quick break from Golf Hit and found it really interesting to follow the updates.
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