Sarah Horvath

Sarah Horvath has been appointed the new director of Kino Sports Complex and Stadium District, Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher announced in a June 10 memo to the Board of Supervisors.

Horvath has led the Kino team as deputy director since the retirement of director Reenie Ochoa in February.

Horvath was named deputy director in July 2023 after 11 years in Pima County’s Department of Finance & Risk Management. Before joining Pima County in 2012, Horvath worked in waterpark operations for nine years.

“As a Tucson native and sports enthusiast, I am very excited to take on the director role and help Kino grow into the future,” said Horvath. “Sports played a huge part in my childhood and this opportunity joins together my strong operational background and love of sports.”

Kino Sports Complex opened in 1998 as the spring training home to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox, as well as the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate at the time, the Tucson Sidewinders. Over the next 25 years, Kino has been home to other minor league baseball, professional soccer (FC Tucson still calls Kino home), college baseball, and has hosted qualifiers for the World Baseball Classic and countless community events.

“I couldn’t be more excited to continue to build upon Kino Sports Complex’s accomplishments, and further escalate it to a premier destination for sports, recreation, entertainment, and community engagement,” said Horvath.

“Our events and grounds teams are second to none, and our goal is to continually push the bar in those areas to ensure a great venue experience for everyone from the local community events to international partners like the World Baseball Classic.”

The footprint of Kino has continued to expand and features 34 professional quality turf fields for baseball and soccer.

“We’re lucky to have someone with Sarah’s knowledge and experience leading the way as we embark upon new and exciting opportunities at the Stadium District. Over the 14 years since we repurposed the facility into an entertainment and tournament sports facility, Kino has grown into one of the finest such facilities in the country. I’m excited to see how this major regional visitor amenity will grow and improve under Sarah’s leadership.”