OFFICIAL QUITS POST WITH STATE GAMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 10, 1992                   TAG: 9201100072
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
OFFICIAL QUITS POST WITH STATE GAMES
A few years ago, Bob Hartman left his job as what he called "the garbage man of athletics" at Roanoke College because he said he saw a chance to grow along with the Commonwealth Games of Virginia.
Now, the Games director said he is making a career move and resigning from Virginia Amateur Sports Inc. to enter another growing field.
"Another really good opportunity came up to sell sneakers," said the 28-year-old Hartman, who'll be a sales representative for Asics Tiger Corporation, a California-based sporting goods company.
Hartman's departure leaves VAS, which runs the state games, with only two full-time employees: founder and executive director Doug Fonder, and director of operations Gina Dunnavant. David Tresh, in charge of marketing and fund-raising for VAS, left recently for another marketing job.
Hartman said part of the reason he's leaving is uncertainty about funding - both state and private - for the games beyond this year.
"The situation made me think about my career situation," Hartman said.
Fonder said economics may force him to do without a Games director.
"I oversee everything anyhow," Fonder said, "and we might try to get some part-time people in.
"He's making a very good step for himself. He's going to be hard to replace. You just don't bring someone in, open their head up and pour in 2 1/2 years of stuff in there."
Hartman, a former coach and sports information director at Roanoke College, helped the Olympics-style festival go from 29 sports in its first year to 36 last summer and worked with coordinators of each event with logistics of competition.
The Commonwealth Games survived competition from a similar event in Richmond and the federal takeover of its only title sponsor, CorEast Savings Bank.
"We've really followed Doug Fonder's vision of what this could be," Hartman said. "I think we hit it pretty darn close despite some setbacks.
"The event's going to be bigger and better this year. I'm sad I won't be a part of it."
Hartman admitted the stress of the job played a part. During the summer as the event nears, 16-hour workdays are common. Hartman said some people, upon learning of his occupation, would ask, "Do you work full time at that?"
"It's much more than a full-time job," he said.
Yet Fonder didn't seem worried about the Games running smoothly. He said work on the 1992 Commonwealth Games is running a month ahead of schedule, and said he hopes this summer the Roanoke Valley will greet 6,000 athletes.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB