MARK DAVIS: Good afternoon. It's a great and historic day to be a Raider. For the past ten months we've been searching for the next president of the Raider organization. Someone who could lead us into the future.
We talked to a number of -- a number of qualified candidates, but one person kept coming to the top of the list, and I'm proud to introduce to you today the president of the Las Vegas Raiders, Sandra Douglass Morgan.
(Applause.)
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: Thank you. Thank you, Mark, for such a warm introduction. It's my honor to be here today as the newest member of the Raiders family.
As I shared with the team earlier today, I was raised in Las Vegas and have truly witnessed this city ascend to one of the sports capitals of the world, visited by millions across the globe, and it is an honor of a lifetime to serve as the president of this organization.
The Raiders organization has actually brought $2.29 billion in economic impact of visitors for events in Allegiant Stadium, and the estimated impact of the Super Bowl in 2024 is estimated to be in the billions as well.
We have so much more to do, and I'm excited to be at the helm of that growth and look forward to ushering in the new chapter for the Raiders.
Thank you, Mark, for your faith in me to lead this organization in this very important moment. I am very grateful that my dearest, dearest friends and family, my parents, husband, children and nephews could be here today. Your support means the world to me, and I do not take it for granted.
Football has long been in my family. My husband is an NFL veteran. He was a strong safety for two teams I won't mention because we're all a part of Raider Nation today, and I have a long history in the sports, entertainment, and gaming industries.
I have served on the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and most recently I was chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
I've also always felt a passion for community and protecting our community, which I did day in and day out while serving with the state's COVID-19 task force.
I've lived in Las Vegas for over 40 years. My father is an Air Force veteran and retired at Nellis. I attended preschool here and did all of my schooling here and graduated from Eldorado High School.
I'm deeply, deeply passionate about this community and the people that I have the privilege to encounter every day.
I've served on a number of boards that have helped people throughout the region and the state, and I strongly believe that each one of us has a role to play in mentoring and supporting our community's most vulnerable, and the responsibility that we share in this Raiders organization to make an everlasting and positive impact on this community.
When Mark and I first discussed this opportunity, I was honored and humbled, but I also had a lot of questions. It's no secret that this organization has faced some recent challenges, but I want to be clear. I am not here to sweep anything under the rug or avoid problems or concerns that need to be addressed.
The fact is I have accepted this role because I believe in the promise of the Raiders, I believe in the future of the Raiders, and I believe in this organization's tenants of community, integrity, and most of all, commitment to excellence.
I believe in the Davis family's legacy of celebrating and promoting diversity in every sense of that word. I believe in this community that we now call home that has embraced this team with open arms.
It is not lost on me that this is a critical and defining moment in the NFL. It's important to me and it is my intention to make a meaningful contribution well beyond the Raiders family.
And I'm excited to get started. I had an opportunity to meet Dave Ziegler and Coach McDaniels, and I know that the experience and the enthusiasm they bring will help this team build on one of the best seasons in Raiders recent history.
Reaching the playoffs was an incredible accomplishment, and let's not forget we want that home field advantage when we host the Super Bowl in 2024.
The greatness that we see on that field, my goal is to replicate that throughout this organization. That culture of winning, of teamwork, and transparency will be a part of everything we do. It will be how we continue to fulfill our promise to be a part of the fabric of the Las Vegas community and bring a new generation of fans into Raider Nation.
I mentioned how this team changed the landscape here. Just five years ago who would have thought that we would have hosted the Pro Bowl, the draft, and now the Super Bowl?
This beautiful house that we've built will be the catalyst for so many more global sports and entertainment events and create jobs and continue to feed our economy.
So we all have the honor, and more importantly the responsibility, of playing a major role in making sure Las Vegas remains the sports and entertainment capital of the world and, rest assured, this is just the beginning.
I really want to thank Mark for entrusting me with the authority to lead this team and craft a world-class organization that will make us even stronger. The Raiders have a long legacy of greatness and of bold moves because of the people behind the scenes and those on the field, and because of visionaries like Mark and his father, Al.
I look forward to fulfilling the promise of two legacies and one future for Raider Nation and Las Vegas. Thank you.
(Applause.)
THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll open it up for some questions from the media.
Q. Thoughts on, first of all, being from Las Vegas, you said more than 40 years here. How important that is to help relate to the community? Usually we see a lot of out-of-town executives come here and run sports. Now you're the first local to be able to do that. A semi-serious question, but joking a little bit, how soon -- you would be the perfect person to ask this question. How soon until we see gaming kiosks here at Allegiant Stadium for betting on football games?
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: Oh, goodness, Ron.
Q. What's the over/under on that one? What do you think?
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: I know I'm not supposed to start with this, but no comment on that. That's an interesting layered question, but I don't know how quickly that's going to come to Nevada.
Q. The Vegas connection, certainly what that means for you and Mark, for the team.
MARK DAVIS: Again, the Las Vegas connection was not a criteria, but it was something that was on the positive side of the ledger.
Obviously, somebody that knows this community, knows the people in it I think is very important for us to continue to build our foundation in Las Vegas.
We've been here really about four, four and a half years trying to build bridges within the community and everything else, and I think having Sandra here, who knows the community as well as she does, is going to be a very important part of helping that process.
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: Ron, as a local who grew up here, this is a dream come true. This wouldn't have been possible for someone in Las Vegas to have an opportunity to lead a professional sports organization more than three years ago.
So the opportunity that Mark has granted and just being a part of the Raiders is obviously an incredible privilege, but it's just as important that he understands the value that I can bring as well.
Q. To be the first Black female in this role and kind of to set that pavement for future generations, just what goes through your head maybe on an emotional side of things?
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: I have been the first in other positions that I've held, whether it be city attorney or the gaming control board. I definitely never want to be the last, and I want to get to a point where there is no more firsts.
But as I kind of mentioned in my comments, the impact that this has is not lost on me. I definitely would tip my hat to all of the former -- not former -- prior women that were leaders and visionaries, and if I could be an inspiration or help open doors for any other woman and girl out there, then that's an incredible accomplishment for me.
The importance and affect is not lost on me, and I know that sports is a male-dominated industry, just as gaming was, and we need to continue to break down these barriers. So I'm happy to be here, and, again, thankful for the opportunity.
Q. Obviously, you've worked in a variety of different roles. Your résumé is extensive. And you have worked in sports with the athletic commission and sports betting that you've have worked with, but a professional sports franchise, what are kind of the unique challenges that may be presented there that your past history kind of helps with but maybe is also different?
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: Sure. Well, I've been an attorney for 20 years, but I have led and managed very large teams managing, you know, budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars.
I've had the honor of serving on boards of public companies that have market capitalization of over billions of dollars.
So I think my business acumen will definitely benefit the Raiders. I think my community contacts here will assist a lot of our stakeholders and partners I've had to deal with maybe in a different role as a regulator, but just as important here with the Raiders.
I definitely will lean on and can't wait to work with Dave Ziegler and Coach McDaniels as well. I know that their expertise on the football side is a tremendous asset to the Raiders. There's been a lot of changes over the last six months, but I know that Mark has made those intentionally and just really looking forward to the future.
Q. A couple of questions. You referred to challenges in your opening remarks. What specifically were you referring to about the challenges? And, number two, I think you're a director with Allegiant and Caesars, which are existing sponsors of the team. What will that be like with that relationship?
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: To start with your last question, I do believe my board service on those two companies that you mentioned show my commitment really to the community, and those two companies have created wonderful investments in Nevada as well.
So I actually think it's a benefit. We'll continue to monitor that. If there's an issue, obviously those boards know that the Raiders are my first priority.
Remind me of your first question. Oh, the challenges.
Q. Challenges.
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: Look, it's really no secret that there's been some reports about turnover. My number one goal is to meet with each and every employee, which I had an opportunity to meet the employees, many of them, this morning and making sure that our Raider family is strong.
Our house will be strong, will be in order to ensure that we can continue to benefit and provide world-class entertainment for this community.
MARK DAVIS: I was just laughing with Al. He was after me last night for about 15 minutes. It's going to be Sandra. (Laughing.)
Q. First of all, congratulations. Secondly, what is your playbook for strengthening the ties with the Las Vegas community? Do you have specific plans right now?
SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN: I will be meeting with each of our partners and our sponsors to see what we can do to continue to enhance those relationships.
This is a success. I mean, I am really walking into an organization that has international brand recognition and has been respected in sports and outside of sports, so it's not like I'm coming in with a difficult position.
Again, I'm honored that I was given this opportunity. So anything that I can do to continue to keep and raise the bar, that's what I'm going to do. I don't have a necessary playbook, but if I did, I probably wouldn't share it with you right now. But definitely just strengthening those relationships and making sure that we continue to grow the fan base of Raider Nation. That's my number one priority. Thanks.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, everyone. Thank you, everyone. Have a great day.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports