Presenters

Gerald Watkins was born and raised in the Birmingham area. He is a 1978 graduate of Jacksonville State University and spent 42 years in the banking industry, starting in 1979. In 1999 he joined the Friends of Rickwood Field and served on its board of directors for 10 years before being named Chairman of the Board in 2009. Upon retirement from banking in 2022 he assumed the role of Executive Director at Rickwood Field, the oldest professional baseball stadium in America, and now holds the dual role of President and Executive Director of the Friends of Rickwood Field. He led the effort to have the Savannah Bananas play at Rickwood Field on two occasions, initiated and led Rickwood’s efforts to bring a Major League Baseball game to the state for the first time, in 2024, and continues to manage the day-to-day activities at Rickwood, which includes hosting the SWAC tournament at the 116-year-old venue. He has been married to his wife, Sandy, for 41 years, and he has a son, Jack, who lives and works in Atlanta.