Golden Knights Team Lawyer Works To Increase Women In Sports Leadership Roles

By CASSANDRA COUSINEAU
LVSportsBiz.com

 

While the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural season shattered every record for success for a first-year major league team, the VGK’s business side also drew praise for some non-traditional approaches toward growing the Knights’ brand not only here in the desert but literally across the world.

 

That’s why it was no surprise last month when LVSportsBiz.com learned of another new business mission off the ice to tackle an issue that deserves attention among NHL teams.

 

One day, Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz approached Tamara Daniels, VGK director of business legal affairs. The team’s in-house lawyer, who oversees trademark acquisition, brand identity and strategic partnerships, was selected for a game-changing project. 

 

Bubolz, who has focused on instilling best practices at all levels of the VGK business organization while also stressing a winning work culture, has prioritized the inclusivity of women in management as a vital goal.

 

It’s an important priority for the tradition-laden NHL because — compared to the other major league professional — hockey has lagged behind in embracing change like the NBA has. So, the NHL is tackling the issue. Case in point: In 2017, the NHL introduced Kim Davis as the league’s executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs to boost the NHL’s outreach efforts. Her task is as formidable as her title implies.

 

When Bubolz heard Davis address league executives for the first time, he took the message directly to Daniels at the Golden Knights. Her mission is to turn and translate this idea into action at the VGK in Las Vegas.

 

“We’re not just looking for champions of change from within the organization,” Daniels said during an interview before a recent Golden Knights game at T-Mobile Arena. “That is part of it though. Ultimately, our goal is to make sure we’re supporting and retaining women in key positions. It’s going to be a process.”

 

For now, this effort to support and retain women in key team posts is in its early stages and is informally referred to as the, “Women and Diversity Committee.”

 

 

Daniels has already identified the first steps toward achieving her mandate. She’s shared with Bubolz the idea that creating a diverse group of applicants should include seriously considering candidates who may not have direct experience in the sports industry.

Finding a home in the desert wasn’t initially part of the plan for Daniels, a native New Yorker from the western part of the state.

 

Golden Knights owner Bill Foley hired her as senior vice president and general counsel for Foley Family Wines, which is just one of several businesses controlled by Foley. So, the 30-something Daniels and her husband moved to California wine country outside San Francisco.

 

Then as the new NHL team was being formed, Foley personally tapped Daniels for the club’s legal position in Las Vegas.

 

Sports are not necessarily a new part of Daniels’ life. The Georgetown Law School graduate with nearly 15 years of legal practice played multiple sports growing up and was on the varsity soccer team as an undergrad at State University of New York (SUNY) Fredonia.

 

These days, Daniels’ experience with team sports has intersected with her legal career. Daniels wants women in the sports industry to understand that having a competitive spirit isn’t an impediment. In fact, it’s just the opposite. It’s currency that is an asset to success.

 

Toward that end, Daniels has encouraged young women currently working with the Golden Knights to be problem solvers and be aware of sacrifices along the way.

 

In a general sense, the idea of advocating for women in sports leadership roles isn’t a new idea in Las Vegas. A national organization called, Women In Sports and Events (WISE), has been in existence for more than 20 years and there is a local chapter chaired by Lisa Motley, director of sports marketing and special events at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Daniels is a member of the year-old local chapter, which hosted several WISE sessions at South Point hotel-casino a few months ago. WISE offers programming and valuable networking on a monthly basis.

 

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Daniels is one of four siblings and has benefited from a system of support. “You really have to approach a career in sports knowing it comes with ninety percent sacrifice,” Daniels said. “So, a strong support system of friends, family and colleagues is incredibly important.”