NWSL Washington Spirit

Washington Spirit Names Kim Stone Club's First Chief Executive Officer

Published on January 4, 2024 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Washington Spirit News Release


Washington, D.C. - The Washington Spirit is proud to announce Kim Stone as the club's first Chief Executive Officer (CEO). As the head of all business operations at the Spirit, Stone will work with Owner Michele Kang in guiding the club to become the preeminent sports organization in the world. She will officially join the club on Thursday, January 11.

"I am thrilled to welcome Kim to the club," said Michele Kang. "Her broad experience will bring a new level of professionalism and additional skills to the organization. Her leadership will be key to helping us realize our vision."

Stone arrives in DC with nearly three decades of excellence in the American professional sports industry. Most recently, she served as the President of UBS Arena in Elmont, New York as well as the Executive Vice President of Oak View Group East Coast. In these roles, Stone oversaw all business operations of UBS Arena, including corporate partnerships and premium tickets.

"Joining as the CEO of the Washington Spirit marks not just a new chapter in my career but also a commitment to a vision that deeply resonates with me," said Stone. "Michele's visionary leadership and her unwavering dedication to excellence are what drew me to this role. Collaborating with her, our talented leadership team, exceptional players, loyal fans and expert technical staff, we aim to elevate the club to be the world's preeminent sports organization. Our goal is to foster a high-performance culture of winning, both on and off the pitch. It is a privilege to embrace this journey, and I am excited to contribute to our collective pursuit of excellence."

For 23 years, Stone served in various roles with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Miami HEAT, from overseeing almost every aspect of the team's business operations to managing American Airlines Arena (now Kaseya Center). During her tenure with the HEAT, Stone led the way to earn American Airlines Arena an extensive list of honors including becoming the world's first sports and entertainment facility to become LEED Gold certified in 2014, being named the Best Arena Experience by the NBA in 2017 and hosting four consecutive NBA Finals.

Following her first stint in Miami, Stone was named the General Manager of San Francisco's Chase Center in 2019 and was responsible for the venue's unprecedented level of success upon its launch in September of that year. Hosting 14 events in its first 25 days, Chase Center was an immediate game changer in pro sports venues, being named the 2019 Venue of the Year by Sports Business Journal (SBJ). When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, Stone helped lead the new venue to becoming one of the first sports and entertainment venues to earn Star facility accreditation by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), acknowledging Chase Center's strict adherence to the most rigorous cleaning and disease prevention protocols.

Throughout her career, Stone has received many awards and accolades. In 2023 alone, she was named as one of Billboard's Women in Music Top Executives and one of Pollstar and Venues Now's Women of Live. Additionally, Stone has been named a SBJ Power Player in Facility Management and a Woman of the Year by Women in Sports and Events (WISE), honored with a SBJ Game Changers Award and been highlighted by both the South Florida Business Journal and San Francisco Business Times as an influential businesswoman.

Stone earned her master's degree in business administration from the University of Miami and holds an undergraduate degree in journalism and public relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She will live with her wife and 13-year-old son at their new home in Washington, D.C.

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