The 2014 New York/New Jersey Super Bowl Host Committee today announced the nine individuals who will serve on the Board of Trustees.
A diverse group of notable professionals with distinct ties to New Jersey and New York, the committee comprises film executives, legal experts, political minds and former athletes.
Members of the 2014 NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Sponsor Committee Board of Trustees are:
■ Ira Akselrad, President, The Johnson Company Inc.
Akselrad, prior to joining The Johnson Company in 2006 as executive vice president and general counsel, was an attorney for 22 years at the New York law firm Proskauer Rose LLP.
■ Laura Forese, Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operating Officer, New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center
Forese is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and former faculty member in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia University and became a full-time hospital executive in 2003.
■ Al Kelly, President and Chief Executive Officer, 2014 NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Company Inc.
Kelly, the former president of the American Express Company, was appointed CEO and president of the Host Committee in April.
■ Curtis Martin, former New York Jet; Founder, Curtis Martin Foundation
Martin spent nine of his 12 years in the NFL with the Jets, retiring as a member of the organization in 2006. A five-time Pro Bowl running back, he is the league's fourth-leading all-time rusher.
■ Bart Oates, former New York Giant; Principal and Licensed Broker, Cohn Real Estate
Oates was a member of two New York Giants teams that won Super Bowls, in 1986 and 1990, and spent 11 years in the NFL. A five-time Pro Bowl center, he also won a third championship in 1994.
■ Jeffrey Stewart, Co-Founder, Partner, and Managing Director, Walnut Hill Media LLC
Walnut Hill Media LLC is a privately held company that makes investments in a variety of media opportunities and develops original content. Stewart is the executive producer of the Emmy-nominated Beyond the Boardroom television series and a documentary film producer.
■ Paul Tagliabue, Former NFL Commissioner; Senior of Counsel, Covington and Burling LLP
Tagliabue, who led the NFL from 1989-2006, is senior of counsel in the law firm Covington & Burling LLP and has been the chair of Georgetown University's Board of Directors since July 2009, having joined the Board in 2006.
■ Kevin Warsh, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institute; Lecturer, Stanford University Graduate School of Business
Warsh served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Executive Secretary of the White House National Economic Council under former President George W. Bush. From 2006-11 he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
■ Christine Todd Whitman, President, The Whitman Strategy Group
Whitman was the first female governor of New Jersey, holding office from 1994-2001, and also served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 2001-03.
The original New Jersey/New York bid was summarized by the tagline "Make Some History" and conceived a Super Bowl experience unlike any other, one that will incorporate an array of stadium- and region-specific benefits, including the facility's state-of-the-art technological advancements and the vast entertainment and business offerings of the area.
Acknowledging that the bid would be an opportunity to celebrate the great heritage and history of the NFL in the New York and New Jersey region, an NFL committee approved the application to bid despite the traditional requirement that Super Bowl host regions have a minimum temperature of 50 degrees or a climate-controlled indoor stadium.
The Host Committee is chaired by Woody Johnson, Chairman and CEO of the Jets, and Jonathan Tisch, Co-Chairman of the Board, Loews Corporation and Co-Owner of the New York Giants.
About the 2014 Super Bowl
In an unprecedented decision by NFL team owners, the New Jersey/New York region was awarded the 2014 Super Bowl on May 25, 2010.
The New York and New Jersey region will provide visiting fans an unparalleled Super Bowl experience — complete with a multitude of exceptional venues, landmark destinations, and sightseeing and shopping opportunities. The area offers 40 Broadway theaters, 60 Off-Broadway theaters, more than 100 museums and nearly 1,700 public parks, as well as more than 18,000 restaurant choices and 275 world-class hotels with 100,000 hotel rooms, suitable for a wide range of tastes and budgets.
MetLife Stadium is the only stadium to serve as the home to two NFL teams, the New York Jets and New York Giants. As such, it is able to provide equal "homefield advantage" to both competing teams, with two of everything, including locker rooms, training rooms, home team coaches booths, and premium in-game medical treatment facilities, as well as two full-practice training facilities, the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center and the Timex Performance Center.
