The Falcons have hired Safeco Field VP/Ballpark Operations SCOTT JENKINS to operate their new $1B facility opening in '17. Jenkins had been running the Mariners’ ballpark for just over seven years. The Wisconsin native previously managed Lincoln Financial Field, Miller Park and the Univ. of Wisconsin's Kohl Center. The Falcons’ cutting-edge design by 360 Architecture and the team’s commitment to sustainability drew Jenkins to the job. Reached by phone this morning, the 50-year-old Jenkins said he had been closely following the stadium development process in Atlanta. As a facility manager with experience running two stadiums with retractable roofs, Jenkins said he was intrigued by the unique design in Atlanta and the circular-shaped videoboard lining the rim underneath the roof. Data from 360 shows that NFL stadiums with movable roofs open those structures an average of two to three games a season. Jenkins said the Falcons are committed to playing in an open-air environment and plan to keep the roof open for most of their games. Unlike other stadiums, the roof is designed with the flexibility to vary the size of its opening. Jenkins said in Atlanta’s climate, the roof is “meant to naturally ventilate the building.”
READY FOR SOMETHING NEW: In addition to the stadium design, Jenkins -- who was an inaugural member of the nonprofit Green Sports Alliance and now serves as Chair -- said the Falcons’ sustainability efforts align with his beliefs for pushing green initiatives. Jenkins was first contacted for the job in late November by recruiting firm RSR Partners. His first day on the job is next Monday. He will rent an apartment in Atlanta and move his family from Seattle at the end of the school year. Jenkins: "It was a tough decision to leave Seattle because my family loves it here. It had to be the ideal situation to leave. I looked at the job description and kept checking each box, and by the time I got to the bottom of the list I thought I was the right guy for the position.” In Atlanta, Jenkins will be an employee of the AMB Sports & Entertainment Group, the Falcons’ newly-formed stadium management division. The team will run the building on behalf of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, the facility’s owner.
