News Article

Tinker Hatfield, vice president of special projects at Nike, will discuss “The Business of Design” at a Gonzaga University Dean’s Business Forum Breakfast from 7-8:30 a.m., Friday, Oct. 10 in the Jepson Center’s Wolff Auditorium.

The cost of the program is $15 per person and includes breakfast, which begins at 7 a.m. The lecture, which is open to the public and begins at 7:30 a.m., is presented by GU School of Business Administration Dean Clarence H. Barnes and the Dean’s Forum Board.

Hatfield will discuss his thoughts and experience in business and design through his position at Nike. Hatfield has earned global recognition for imagination and innovation in his collaborations with Michael Jordan for Nike. In 1998, Fortune Magazine named Hatfield one of the 100 Most Influential Designers of the century.

In addition to collaborations with Jordan, Hatfield also designs and creates specialized Nike athletic products for athletes including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Roger Federer.

In his spare time, Hatfield sets a leadership example by spending time mentoring young Nike designers to further Nike in the future.

Born in Hillsboro, Ore., Hatfield attended Central Linn High School where he earned distinction as an accomplished basketball player and as an All-American track and field star in hurdles and pole-vault. He was the first high school athlete in the state’s history to win four individual track events at the state championships.

Hatfield studied architecture at the University of Oregon while vaulting for legendary track coach Bill Bowerman. He held the UO record in the pole vault and placed sixth in the 1976 Olympic trials. 

To attend the lecture, please RSVP by Oct. 7 online to the Dean’s Business Forum Web site. To receive e-mail notifications about the Forum’s events, register at the organization’s Web site. For more information, contact Dorothy Greenamyer at (509) 323-5991 or via e-mail.