From West 7th to Producer of World Class Events

Reprinted from Traditions, Winter 2019-20
April 3, 2020

Growing up on West 7th, Joe Gallagher ’82 listened closely when his dad, James Gallagher, told him to work hard and see where it could take you.

That West 7th work ethic takes him all over the world. Literally.

As the CEO of Doodle Productions (as well as FILO Productions which was sold in 2012), Joe has earned a reputation as one of the leading Live Event Sports Production Executives in the industry. He has staged some of the biggest sports events in the world, working with the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Football League (NFL), and many more.

Just in the last several years, he was Director of Operations for the 2016 Ryder Cup Opening and Closing ceremonies here in Minnesota, producer of the 2018 St. Paul Winter Carnival Ice Palace, and the producer of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in North Carolina.

His resume includes NBA All-Star Games and fan events in Barcelona, London, Abu Dhabi, and Mexico City, a couple of fan festivals for New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers, three NFL Super Bowl Hospitality Events, and a Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) 10 City Baseball Tour. Most recently, he has taken on the event marketing for former Viking Chad Greenway’s new made-in-Minnesota top-shelf vodka Gray Duck Vodka. 

“The Ryder Cup was my biggest event,” Joe proudly explains. “The Opening and Closing ceremonies were huge undertakings and were broadcast live on NBC and The Golf Channel in over 190 countries — and it was extra special that it was hosted right here in my own hometown.”

As a sports event producer, no two events are ever the same. He essentially becomes the ‘MacGyver’ of events — making sure he can solve all challenges and keep his clients happy. He can be on the road for months at a time, and finds himself working with athletes, entertainers, musicians and more.

As busy as he is with major sporting events, he also supports local organizations that are dear to his heart, such as the Highland Friendship Club. He recently went to Kuwait to volunteer with the Memorial Day steak feed made possible by 2019 Serving the Troops: Kuwait. He was St. Paul’s 2018 Mr. Pat, representing the Irish community. He continues to support his childhood neighborhood by giving back to the local youth through many years of involvement with the West 7th Boys Club. “I love using my skill set to give back to my community,” he said.

Joe admits that being based in the Twin Cities is somewhat odd for a major sports event producer, but his choice to be in his hometown is very intentional.

“I am rooted in St. Paul,” Joe explained. “This place is different than all those other places where I have worked events — the people here are hardworking, family-oriented people who care about their community.”

Raider Connections

The community he first encountered at Cretin has been instrumental throughout his life and continues to impact him today.

Without a doubt, the most precious thing that resulted from his Cretin years is his wife of 39 years, Judy Schmiedeberg Gallagher ’84. He tells the story of how they met during the Winter Carnival, ironically enough given his later professional role with the Winter Carnival, especially the Ice Palace in 2018. They both were selected as Junior Royalty and became high school sweethearts. “She is my rock and has fired my entrepreneurial spirit since we met.”

Raider connections have also proven to be integral to his professional success. “The key to my two companies’ success is that I have surrounded myself with talented CDH grads. I have an amazing team that have traveled the world with me to produce world class events, including Kevin Weinhandl ’97, Brian Buron ’01, Jim Buron ’02, Steve Buron ’04, and Joe O’Neill ’06. Wes Denning ’91 ran security detail for the 2016 Ryder Cup. In addition, his accountant for more than 20 years, Zack Ryan ’94 also hails from CDH.

“The integrity and work ethic of these Raiders built my first company, FILO Productions, and many are still with me at Doodle.”

He further credits his homeroom teacher, Dennis Denning ’62, for pushing him to his first professional job in sports, leading to a career that he could never have imagined while in high school.

“I was sure I was going to be the next great baseball player to come from Cretin, just like my hero, Paul Molitor ’74,” Joe recalls with a laugh. “Then, Coach Denning cut me from 9th-grade baseball.”

Even though he was devastated, Joe listened to Denning who pushed him to use his interest in sports and work at Met Stadium. Working around sports gave him a passion for the industry, which proved to be invaluable experience.

And, later, at a very stressful time in his life, his extended network saved him.

“I was just 32 years old and I had a heart attack,” explained Joe. As frightening it is to be faced with death, Joe believes he was in especially good hands with his cardiologist, Dr. Victor Tschida, who was also a product of Catholic education. “My life changed in that moment — I don’t take any day for granted and am grateful for my God-given gifts of people in my life and the opportunity to use my talents in work I love.”

In fact, he hopes all CDH students learn to value of this community and the impact it will have even beyond the four years of high school.

He also encourages young people to build experiences — work or volunteer — while in high school that might influence a future career path. “Be a part of things that interest you. No resume will stand out if you are trying to get a job in a field in which you never spent any time.”

“I have been blessed to work events around the world,” reflected Joe. “But I wouldn’t want to have my home base be anywhere but here, in the community I love so much.”

For more on Joe’s career, check out WCCO-TV’s Life to the Max profile of Joe’s career.