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TOM BENSON Owner/Chairman of the Board TOM BENSON Owner/Chairman of the Board Tom Benson’s pronouncement upon taking on ownership of the New Orleans Saints that he would one day bring a championship to his hometown came to fruition on February 7, 2010 when his Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, in Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints’ successful march to the National Football League’s Championship level has been the crown jewel of many highlights that the franchise has experienced both on and off the field since 2006. This period, featuring the Super Bowl title, two NFC Championship appearances, three division championships and fiver playoff berths, combined with a commitment to rebuild and enhance the Gulf South region, has embodied the testament and realization of the principles that Mr. Benson has instilled in the Saints’ organization throughout his 29 years of team ownership. The essential qualities and directives of Mr. Benson’s tenure as owner of the Saints have been unadorned – direct all of his efforts and resources towards bringing the fans what have been consistently new levels of success on the football field, all the while supporting his hometown and the entire region by investing in the community. Mr. Benson has understood since purchasing the club in 1985 that the Saints are part of the fabric of the Gulf South: a cornerstone of the region economically and he has made them a leader in charitable causes. Mr. Benson’s tenure of ownership has been a period defined by historic advancements in successes, whether it be measured by victories, playoff appearances, Mercedes-Benz Superdome attendance figures, national television coverage, positive economic impacts both locally and regionally, as well as serving as one of the most philanthropic and charitable citizens in the city’s rich and colorful history. He is also the owner of the National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Pelicans. During his ownership and leadership of the Saints, Mr. Benson has helped drive the evolution of the team’s legion of fans support that reached new heights with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome being sold-out on a season ticket basis for every campaign since 2006, with a waiting list of over 73,000 people. By the end of the 2014 regular season, the consecutive sellout streak will extend to 91 games. These supporters turned out in record numbers to welcome the Saints home from their Super Bowl victory for a downtown New Orleans parade that exceeded 800,000 spectators. While his work within the organization and the Saints’ turnaround is well documented, his efforts have also paid dividends for the city and the surrounding area. During his ownership tenure, the city has hosted five Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XLVII, which was played on February 3, 2013, following a vote by NFL owners after Mr. Benson directed a successful campaign during the annual league meetings in 2009. He’s been the driving force behind each campaign to secure the contest. Each Super Bowl has been an economic windfall, the most recent totaling $480 million, not to mention the exposure and charitable contributions the NFL makes during Super Bowl week that extends for generations. Mr. Benson has made the objectives of success, support and investment in the region not only his personal direction daily, but the core values of the entire organization. Not surprisingly, success has followed, both on the field and off. When he purchased the team, the Saints entered the most compelling and memorable period in franchise history. Prior to his arrival, the club’s fans had never enjoyed a winning record, celebrated a division title or experienced the thrill of playoff victories. Mr. Benson’s impact was immediate. Two years after assuming the reins of the organization, the Saints hosted their first playoff contest. After multiple winning seasons, playoff berths and division titles since, the franchise has reached new heights, topped by the Super Bowl title. His dedication to the Gulf South region has been among Mr. Benson’s most rewarding endeavors. Since 2005, the New Orleans native has positioned the Saints as a leader in the recovery of the region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history. The club was among the first major businesses to return to New Orleans, and in 2006 had a thrilling season that became an inspiration for a region on the mend. In 2010, through his leadership, the club established the Saints Gulf Coast Renewal Fund, which raised over $1.5 million through the raffle of a Super Bowl ring and the 2012 raffle of Saints and Pelicans gameday experiences. Over $1 million has been distributed to charities, such as the local chapters of the Second Harvest Food Bank and Catholic Charities to help provide support of those affected by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Hurricane Isaac. The efforts of the organization have continued to lift the community, with the team serving as an economic engine and a pacesetter in philanthropic contributions. Under Mr. Benson’s guidance, he and the Saints have been a focal point for healing and restoration – annually putting millions in charitable contributions, goods and services back into the entire Gulf South. He pledged the club’s commitment to the region was firm and lasting, with his focus on building a stronger and more unified city. It’s a direction that continues to evolve and expand. Some of Mr. Benson’s most ambitious projects to date have occurred in New Orleans’ Central Business District, directly adjoining the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, starting with his 2009 purchase of the formerly vacant and blighted Dominion Tower. As part of the agreement, Benson and his family also purchased the unoccupied New Orleans Centre. The two important commercial spaces, which were vacant since Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, have returned the CBD into a more vibrant and viable sector of New Orleans and revitalized an area that was largely ignored for four years. The newly renovated Benson Tower has served as a boon to this important business corridor, while “Champions Square”, which made its debut in 2010 adjacent to the former mall, is continually being developed and enhanced with the ultimate objective of producing a world-class sports and entertainment destination. Mr. Benson’s economic investment plan, which included 2009 agreements on both a private and public level, has revitalized the Mercedes-Benz Superdome area, and the agreement with the state included a dramatic modernization of the stadium which was completed in 2011. Following the debut of the renovations, the Saints, under Mr. Benson’s leadership, and Mercedes-Benz USA reached a 10-year agreement to rename the facility the “Mercedes-Benz Superdome.” The stadium upgrades and rebranding with his help include a legion of new enhancements that have significantly improved the fan experience for all events at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and kept the building competitive with new facilities across the country. Since its opening in 1996, Mr. Benson has strived to keep the club’s practice facility in Metairie among the NFL’s elite. In 2003, an indoor practice facility and cafeteria were constructed, along with significant upgrades to the team’s locker room, training room and weight room. Significant expansions and a remodeling in 2012 and 2013, assured that the facilities would remain at the top level of professional sports teams, while housing the full capabilities of two major league sports clubs. Mr. Benson’s vision of what an NFL club should be off the field – proactive, with a positive impact on the prosperity of the community and the charities that support the less fortunate – has been the determining factor of the Saints’ approach. The Saints’ owner has not only reached out by supporting charities, but also by recognizing that the future of the area’s economy depends on keeping major businesses and employers in the Gulf South locally-owned. His philosophy is to rebuild the economy by developing the infrastructure of the region from the inside, and Mr. Benson has made two other large investments in the city’s future, encouraging a number of other businesses to follow his example. In 2008, he purchased WVUE, making FOX-8 the only network-affiliated television station in the New Orleans market that is wholly locally owned. After researching the trends of the media industry, Mr. Benson discovered television stations have increasingly become parts of national media conglomerates, and his focus remains on keeping Louisiana businesses, such as WVUE, owned by those with ties to the state. In June, 2012, Mr. Benson continued his commitment to the Gulf South by purchasing the NBA Hornets franchise, which was successfully rebranded as the Pelicans. His objectives in ownership of the basketball team are the same as his stewardship of the Saints: to produce a team on-the-court that will compete for championships every year, while making a significant positive impact off-the-court in the community. Since 2006 – when New Orleans captured the nation’s imagination by winning the NFC South and advancing further into the postseason than ever before – the Saints have been symbolic of the region’s resolve and grit, though Benson, as usual, chooses to work quietly in the background. His tenure as owner has been defined by honesty, dedication, loyalty and commitment to the city, region, Saints and the NFL. When Mr. Benson initially became interested in purchasing the club in 1985, he was motivated by the threat of out-of-town investors planning to move the club from New Orleans. He was certainly a fan of the game and the Saints, but the sport had yet to become one of his passions.
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