Gene grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland, graduating from Rockville High School and Montgomery Rockville Junior College, where he earned All-American honors in football and baseball. After receiving dual athletic scholarships to the University of Maryland, he earned a degree in Criminology with a minor in Psychology and went on to play professionally with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings before an injury and personal loss redirected his path.
Gene’s 25-year career at Freeman began in Exhibitor Sales and grew into a strategic role aligning event solutions with client goals. He has worked across multiple business sectors—science, education, transportation, and healthcare—helping organizations like the American Chemical Society and ACTFL grow event attendance and improve experiences. He loves problem-solving and the team dynamic, similar to sports.
Gene is actively involved in the business industry via memberships in PCMA, IAEE, and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners.