NEW ORLEANS SAINTS GAMEDAY NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

OWNERSHIPGAYLE BENSONOWNERGayle Benson provides leadership forthe New Orleans Saints and NewOrleans Pelicans as Owner, succeeding her husband, Tom Benson, who passedaway on March 15, 2018, after serving asthe Owner of the Saints since 1985 and thePelicans franchise since 2012. The NewOrleans native is an accomplished business professional and philanthropist withstrong ties to the local community and whois dedicated to contributing to the growthand enhancement of the Gulf South region.After marrying in 2004, Mr. and Mrs.Benson worked together to build championship-level NBA and NFL organizations,housed in state-of-the-art facilities atthe Ochsner Sports Performance Center,Mercedes-Benz Superdome and SmoothieKing Center, while making a positive impactin the community away from the basketball court and football field as well.With the Saints franchise under theguidance of the Bensons, the team hasreached new heights since 2006, whenthey entrusted Executive Vice President/General Manger Mickey Loomis to hire SeanPayton as head coach and sign unrestrictedfree agent quarterback Drew Brees. Sincethose moves, the franchise has reached itshighest point of success, posting a 119-85record over the last 12 years, featuring sixplayoff berths, four division titles, two NFCChampionship appearances and the Super10Bowl XLIV title. Off the field, the completelyrenovated Mercedes-Benz Superdomehas been sold-out on a season ticket basisfor every campaign since 2006, with awaiting list of over 73,000 people and122 consecutive sellouts. The club hasalso positioned itself as a leader in thecommunity, assisting with the recoveryfrom several natural disasters, while alsoworking to enhance the region as a whole.Following in the footsteps of her latehusband, who played a significant role inthe city of New Orleans hosting five SuperBowls during his ownership tenure, Mrs.Benson was instrumental in helping thecity land Super Bowl LVII. The game to beplayed in 2024, will mark the 11th timethat Louisiana and the Crescent City willserve as a host, tying with Miami for themost Super Bowls by a host city. The economic impact of Super Bowl XLVII, playedin 2013, which Mr. Benson successfullycampaigned for, was 480 million, notto mention the exposure and charitablecontributions the NFL makes during SuperBowl week that extends for generations.Mrs. Benson‘s committed to continuingto bring Super Bowls to New Orleans.Immediately upon the Bensons’ purchase of the former Hornets franchise fromthe NBA in 2012, construction began on astate-of-the-art basketball practice facilityto house the entire organization togetherand the franchise would be rebranded asthe Pelicans. Through agreements with theState of Louisiana upon the purchase ofthe Pelicans, the Smoothie King Center hasundergone a complete renovation since the2012 purchase, featuring a new centerhung HD scoreboard, which debuted in2015, along with several additional fanupgrades. Through this commitment,NBA All-Star Weekend was awarded toNew Orleans in 2014 and 2017, making the city one of just six current NBAN E W O RL E A N S S A IN T S G A M E D AY M A G A ZIN E 2 018markets to host the mid-season eventat least three times. On the court, afterinheriting a team that finished withthe worst record in the NBA’s WesternConference in 2011-12, the Pelicanshave built through a combination of thedraft, free agent signings and trades tobecome a stable and successful organization, reaching the playoffs in 2018for the second time since the Bensonsassumed ownership and advancing tothe second round after sweeping thePortland Trailblazers in the first round.Community investment and giving backhave been hallmarks of the Bensons’ownership of the Pelicans and Saints, atradition that will continue under Mrs.Benson’s stewardship as she will lookto continue to enrich the New Orleanscommunity through multiple initiatives,including philanthropic work in thehealth and wellness, education and artssectors. As dedicated corporate citizens,the Saints and Pelicans annually putmillions of dollars back into the community in financial supports, in-kinddonation, charitable appearances anddonations of goods and services.Commitment to the health and wellness of the local community have beenat the forefront through multiple giftsthat established and upgraded the Gayleand Tom Benson Cancer Center onthe main campus of Ochsner MedicalCenter, the area’s leading health servicenetwork of hospitals and clinics. In addition to serving on the Ochsner board,Mrs. Benson has led 100-plus volunteer committee members in hostingthe Moonlight and Miracles event thelast four years, the organization’s annual gala to benefit the Ochsner Cancerinstitute. The event has raised over sixmillion dollars since its conception tobenefit cancer patients in the region.

OWNERSHIPSupporting the efforts of former Saintssafety Steve Gleason and his TeamGleason organization, which helps providepeople with ALS and other debilitating conditions an environment wherethey can live vital and productive liveswith meaningful freedom and independence, Mr. and Mrs. Benson committedfive million dollars to the Team GleasonHouse for Innovative Living at the NewOrleans St. Margaret’s facility in 2014.Mrs. Benson is a committed supporter of the area’s educational institutions on all levels, serving on the boardsof St. Mary’s Dominican High School,Archbishop Hannan High School, theNew Orleans Center for Creative Arts,and Tulane University. Mrs. Benson andher late husband also supported numerous local high schools and universities with gifts, including Dominican,Brother Martin High School (formerlySt. Aloysius, Tom Benson’s alma mater),Jesuit High School, Stuart Hall School,Loyola University New Orleans, Tulaneand Xavier University of Louisiana.In 2012, the Bensons made twosignificant gifts to enhance local educational institutions. They establishedthe Brother Nicholas, S.C. BuildingEndowment to support Brother Martin.They also donated 7.5 million towardsthe construction of an on-campusfootball stadium at Tulane, appropriately named “Benson Field.”A member of the Board of Trusteesfor the New Orleans Museum of Art,Mrs. Benson served as one of the chairsfor NOMA’s Odyssey Ball in 2014, asthe event raised over 700,000 — themost in the gala’s history and continuesto be a major supporter of the annualevent. The funds raised help ensurethe museum’s ability to present worldclass exhibitions, public programs, andeducational initiatives. She also has beenactive in supporting NOMA project “Artfor Art’s Sake,” an annual tradition thatpromotes art in the City of New Orleans.In addition to serving on the boardof several local educational institutions and NOMA, Mrs. Benson also is amember of the Audubon Commission,12which oversees the Audubon NatureInstitute and served on the MayorTransition Committee of New OrleansMayor-elect LaToya Cantrell with Dr.Norman Francis and Walter Isaacson.A long-time advocate of faith-basedcauses and spirituality, Mrs. Bensonhas been a longtime trusted and valuedmember of the local Catholic community.She’s served on Archbishop’s CommunityAppeal campaigns for four differentArchbishops over the course of the past30 years. She has worked tirelesslywith the Archdiocese of New Orleans’Catholic Charities organization and itsumbrella agencies that feature nearly 50programs and three affiliated ministriesthat deliver health and human services tothe poor and vulnerable in the eight civilparishes which the Archdiocese serves,as well as food and nutrition servicesstatewide. Mrs. Benson has also workedclosely with St. Louis Cathedral’s Riteof Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)program, as well as with the same program at the Holy Name of Jesus Parish.Mrs. Benson’s support of the Church hasbeen recognized on numerous occasions. She has received the Medal of theOrder of St. Louis Award for her dedication to the Church. In 2010, she becamean Honorary Oblate of Mary Immaculate.In 2012, Mr. and Mrs. Benson receivedfrom Pope Benedict XVI the Pro Ecclesiaet Pontifice award-for outstanding serviceto the Church and the Pontiff, the highest Papal award granted to a lay person.Mrs. Benson began her professional career in 1968 as a managerfor noted New York-based costumejeweler Celebrity Jewelry, overseeing and managing the daily operationof over 40 sales associates. She thenbranched out into real estate development which allowed her to successfullyintegrate her passion for interior designwith property management. Her firstreal estate transaction occurred in 1978when she purchased a home in NewOrleans’s Irish Channel and then soldthe property eight months later. Shewould go on to purchase, manage andeventually sell several more properties,N E W O RL E A N S S A IN T S G A M E D AY M A G A ZIN E 2 018primarily in the city’s Uptown district.In 1975, Mrs. Benson began a 30-yearcareer in the design industry under abusiness she called Gayle Bird interiors, abusiness where she achieved tremendoussuccess. Throughout the course of hercareer she was recognized with numerous professional awards and served as aninaugural member on the Louisiana StateBoard of Licensing for four years. Shedirected numerous major design effortswith her clients, including the MercedesBenz Superdome, several of the city’smost prestigious hotels, local supermarketchains and automobile dealerships.In 2000, Mrs. Benson worked withthe Mercedes-Benz Superdome onrenovations to the iconic New Orleanslandmark’s third and fourth level public spaces, in addition to renovationson select suites. She also owned anddeveloped a commercial real estate building on the corner of Laura and OctaviaStreets, a women’s clothing privateenterprise called “Toujours la Ligne” anda designer’s showroom called “DesignersResource” which served as a wholesalelocation for designers and architectsseeking to purchase fabric, wall coverings and accessories. The Men of FashionCommittee recognized Mrs. Bensonduring her career as one of the “Top TenBest Dressed Women in New Orleans.”In addition to her ownership of theSaints and Pelicans, Mrs. Benson established GMB Racing Stables in 2014with an initial purchase of seven coltsand hiring three veteran trainers, allwith Louisiana ties. In 2016, two of thethoroughbreds, Mo Tom ad Tom’s Readyparticipated in the Kentucky Derby.Her Lone Sailor horse ran in the 2018Kentucky Derby. She also serves as theOwner of three local automotive dealerships, Best Chevrolet, Cadillac of NewOrleans and Mercedes-Benz of NewOrleans and the Dixie Beer brand, whichMr. and Mrs. Benson purchased in 2017.Mrs. Benson was born in NewOrleans and grew up in Old Algiers.She began her education in Catholicschools and in 1966 graduated fromMartin Behrman High School.

OWNERSHIPTOM BENSON 1927-2018In a career in business and professionalsports that spanned over 70 years, TomBenson was an endearing figure in hishometown of New Orleans as well as throughout the NFL and the NBA. Mr. Benson servedas the owner of the New Orleans Saintssince 1985 and the New Orleans Pelicanssince 2012 until his death on March 15,2018. He was survived by his wife Gayle.Thomas Milton Benson, Jr. was born on July12, 1927 in New Orleans. Raised in the city’sSt. Roch neighborhood, Mr. Benson graduatedfrom St. Aloysius High School (Now BrotherMartin) in 1944. Following his graduation, heenrolled at Loyola University New Orleans tostudy business and accounting. He interruptedhis education to enlist in the U.S. Navy in1945, where he was assigned to the USS SouthDakota. Upon the conclusion of World War II,Mr. Benson returned home to New Orleans andcontinued his business administration studies.In 1948, he went to work as a bookkeeperfor the Cathey Chevrolet Co. in New Orleansand by 1956, at age 29, Mr. Benson was onhis way to manage a Chevrolet dealershipas a junior partner. Six years later, he tookfull control of the company and established14a multi-dealership organization with outletsthroughout the New Orleans area and SouthTexas. In 1972, Mr. Benson entered the banking business and eventually took his bankingnetwork public as Benson Financial World.By the 1980’s Mr. Benson had built a highlysuccessful network in the automotive andbanking industries in both Southeast Louisianaand South Texas, but while a fan of the gameof football and the Saints, the sport had yetto become one of his passions. However, herealized the importance of the New OrleansSaints to his hometown and on May 31, 1985,he purchased the team after learning that theNFL franchise was on the verge of being soldto parties interested in relocating the team.Not surprisingly, success soon followed asthe Saints entered the most compelling andmemorable period in franchise history underMr. Benson’s leadership after having previouslynot enjoyed a winning record or a playoff berth.In 1986, in one of his first personnel movesas Owner, he hired Jim Finks as president/general manager and Jim Mora as head coach.In 1987, the Saints broke through with a 12-3record and hosted their first playoff contest. Inits first 18 seasons of existence, the Saints wonN E W O RL E A N S S A IN T S G A M E D AY M A G A ZIN E 2 018a total of 78 games. Under Benson’s guidance,the franchise exceeded that win total in onlynine years by 1993. The Saints reached evengreater heights in 2006, when he entrustedExecutive Vice-President/General ManagerMickey Loomis to hire Sean Payton as headcoach and sign free agent quarterback DrewBrees. Since those moves, the franchise hasreached its highest point of success, postinga 119-85 overall record over the last 12 years,capped by the Super Bowl XLIV Championship.Overall, since being purchased by Mr. Bensonin 1985, the Saints have earned 11 playoffberths, six division titles and captured SuperBowl XLIV in 2009, building a foundationfor continued success, on and off the field.Mr. Benson’s commitment to winning andserving the community was an opportunityto reward the team’s fans, whose supporthas reached new heights with the MercedesBenz Superdome being sold-out on a seasonticket basis for every campaign since 2006,with a waiting list of over 73,000 people. Bythe end of the 2017 season, the consecutivesellout streak had extended to 122 games.During Mr. Benson’s ownership, 50 of hisplayers were Pro Bowl selections, including twoAP NFL Offensive Player of the Year selectionsby Brees and him being named AP Athlete ofthe Year and Sports Illustrated Sportsman ofthe Year in 2010 and three offensive or defensive Rookies of the Year. Also four of Benson’splayers were inducted into the Pro FootballHall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Benson createda team Ring of Honor that features playersfrom the past, while creating a special placefor Saints stars of the future to be recognized.Possessing the desire to give back to the greatgame of football, in 2014 Mr. Benson pledgedtwo significant gifts totaling 11 million to thePro Football Hall of Fame. 10 million wasearmarked for the immediate renovation ofthe Hall’s onsite stadium, which hosts theannual enshrinement ceremony, the NFL Hallof Fame Game, two high school football teamsand two college teams in Canton, Ohio, whichwas renamed “Tom Benson Hall of FameStadium.” The additional one million dollars isthe first donation towards the establishment ofthe Hall of Fame’s Legends Landing program,a mixed-use residence that will include roomfor Hall of Famers and former NFL Players.Mr. Benson also played a key role amongNFL owners in various capacities for his 33years of ownership of the Saints, includingserving 25 years as Chairman of the FinanceCommittee, one of the League’s most difficult,time-consuming and influential positions,with his most recent term ending in 2013.The assignment was evidence of the respectand esteem in which successive NFL commissioners and his fellow owners held him.

OWNERSHIPIn 2012 Mr. Benson purchased the Hornetsfranchise from the National BasketballAssociation, which was successfully rebrandedas the Pelicans. The objectives in his ownership of the basketball team were the same ashis stewardship of the Saints: to produce a teamon-the-court that will compete for championshipsevery year, while making a significant positiveimpact off-the-court in the community. Upon theownership transfer, construction immediatelystarted on a state-of-the-art basketball practicefacility adjacent to the Saints practice fields, whichnow comprises the Ochsner Sports PerformanceCenter, with the entire Pelicans organization beinghoused together for the first time in the franchise’shistory. Through agreements with the state ofLouisiana upon the purchase of the Pelicans, theSmoothie King Center has undergone nearly acomplete renovation since the 2012 purchase,featuring a new center-hung HD video scoreboard in 2015, along with several fan upgrades.On the court, after Mr. Benson inherited a teamthat finished with the worst record in the NBA’sWestern Conference in 2011-12, the Pelicanshave built through a combination of the draft, freeagent signings and trades to become a stable and16successful organization, reaching the playoffsfor the second time in 2018 since the purchaseof the club, advancing to the second round.In addition to the success and the commitment to the community by the Saints andPelicans, the efforts of ownership have alsopaid great economic dividends for the cityof New Orleans and the surrounding areas.Since Mr. Benson first purchased the team in1985, the city has hosted five Super Bowls,including Super Bowl XLVII, with him beingthe driving force behind each campaign tosecure the contest. Each Super Bowl has beenan economic windfall, the 2013 game in NewOrleans totaling 480 million, not to mentionthe exposure and charitable contributionsthe NFL makes during Super Bowl week thatextends for generations. Through Mr. Benson’scommitment to the Pelicans and his hometown,NBA All-Star Weekend was awarded to NewOrleans in 2014 and 2017 with his lobbyingplaying a significant role. The most recentAll-Star Weekend brought approximately 45million in spending to Louisiana, and madethe city one of just six current NBA markets tohost the mid-season event at least three times.N E W O RL E A N S S A IN T S G A M E D AY M A G A ZIN E 2 018Dedication to the Gulf South were amongMr. Benson’s most rewarding endeavors. Since2005, the Saints have positioned themselvesas a leader in the recovery of the region inthe wake of Hurricane Katrina. Immediatelyafter the storm, they established the SaintsHurricane Katrina Fund, which raised over onemillion dollars to benefit worthy causes thathelped in the region’s recovery. The club wasamong the first major businesses to return toNew Orleans, and in 2006 had a thrilling season where they reached the NFC ChampionshipGame for the first time, becoming an inspirationfor a region on the mend. In 2010, the club established the Saints Gulf Coast Renewal Fund,which raised over 1.5 million through theraffle of a Super Bowl ring and the 2012 raffleof Saints and Pelicans game day experiences.Over one million dollars has been distributedto charities, such as the local chapters ofthe Second Harvest Food Bank and CatholicCharities to help provide support of those affected by subsequent natural and manmadedisasters, including the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oilspill, Hurricane Isaac and flooding throughoutthe State in 2016. The efforts of the organization have continued to lift the community,with the team serving as an economic engineand a pacesetter in philanthropic contributions. In 2008, Mr. Benson was selected bythe Volunteers of America as the winner of itsannual Good Samaritan Award in Philanthropyin recognition of his work in the wake ofHurricane Katrina. In 2015, he was honoredby New Orleans CityBusiness as one of theregion’s 35 “Driving Forces” for his contributions to the community since Hurricane Katrina.Mr. Benson also worked through investment to helped stimulate the development ofthe city’s Central Business District, directlyadjoining the Mercedes-Benz Superdome,starting with the 2009 purchase of the formerlyvacant and blighted Dominion Tower and theunoccupied New Orleans Centre. The twoimportant commercial spaces, which werevacant since Katrina struck New Orleans in2005, have returned that region of the CBDinto a more vibrant and viable sector of the cityand revitalized an area that was largely ignoredfor four years following Hurricane Katrina

the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans as Owner, succeed-ing her husband, Tom Benson, who passed away on March 15, 2018, after serving as the Owner of the Saints since 1985 and the Pelicans franchise since 2012. The New Orleans native is an ac