Sports veteran picked to plan Indianapolis Super Bowl

The woman chosen as CEO of the city’s Super Bowl host committee isn’t exactly a household name, but those who hired her think
she’ll make Indianapolis the best host city ever.

Allison Melangton, 46, was the first paid member of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee and, in October, threw
planning and organization of the event into overdrive.

Melangton is charged with organizing every aspect of the event to be held Feb. 5, 2012, including putting together a staff
of 13 to 16 full-time paid employees and recruiting and organizing the 6,000 to 10,000 volunteers needed to pull off the event.

Melangton, a native of Maine, came to Indianapolis in 1983 to work for USA Gymnastics before joining the Indiana Sports Corp.
staff in 1994. She eventually became a senior vice president for the Sports Corp. in charge of such events as the men’s and
women’s Big Ten basketball championships; NCAA Final Fours; and Olympic swimming, diving and wrestling trials.

Despite her considerable experience organizing events here, Melangton is largely unknown, even among community leaders in
Indianapolis. That is about to change.

"Nobody knows her because she tucks herself right below the surface and makes everyone else look good," said Indiana
Sports
Corp. President Susan Williams. "With this, she’s going to be right out front, and that will be a big step for her. I
talked
to her about how different this role is going to be for her. And I’m convinced she’s absolutely ready. It’s time Indianapolis
knows who she is."

Mark Miles, who headed the Super Bowl 2012 bid for Mayor Greg Ballard, admitted he had never met Melangton before last year
when they worked together on the 2012 bid. Melangton also worked on the 2011 bid for the city.

Miles—along with other local Super Bowl committee members—quickly became convinced Melangton was the person to lead the
effort.
The 10 committee members unanimously chose her at a closed-door meeting.