Leadership Team

Mr. Schaps has spent his professional career in advertising and sales promotion.

He is a graduate in marketing from the University of Cincinnati School of Business Administration. In 1970, he purchased Ward Outdoor Advertising in Queens, New York, and operated that company until it merged with Van Wagner in 1971. Mr. Schaps became president of old Van Wagner before founding a second generation of Van Wagner where he served as CEO. Mr. Schaps is chairman of the board of The Doe Fund and also serves on boards of Free Arts for Abused Children and the Anti-Defamation League-New York Region.  To learn more about Richard Schaps click here.

Mr. Massoni (Rutgers 92) has spent his entire career in media operations, sales and management. He began his career in Operations and quickly moved into sales where he was responsible for selling television signage across the NBA, MLB, NHL & NCAA basketball. In 1995 he was elevated to Vice President, in 1997 he became Senior Vice President and in 2000 Mr. Massoni became President & CEO of the Van Wagner Sports Group. In 2004, Mr. Massoni transitioned over to the parent company as Executive Vice President of Van Wagner Communications refocusing his responsibilities on companywide operations. Later in 2004, Mr. Massoni also took on the lead role in managing Van Wagner Aerial Media. In 2007, in addition to his other responsibilities, Mr. Massoni added the duties of co-managing our east coast out-of-home media businesses and in 2009 he relocated to Los Angeles to become President of Van Wagner’s west coast businesses. After Van Wagner sold its Outdoor assets to CBS in October 2014, Mr. Massoni became the Chief Operating Officer of the Van Wagner Group focusing his efforts on company-wide management and strategic growth.

Mr. Walmsley joined Van Wagner in 2003.

His responsibilities include advising on corporate finance matters, managing relationships with lenders, assisting in the analysis and execution of corporate development opportunities, and overseeing financial reporting. Prior to joining Van Wagner, Mr. Walmsley worked in the investment banking industry in New York for over 20 years with firms including Smith Barney and PaineWebber. Mr. Walmsley holds a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania).

He oversees all legal affairs and acts as Van Wagner’s chief governmental affairs officer, overseeing and coordinating government affairs initiatives and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Van Wagner, Mr. Pretsfelder was a Partner at the law firms of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner LLP and Baer Marks & Upham LLP. During his tenure at both of these firms, he acted as principal outside counsel on many projects for Van Wagner. Mr. Pretsfelder received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University.

Ms. Villafane joined Van Wagner in 2004. Her responsibilities include design and implementation of human resource policies, health and welfare programs, and managing all aspects of employee relations, recruitment and performance development. Prior to joining Van Wagner, Ms. Villafane worked in human resources in the investment banking industry in New York for over 10 years with Spear, Leeds, and Kellogg, a Goldman Sachs Company. Ms. Villafane received her B.S. from Queens College of the City University of New York.

Mike has focused his 35-year career on revenue generation including sponsorship strategies, marketing, and development in collegiate athletic space. Mike previously served as Executive VP at Nelligan Sports Marketing and gained experience on campus as an athletic administrator leading corporate sponsorship and development at the University of Maine and Rutgers, followed by a tenure leading revenue growth for The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Mark has over twenty years of experience in the college sports marketing industry. Donley leads the day-to-day sales organization for Van Wagner College, including all sales and support personnel at the Division’s operating business units (schools, conferences, events, etc.). Mark held senior leadership and management positions at Nelligan Sports Marketing, Inc. and Learfield prior to joining Van Wagner when the College Division launched in 2014.

Paul is an industry pioneer who revolutionized video board and in-venue sport presentation with the world’s first outdoor color display at Dodger Stadium. He founded Big Screen Network Productions which became Van Wagner Productions. For more than 40 years, Kalil has guided his talented team of producers, directors, creatives, editors, and designers to stage the most watched sporting and entertainment events of all time. In 2020, when live sports and events were restricted by a global pandemic, Kalil pivoted and deployed Van Wagner’s event presentation and engagement experience to the virtual environment. From TV-broadcast events like the NFL Draft, to large-scale conferences and summits hosted by Fortune 500 companies and the US Government, Van Wagner’s expertise was highly sought after as the world looked to connect people and businesses in new ways and elevate live and virtual presentations.

Today, Van Wagner Productions remain the worlds’ experts in live and virtual event productions, sport presentation, and video board productions. The team has achieved unparalleled success because of their commitment to pushing the boundaries of event presentation, innovating using new media and technology to engage audiences and spectators in ways that rival in-home television viewing.

Bob Becker is one of the most respected and influential producers in the sport presentation industry. Becker has overseen game presentation and video operation for some of the highest profile leagues, teams, venues, events, brands, and corporations in the world. He is credited with producing the nation’s most creative and entertaining stadium and arena shows and has developed high-end digital control rooms that serve as the gold-standard for the global video/message board industry.

Becker’s long list of career accomplishments includes the development, production, and direction of some of the worlds most watched sporting events, including multiple Olympic Games and NFL Super Bowls. The Telly and Golden Matrix Award winner has also served in lead production roles for the MLB World Series and Field of Dreams Game, Kentucky Derby, US Open Tennis, F1 Miami Grand Prix, Ryder Cup, NHL Winter Classic, NCAA Men’s Final Four, College World Series, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement & Game, NFL International Series, USFL, and many more.

In 2020, Becker’s expertise was highly sought after as the world looked to connect people and businesses in new ways and elevate live and virtual events during the pandemic. Applying his event presentation and fan engagement experience to the virtual world, Becker led production for TV-broadcast events like the NFL Draft, large-scale events with Fortune 500 companies, and the US Department of State’s Summit of the Americas and Summit for Democracy.