William “Bill” Squires, founder/president of The Right Stuff Consulting, Inc., and venue and operations consultant for the New York Football Giants, will be presented with the Milton E. Ahlerich Distinguished Leadership Award during the 2024 National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition on July 9-11 in Phoenix.
The event is presented annually by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM).
The award recognizes a professional whose career includes multiple achievements and contributions to sport safety and security. The recipient’s service, commitment, ingenuity and integrity must have elevated the profession to new levels to warrant this prestigious honor. The recipient is selected by a panel of subject matter experts on behalf of the NCS4.
“Milt is someone for whom I have the ultimate respect for. I was not surprised when this award was named after him, and I have seen so many individuals who are friends that I look up to who have received this award,” said Squires. “It’s quite an honor to receive this award in Milt’s name, but looking at my predecessors, who are icons in the industry, it is even more of an honor.
“The work I have done during my career was not for recognition. I did the things I did and continue to do things for this industry because I work hard at what I do. I care deeply about the safety and security of our fans, performers, event staff, and anyone else who visits our venues,” Squires added.
Squires is a United States Naval Academy graduate who served on active duty as a naval aviator for 12 years before joining the Naval Reserves. He retired from the Naval Reserves as a Commander after 24 years of service.
In 1987, Squires made the difficult decision to leave active duty to work for the New York Yankees after the owner of the Yankees, George M. Steinbrenner III, offered him a job. He has held top-level positions with the following facilities:
- Yankee Stadium
- Giants Stadium
- Cleveland Browns Stadium
- ESPN Wide World of Sports
“Bill thoroughly deserves this award for all his contributions to the sports safety and security field. He has been a leader in this space for many years and continues to advance the industry with his unique knowledge and skillset. The NCS4 team is excited to be recognizing Bill for his hard work and dedication,” said Dr. Stacey Hall, NCS4 Executive Director and Professor of Sport Management.
Squires is a member of the Sports League Sports Council, which includes senior security officials from sports leagues and organizations that work with the Department of Homeland Security on security issues involving the safety and security of sports and entertainment venues. He is also a past president of the Stadium Managers Association.
He is an adjunct professor in the Master of Science in Sports Management at Columbia University and has taught the Sports Facilities and Events Management course since 2007. He will co-teach a new graduate course, Sustainability in Sports, in the fall of 2024.
Significant events Squires has worked on include:
- Nelson Mandela’s first major public appearance in the United States at Yankee Stadium in 1990
- 1994 FIFA World Cup (Giants Stadium – seven matches, including the semi-final match)
- Major League Baseball games, including the 1987 World Series
- National Football League regular season and playoff games
- Super Bowl games (2014 – 2023)
- College football games
- Major concerts
- Pope John Paul II mass (1995)
- Miami F1 Grand Prix (2022 -2024)
- T-20 ICC Cricket World Cup matches (2024)