Stu Jackson's new helper

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8301980/NBA-hires-Army-Maj.-Gen.-Jo...on-to-o

NEW YORK (AP) - The NBA hired Army Maj. Gen. Ronald L. Johnson on Tuesday as
senior vice president of referee operations, a newly created position to
help strengthen the league's officiating programs following the Tim Donaghy
scandal.

The move splits executive vice president of basketball operations Stu
Jackson's role into two positions, a plan commissioner David Stern announced
last fall. Johnson will oversee all aspects of officiating, while Jackson
will continue to handle all other domestic and international basketball
matters.
Johnson recently retired after 32 years of service as a combat engineer. He
was commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region division,
from 2003-04, responsible for overseeing $18 billion of reconstruction in
Iraq.

"Ron's wealth of leadership and management experience, together with his
engineering expertise in areas such as systems analysis, processes, and
operations, make him an ideal candidate to lead our officiating program,"
Stern said in a statement. "Our referees are the best in the world but they
never stop striving to improve and Ron has made a career out of getting the
very best out of people."




--
Laurel T
Referee Earl Strom sent $100 when fined $50 for 'promoting a player'
after telling a reporter " I have just seen the greatest player alive" (Dr.
J.)
Strom sent along a note saying: "The first fifty dollars is for the fine
and the second fifty dollars is because I'm tellin' ya' he is the
greatest."