One of the Pacific Northwest’s most influential figures on the professional sports scene will be hosting a lunch and talk on Whidbey Island next week.

Bob Whitsitt, former general manager of both the Seattle Super Sonics and Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA and ex team president of the Seattle Seahawks, will be speaking 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 24 at Useless Bay Country Club in Langley.

The talk is the first formal fundraiser for the Trudy Sundberg Memorial Lecture Series endowment created in honor of the former Oak Harbor teacher, civic leader, author, debate coach and founder of several organizations who died in 2013.

Whitsitt is married to Jan Sundberg Whitsitt, Sundberg’s daughter.

Approximately 75 people have signed up so far for the event, which will include behind-the-scenes stories told by Whitsitt, a question-an-answer session, and dessert and auction where people can bid for a round of golf with the former well-known sports executive.

Tickets are $100. Monday is the deadline.

To order a ticket, contact Marshall Goldberg at 360-675-5888 or mfgold@comcast.net

In honor of Trudy Sundberg, the speaking series was created with the plan to bring a prominent speaker to Whidbey Island once a year.

Goldberg said a verbal agreement has been made with a significant speaker in high demand for 2016 to kick off the series but didn’t want to publicly reveal the name yet.