Mr. E. Stanley Kroenke was officially introduced as the owner of the Colorado Rapids on September 23, 2003 and has been a top proponent of soccer in the state of Colorado and the United States ever since.

 

Kroenke Sports Enterprises, Mr. Kroenke’s Denver-based company, also owns the National Basketball Association’s Denver Nuggets, the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche, the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth, and a one-third interest in the Arena Football League’s Colorado Crush. His teams have hosted the 2001 NHL All-Star Game, the 2004 and 2009 NLL All-Star Games, the 2005 NBA All-Star Game and the 2007 MLS All-Star Game, bringing some of the world’s most famous athletes to Denver.

 

In February 2007, Mr. Kroenke purchased a significant stake in Arsenal FC.  He owns more than 12% of London’s storied football club.  The investment came months after KSE and the Colorado Rapids formed a landmark marketing and strategic partnership with the famed club of England’s Barclays Premier League.  The relationship has been further strengthened by the completion of KSE’s acquisition of 50 percent shareholding in Arsenal Broadband Limited.  In September 2008, Mr. Kroenke was appointed onto the Arsenal board as a non-executive director.

 

Under Mr. Kroenke’s direction, KSE completed two of the company’s most ambitious projects to date.  On April 7, 2007 KSE opened the largest soccer-specific complex in the world, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The state-of-the-art sports facility on more than 160 acres in Commerce City, Colo., seats 18,000 fans for field sports and up to 27,000 people for concerts. The award-winning field at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park has been heralded as “one of the finest pitches in the world” by numerous international players and coaches that have played at the complex.  In November 2008, the stadium hosted Colorado’s first-ever World Cup qualifier.

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park also includes 24 surrounding playing fields for youth and adult recreational sports such as soccer, lacrosse and rugby.  The complex anchors the 917-acre Prairie Gateway site that is a public-private partnership between Kroenke Sports Enterprises and Commerce City.  The site also hosts the new Commerce City municipal hall, retail facilities, offices for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a visitors’ center for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, among other entities.  The project has already created hundreds of jobs in the community and is expected to create hundreds more as the growth continues.

 

In September 2004, Altitude Sports & Entertainment, a 24-hour regional television network began operation, becoming the new television home for the Avalanche, Nuggets, Mammoth and Rapids.  Altitude also features other professional, collegiate and high school sporting events, as well as outdoors and lifestyle programming, entertainment and community interest coverage from throughout the Rocky Mountain West.

 

Kroenke Sports Enterprises purchased the Paramount Theater, a historic landmark in downtown Denver, in July 2002.  The venerable theatre remains a vibrant, multi-event facility where Denver’s residents and visitors enjoy a wide variety of entertainment options each year.  Jointly, Pepsi Center and the Paramount Theater are home to more than 300 events annually.  Ranging from world renown concerts such as Madonna, Celine Dion and U2 to family shows and dance productions.

 

As one of the most respected owners in professional sports, Mr. Kroenke’s commitment to excellence has been obvious inside and outside of Pepsi Center since his arrival.  Substantial amounts have been invested in improvements and additional attractions to enhance the entertainment experience for every visitor to the property.

 

In August of 2008, Pepsi Center played host to the Democratic National Convention.  With more than tens of thousands of delegates, journalists, volunteers and others visitors to the venue and city as part of the convention, this landmark event ranks as one of the most important in KSE history.  City officials estimate the economic and civic impact on Denver and the region from the DNC to be near $266.1 million. Denver mayor John Hichenlooper went on to add, “Our expectations were definitely exceeded.”

 

Mr. Kroenke’s enthusiasm and vision ensure that Denver will continue to be the top entertainment destination in the Rocky Mountain region for generations to come.  The Rocky Mountain News has named Mr. Kroenke one of the most significant people in the Denver arts and entertainment community, saying “No other person entertains more people more often.”

 

One of KSE’s primary focuses has been the Colorado community and civic causes.  More than $15 million in contributions have been made to Colorado charities through Kroenke Sports Charities and the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche Community Funds.

 

KSE’s dedication to success has been evidenced by the consistent playoff runs of its teams. The Avalanche is a perennial playoff participant and defeated the New Jersey Devils in June 2001 to win the Stanley Cup, the second in franchise history, and has won a record nine division titles in Denver.

 

The Nuggets have returned to prominence with a remarkable turnaround under Mr. Kroenke’s leadership and are one of only four NBA teams to make the playoffs in each of the past five seasons. The Crush was crowned champion of the Arena Football League in 2005 and the Mammoth, which has made the playoffs in each of its six seasons, won the NLL championship in 2006.

 

A native Missourian, Mr. Kroenke’s emergence as vice chairman and co-owner of the St. Louis Rams was critical in the effort to return professional football to St. Louis in 1995. Under his guidance, the Rams flourished as 2000 Super Bowl Champions and 2001 Super Bowl runner-ups.

 

Mr. Kroenke is chairman and owner of THF Realty and The Kroenke Group, private real estate investment and development companies with properties located throughout the United States and Canada.  Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as one of the nation’s leading real estate developers.  One of the largest ranch property owners in North America, Mr. Kroenke’s ownership stakes also include the Screaming Eagle and Jonata vineyards.

 

Mr. Kroenke’s current and former board and trustee memberships include Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Central Bank Holding Company, Boone County National Bank, Community Investments Partnership of St. Louis, the College of the Ozarks, and the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame.  He is a member of St. Louis’ Civic Progress, which provides support and leadership for various community improvements that promote economic development, education and quality of life. In February 2009, Mr. Kroenke was enshrined into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

 

Mr. Kroenke holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Missouri. He and his wife, Ann, have a daughter, Whitney, and a son, Josh.