The Men's College World Series has been home to fans, celebrities, and high-ranking officials, but looking back, I have never experienced anything close to when then-President George W. Bush visited the event in 2001 and threw out the first pitch at Rosenblatt Stadium.

It was obviously a huge honor. I mean, how many chances in life do you get to host arguably the most important person in the world?

As an event manager, you want everything about that appearance to go perfectly.

You want a game like that to not only be your greatest memory, but you want it to be the best memory for fans, student-athletes, coaches, and everyone else involved.

You want it to be a standout moment in their lives as much as in yours.

It's moments like this one that I think about as I prepare to close this 12-year chapter in my life as the Executive Director of the College World Series and my 35th year working on the CWS.

My biggest compliment

I know I'm going to miss it.

Those feelings are inevitable for anything you love as much as I love this. But honestly, I couldn't feel better about retiring when looking at the leadership on our board of directors and our staff.

Without a doubt, I can say that everything we've worked so hard to build in all of these years is in good hands. When I first started, I was fortunate to know a lot of outstanding people on whose shoulders I stood. Many people were generous with their time and helped me.

I'll admit, sometimes it was daunting back then as a female working within an all-male sport. Before I became the Executive Director, my husband, Dan, ran an event management company called Meeting & Event Design. Together with our small but mighty staff, we were the outsourced company hired by the CWS of Omaha to help run the event — and often, I was the only woman in the room.

But fortunately, I always was treated with the same respect as everybody else. Yet, I felt a bit of extra pressure because I wanted to do a job that reflected positively on both the College World Series and the city of Omaha.

As the first executive director of CWS, Inc., I worked long hours for many years to make sure things went as smoothly as they could possibly go. Fast forward more than a decade later, I look around and see a staff that happens to be entirely female, working hard every year to ensure the same things. I believe we've been role models for young women looking to make a career in sports. That makes me smile. That's a good legacy. 

I feel the best compliment I could get is watching everyone in our organization take this beautiful thing to the next level after I'm gone. They're all capable of so many remarkable things, and there is no doubt in my mind they'll turn the Series into something even more special.

The happy warrior

You know, there's an element of the College World Series that's all about dreams being realized.

It could be something along the lines of a dad and his kids attending the Series on Father's Day or a group coming together from all over the country for a family reunion. It could be the student-athlete living out a lifelong ambition of playing on this field of dreams.

Sure, things are different now compared to Omaha's first CWS in 1950, but that core sense of family and togetherness is still intact.

And that's always been my favorite part.

This event isn't about money or championships, per se. It's about the people and the memories they make here.

One example that immediately comes to mind is an incredibly meaningful interaction that I've had with a fan. 

He was a wounded warrior, and he was just the most exceptional young man.

He had been the victim of an IED explosion in the Iraq War that left him severely burned. The injuries were visible on his face, neck, and arms. We heard the College World Series was kind of a bucket list thing for him. So we offered him an invitation.

That one visit put everything into perspective.

You see someone who has obviously gone through things most of us can't even imagine, and yet, he had this amazingly positive attitude about everything. He was so grateful to be at the ballpark and I was so grateful we could do this for him.

That opportunity to host him for a few days at the College World Series was really touching. We helped that courageous soldier cross off a goal on his bucket list, and through his joyful experience, I crossed off one on mine.

The leader of the free world

That isn't to say we haven't had our fair share of challenges in the past.

Trust me, crossing items off a bucket list can be hard work.

Nothing taught me that more than working on that 2001 event with the President attending. That was the hardest I've ever worked on anything.

We would labor into the wee hours of the morning on plans for the event and how to execute those ideas.

Then, that information would be taken back to Washington, D.C., and returned to us saying, "Yeah, that's not going to work."

So we'd huddle and go over everything again, and again, and again!

But in the end, the plan worked. It was pure magic! It wasn't perfect because no event ever is, but it was thrilling to watch the President of the United States walk through our gates and onto our field to throw out the first pitch. 

Was he thinking about his father, George H.W. Bush, playing in the first-ever College World Series in 1947? I don't know because I was too awed to ask when I was introduced to him. 

Without question, it's a standout moment in my career.

One big family

As great as this experience was, the College World Series means more to me than any single moment can ever describe.

As I reflect on my career and head into my very last CWS, so many thoughts and emotions go through my mind. I thank my family for the sacrifices they made that allowed me to do all of this.

This year, we'll hit the 11th million fan mark. Eleven million memories! I was privileged to help others make some good ones. I was lucky to make some great ones of my own.

It's all about the people.

So, I couldn't be any prouder of our growth that spans decades. The fact that everyone has embraced it as much as I have made the journey fly by so fast.

Over the years, I've met so many wonderful people that I consider dear friends. From fans to athletes to board members and my teammates in the trenches, I've formed lifelong bonds with those people and it's doubtlessly the best thing about my career.

We all watched each other grow as professionals and individuals. More importantly, we've watched each other's kids grow and we became a College World Series family over all these years.

That's what it's all about, don't you think?

And because of all that, the College World Series will forever have a place deep in my heart.

But before I retire, let's do this one more time, Omaha.

Let's give this community the best College World Series yet.

I can't wait to reunite with my friends and family at Charles Schwab Field for one last run as the Executive Director of this great event.

See you soon!