🏆 Small-Town Roots, A Century-Old Stage: Stewarding the Rose Bowl Stadium’s Legacy

Dedan Brozino is the Chief Development Officer of the Rose Bowl Stadium and the President of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the 501(c)(3) that preserves, protects, and enhances the future of America’s Stadium. Raised in small town Lehighton, Pennsylvania, Dedan played Division III baseball at DeSales University, earned his master’s in sport management at Long Beach State, and spent a decade rising through external operations in collegiate athletics. Since joining the Rose Bowl Stadium in 2015 to stand up a true philanthropy arm, he and his team have grown a small, transactional donor list into a national community of more than 5,000 supporters and close to $80 million raised. His why is simple: “I work at a place that is bigger than me. The memories and the emotions are what protect this place.”

Small Town to Sports Business

Dedan’s love for sports started early. “In grade school I would pen letters to all 30 MLB teams. The Braves sent a bumper sticker and I thought it was the coolest thing.” He grew up in a coal-region town where everyone knew everyone. “There are not many places to hide,” he laughs. “You see the same people at the rec center, the grocery store, church.” That rhythm built instincts he still relies on. “Being from a small town wired me to be relationship-driven from a young age.”

At DeSales, he played one season of baseball, then poured himself into the athletics department and the student paper. “Division III means you do everything,” he says. “Those three years taught me it is not about chasing a paycheck, it is about living in the stretch zone and being uncomfortable with new things.”

Learning the Game at Long Beach State

A cross-country move for grad school changed his trajectory. Long Beach State did not have a comms opening when he arrived. “They told me to try marketing. I walked down the hall not knowing what the word marketing even meant.” He worked for credit and for pride, then for very little pay, eventually running the marketing shop and overseeing externals. The crucial pivot came when a leader suggested development. “I laughed and said I would never ask people for money,” Dedan admits. “But good fundraisers do not always need to ask for money. They engage and they are genuine.”

The Rose Bowl Stadium, Built on Relationships

An interview process in 2013 put him on the Rose Bowl’s radar. Two years later he returned to lead a small, under-structured foundation. “When I arrived, there were 23 donors and about $12 million raised. It was highly transactional. I looked at it like we had zero donors because I do not believe in transactional relationships.” Ten years on, the results speak for themselves. “We have over 5,000 donors nationally and close to 80 million raised in gross gifts from a variety of sources,” he says. The core idea never changed. “It is not about the money we have raised, it is how we have done it. People deserve genuine, connective relationships. That is true at work and in life.”

He sees the Rose Bowl as a chapel for shared memory. “No two memories here are the same. Some people remember the smell of popcorn, others the tailgate, or the score,” he says. “We are city-owned, yet stewarded by a nonprofit. It is unique, and it works because the brand is emotionally generational.”

Leadership That Lasts

Ask Dedan what traits travel through successful people he’s been around and he starts with humility. “There is always a bigger job, a bigger platform. Sometimes the grass is greener right where you are standing and your head is not present enough to feel that.” He pairs humility with empathy. “We need to take time and best understand the people we work with. Ask about their families, their weekends. Take an active interest, not a passive one.”

A longtime mentor, Bill Shumard, reinforced those values and added perspective about faith, balance, and seasons. “It is okay that mentors change over time,” Dedan says. “You should keep learning as your life changes.” Accountability still matters, it just lands better on strong foundations. “If the relationship is there, you can have real conversations. It is the foundation of the house. Without it, nothing stands.”

“If I could go back, I would talk about patience and being okay where your feet are,” Dedan says. He leans on a football analogy. “Throwing an interception in the second quarter does not lose you the game. Learn from it, run a different play the next time. You do not have to score on every snap.”

Breaking Into Sports

For students and early professionals, Dedan’s guidance is direct. “Take and make as many informational interviews as possible.” He reframes the term. “Think informational conversations, not assignments. Be thoughtful. Write letters. Customize your outreach. People will be surprised how often others want to help.” Then follow through. “The first interaction does not mean a thing if you are not following up appropriately.”

The Magic of the Rose Bowl Stadium

He treasures New Year’s Day traditions at the Rose Bowl Stadium. “The B-2 flyover gives me chills every year,” he says. Live music won him over too. “Those Coldplay shows were some of my favorites.” Yet it is the stillness that stays with him. “A quiet Thursday, walking the grounds, noticing the palms, the bricks, the roses. That is when it hits you. I am fortunate to have a key here, but this place is bigger than any of us. Our job is to keep it vibrant for the next generation.”