Brent Zelnak has been immersed in the basketball culture at Georgia Tech his entire life.
He grew up watching games with his father, Steve, who graduated in 1969 and made a large donation to fund the Zelnak Basketball Center practice facility. Brent followed in his dad’s footsteps and was on campus in time to get caught up in the fervor that surrounded Bobby Cremins’ 1990 “Lethal Weapon 3” team that reached the NCAA Final Four, along with the excitement of winning another ACC title in 1993.
“I’ve always loved Georgia Tech athletics and have been a big fan of all the sports, but basketball has been pretty special,” he said. “I was there during a remarkable time and have always loved watching Georgia Tech basketball.”
Most recently he has been captivated by the excitement surrounding the Georgia Tech women’s basketball program being built by coach Nell Fortner. In 2020-21 the Yellow Jackets enjoyed a magical season that saw them reach the ACC semifinals and advance to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. They continued to build on that success in 2021-22, and scored a milestone victory by beating perennial power UConn in December before the second-largest women’s crowd at McCamish Pavilion.
“Nell Fortner is an absolute delight,” Zelnak said. “Spending five minutes talking with her you can see the positive energy and aspiration she has brought to our women’s basketball program. It is infectious. We were fans of Nell’s from the beginning and have enjoyed supporting the program and going to games.”
Fueled by Fortner’s vision and caught up in the fervor of the women’s success, Zelnak made a donation of $250,000 to the women’s program. “One thing that was obvious to me was that the bar was set too low in regards to discretionary funds needed to support our coach’s aspirations. This gift is intended to support and challenge A-T Fund and donors up to an annual target of at least $250,000 a year and we anticipate moving that target even higher.
“Looking at all that Nell has accomplished in her career, I think we are really fortunate to have her at Georgia Tech,” Zelnak said. “To build a program to meet these aspirations, you have to have financial resources, which is why we made the personal commitment.”
Brent Zelnak (left) attends Georgia Tech women’s basketball at NC State game on Feb. 7, 2022 in Reynolds Coliseum
Zelnak graduated from Georgia Tech with a management degree in 1994. He said the competitive nature of the school and learning how to focus on a project helped prepare him for a career in investment management. He fondly remembers two professors who had a tremendous impact – Deborah Turner, who teaches accounting, and now-retired Gene Comiskey, who taught financial statement analysis.
“I look back on my Georgia Tech experience as a student fondly because I can see those points where Georgia Tech put me in front of the right people at the right time and it really made a difference,” he said.
After beginning his career with SunTrust Bank, Zelnak was a bond trader and portfolio manager at ING Investment Management for nearly 10 years. In 2008, he formed ZP Enterprises, a partnership with his father, to buy and grow manufacturing companies in the Southeast. He currently serves as President of ZP Enterprises and is on the board of Plasma Processes, a Huntsville based business engaged in specialty coatings for aerospace and defense applications.
Zelnak has been active with the Georgia Tech Alumni Association board for many years, recently serving as chair in 2019. He is currently serving as a trustee on the Georgia Tech Foundation and Alexander-Tharpe Fund boards.
“Georgia Tech has a rich athletic tradition,” Zelnak said. “We love our athletics and we have seen Georgia Tech programs at the highest level. Our alumni provide important support to pay it forward and help the next generation of student-athletes be successful.”
Zelnak was drawn toward women’s basketball by the excitement and promise that Fortner has brought to the program. Zelnak, and his wife Amelia, make Georgia Tech athletics a family affair, with children Lauren (18), William (16), and Catherine (12) cheering alongside.
He enjoys playing the role of evangelist for the program, too. He is constantly talking up women’s basketball and encouraging people to attend games. This season he hosted his daughter’s seventh-grade and eighth-grade basketball teams and families when the Yellow Jackets played Virginia.
“It was awesome and I can’t tell you how many people have come back and said, ‘I never knew’ and ‘I’m coming back,’” Zelnak said. “They are not necessarily Georgia Tech alums, but they saw good basketball, they have daughters playing basketball, and they realize this is a great way to spend an afternoon or an evening with their daughter and family.”
That’s the sort of response he enjoys hearing and hopes to be hearing more.
