Kevin Towers' career in baseball has covered nearly all aspects of the game. A former pitcher in the Padres minor league system, Towers also served as a pitching coach before becoming a Major League scout for both the Padres and Pirates. After serving as the Padres Scouting Director for several seasons, Towers became the team's General Manager in 1995 and was named Padres Executive Vice President and GM in 2000. As General Manager, he helped lead the Padres to a National League Championship in 1998, and has assembled a first-place team thus far in 2005.

Towers spoke extensively about the path his career has taken to the front office of the team that drafted him, sharing stories from the various roles he's had in the sports world. He entertained student questions for the bulk of the discussion, and gave students advice on succeeding in the business of baseball. In addition to his career advice, Towers spoke candidly about how he deals with player evaluation, builds team chemistry, and negotiates contracts. Towers expressed his support for the inaugural World Baseball Classic tournament and described the Padres' commitment to growing the team's presence internationally.

San Diego State University wishes to thank Kevin Towers for providing students with this unique opportunity, and Katie Pothier, San Diego Padres Vice President and General Counsel, for her efforts in making this experience possible.