Former NBA marketing lead Keith Gordon on leaving pro sports for nonprofit arts leadership

Keith Gordon traced his path from marketing agencies into professional sports and, ultimately, nonprofit leadership.

Gordon said he began in marketing and financial services, then took a temporary role covering for an absent secretary at the NBA. "Two days later I worked my way into a full-time position as a coordinator in the marketing department and then worked my way up through the ranks," he said, naming David Stern as an early mentor.

After more than 20 years in sports — including a leadership position at the NFL Players Association’s for-profit subsidiary — Gordon said he chose to step away to spend more time with his children and accept a CEO role at Fight for Children. That move, he said, led him into nonprofit management and eventually to the Workhouse Arts Center.

"I had my Jerry Maguire moment," Gordon said, describing a decision point to reprioritize family and pursue work that aligned with his values. He emphasized that the skills of marketing and team-building carried over from sports to arts management.

Asked what advice he would give a younger version of himself, Gordon urged listening and reading: "Speak less. Listen more and read more," he said, adding that better listening leads to more productive outcomes.

The interview framed Gordon’s career arc as one where corporate and sports-sector experience informs nonprofit leadership and community-building at the Workhouse Arts Center.