Founding owners Roy Morgan and Gary Gentry of The Premier Group, corporate umbrella for Premier Productions, Premier Christian Cruises, Premier Festivals, and the Premier Foundation, have announced the appointment of Gene W. Krcelic as the newly installed President of the Premier Foundation.

In his new role with the Premier Foundation, Krcelic will be responsible for the corporate development, expansion, implementation and oversight of global strategies for the organization. Founded in 1999 by Premier co-owners Morgan and Gentry, the Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian ministry. Its mission is to offer grants for other non-profit Christian organizations and to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Christian music.

“We are excited to bring Gene Krcelic in as the President of the Premier Foundation,” Gentry said. “He brings a vast amount of experience in both the public and the nonprofit sectors, along with his previous work in the Christian music industry. Gene’s energy and commitment to the ideals of the Premier Foundation certainly go hand-in-hand with success.”

Krcelic’s vision is one of major growth for the Premier Foundation. “I see tremendous potential that exists to take what’s already established and create a lasting legacy,” Krcelic said. “My goal is to strengthen the strategic alliances and partnerships that are already in place while expanding our global outreach. It will be important to create effective new fund raising programs that further our mission and help establish the Premier Foundation as a leading Christian charity."

“The mission holds true to Roy and Gary’s original intention that the values of the Foundation be eternally focused to reach and enrich the work of organizations that embody the gospel of Jesus Christ. We ultimately want to be in a position to provide a lot of charitable grants on a global scale to a number of worthy causes.”

Krcelic most recently served as Founder and CEO of OMG SportsEntertainmentMusic, a multi-faceted South Carolina based sponsorship, music, sports, and event management firm. Under his ten year guidance, OMG built relationships and negotiated contracts with global brands including Coca-Cola, EMI CMG, Nike, Reebok, Land Rover, BMW, Family Christian Bookstores, Black Entertainment Television, XM Radio, and the Boys Choir of Harlem.

Prior to founding OMG, Krcelic established a strong executive profile at both national and worldwide levels in the event management and sports marketing fields as President and Executive Director of Greenville Events, Inc., a high profile non-profit event management company. He was responsible for raising $25 million in a six-year sponsorship program for clients such as the ACC Baseball Tournament, First Night, BMW Olympic Torch Run, the Chinese Olympic Federation, and Tour DuPont.