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Stadium district narrows executive-director search as staff outlines office, benefits and tour plans
Summary
The Stadium District Board reported that the executive-director recruitment produced 546 applications and a shortlist of 72; board members discussed downtown office options, benefits alternatives after DOA guidance, planned stadium and Salt River Fields tours, and a near-term meeting schedule to interview finalists.
The Stadium District Board reported progress on several operational fronts, including the executive-director recruitment, a search for office space and steps to secure benefits for staff.
Board members and staff said the recruitment cutoff produced 546 applications. Staff and the district’s recruitment consultant have screened applications into three groups to manage review: 329 marked “no,” 144 “maybe” and 72 “yes.” The board plans to narrow candidates further and bring five or fewer finalists for interviews; members were asked to review the portal shortlist and flag conflicts or strong preferences ahead of interviews.
Board members discussed short-term operations and a potential downtown office. Staff said they are working with a broker to identify office and conference-space options—targeting roughly 3,000 square feet plus two conference rooms to support regular and adjourned meetings. Candidates mentioned as options included the Lurs building and available City Hall conference space; the ACA building was noted as unavailable because it is in receivership.
On benefits, staff reported that the Arizona Department of Administration covers only state agencies and therefore cannot provide benefits for the stadium district. As a result, the board is exploring market options and comparing approaches used by entities such as the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority to assemble an appropriate benefits package for an executive director.
Members also discussed board travel and site visits to inform operations and stadium planning. The board proposed a local tour at Salt River Fields and discussed a two‑meeting cadence in May to coincide with tours; members raised Toronto and Cleveland as comparative stadium visits for design and operations lessons and discussed a shorter San Diego trip as a pilot. Staff said travel will be noticed under open‑meeting rules, no formal action will be taken during tours, and the district can book travel and reimburse commercial flights to enable member participation.
The board agreed on a near‑term meeting schedule that includes two meetings in May and a return to monthly meetings in June to advance candidate interviews and lease/operational priorities. The meeting ended with administrative steps to circulate consultant material and candidate links to the full board for review.
The board adjourned and moved to an executive committee meeting to continue confidential or personnel matters.
