Dolphins Exec VP/Football Administration DAWN APONTE, one of the NFL’s "highest-ranking female officials, has left the organization" to be an exec in team Owner STEPHEN ROSS’ RSE Ventures, according to Dave Hyde of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. Aponte served as the team’s "top contract negotiator and support administrator for the Dolphins for years, though her role had been diminished in recent months." At RSE, Aponte will be an exec "working in business development." Aponte was brought in by Ross "during BILL PARCELLS’ regime, reached a public high-water mark of attention during an organizational rift" between former coach JOE PHILBIN and then-GM JEFF IRELAND and "saw her voice diminished in the organizational changes this past off-season" under Exec VP/Football Operations MIKE TANNENBAUM. Aponte was in charge of salary-cap administration and contract dealings "for much of her time," but her role "went beyond that in essentially handling administrative work so the coach and general manager could concentrate on football." Aponte recently has "been rumored to be taking jobs inside the NFL" and with the Lions "in a front-office role" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 9/7). Aponte yesterday said her transition was something Tannenbaum, RSE Ventures co-Founder & CEO MATT HIGGINS and she "have been talking about for more than several months." Aponte: "It started out as a conversation with sort of what's the next step in my progression and my career, where my interests are and what I've been looking to do." Meanwhile, in Miami, Armando Salguero notes the Dolphins have promoted Senior Dir of HR BRANDON SHORE into Aponte's "former role as chief contract negotiator." For Aponte, Higgins will "immediately set her" on one of RSE's "top ventures -- the Drone Racing League" (MIAMI HERALD, 9/7).
