Bob Vander Weide
From Hoopedia
Bob Vander Weide is president of the Orlando Magic, a position he has held since January of 1994. He also serves as chief executive officer of RDV Sports, named for Rich Devos and the general partner of the Magic. Other RDV Sports entities include the RDV Sportsplex and Magic Carpet Aviation.
The 48-year-old Grand Rapids, Mich., native began his career with the Magic in 1992 as vice president of basketball operations. His current responsibilities include player planning and procurement, long-term strategic planning, and new business initiatives. Vander Weide is also very involved in all league issues and is a member of the NBA Board of Governors and the NBA Planning Committee. He has also been appointed to the Florida Olympics and Pan American Games Task Force.
Vander Weide also was instrumental in bringing professional hockey and professional women’s basketball to Orlando. From 1995-2001, the Orlando Solar Bears of the International Hockey League captured one division title (Central Division, 1995-96), three Eastern Conference crowns (1996, 1999, 2001) and the IHL’s Turner Cup championship in 2000-01. In April of 1998, Orlando was granted a WNBA franchise. The Miracle finished its inaugural season in 1999.
Additionally, Vander Weide has guided the organization, in partnership with Florida Hospital, to create the RDV Sportsplex, a state-of-the-art health and wellness facility, which includes a world-class health club, medical offices, restaurant, retail shops, and practice and training facilities for the Magic. The RDV Sportsplex opened in February of 1998, and has become the business and social hub for all RDV Sports activities.
With the goal of a future NBA Championship for the city of Orlando, Vander Weide works closely with the leadership in basketball operations to ensure that team and player objectives are consistently met. He places a premium on the club’s commitment to integrity, service, quality and consumer value, while also emphasizing the partnership among the community, fans, coaching staff, players, front office staff, and ownership family.
Besides handling his current duties with RDV Sports, he also maintains several business responsibilities in his hometown of Grand Rapids. Vander Weide serves as chairman of the RDV Corporation Investment Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors of RDV Corporation. Vander Weide stays involved in a variety of Orlando civic and community organizations and is chairman of the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation. He was named Orlando Magazine’s “Orlandoan of the Year” in 1997, chaired the 2000 Heart of Florida United Way Campaign in Central Florida, and was co-president of the American Cancer Society’s 2002 Cattle Barons’ Ball.
Bob and his wife, Cheri, reside in Grand Rapids, Mich., with their five children.
