Foundation

Scott Jenkins joined AMB Sports & Entertainment Group in February 2014 to provide insight into the planning and construction of the new Atlanta Stadium leading up to its opening in 2017, after which he will manage the operations of the stadium. Jenkins comes to the Atlanta Falcons from the Seattle Mariners, where he spent the past seven-and-a-half years as vice president of ballpark operations and was responsible for overseeing all aspects of operating and managing Safeco Field.

Prior to joining the Mariners, Jenkins spent three years with the Philadelphia Eagles where he opened and managed Lincoln Financial Field. Scott has served as V.P. of Stadium Operations for the Milwaukee Brewers and Director of Facilities and Events for Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Wisconsin.

Jason is the co-founder and founding chair of the Green Sports Alliance.  With a career spanning over 20 years in urban development, Jason has been at the forefront of built environment transformation. His career experience includes delivery of sustainable mixed-income housing projects throughout New York City, delivery of Vulcan Inc.’s South Lake Union Innovation District in Seattle, Washington and serving as Head of Sustainability and Innovation for Lendlease Property, Australia.

Jason is founder and Director of Urban Apostles, a start-up real estate development and consulting services business specialising in regenerative development and alternative housing models for cities. Its work focuses on the intersection of the sharing economy and art of city making.

In 2016, Jason was appointed as an Innovation Fellow and Senior Lecturer within the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building at the University of Technology Sydney and leads research into regenerative urbanism, housing affordability, and property economics.

He is also a co-founder the International Living Future Institute and a global advocate for Living Buildings and Communities. In 2018, Jason founded and launched the City Makers’ Guild, an education, advocacy and research group promoting more equitable and inclusive cities.

Jason was designated a LEED Fellow by the United States Green Building Council in 2014, was named a 2015 and 2017 Next City Global Urban Vanguard and is an appointed Champion and advisor to Nightingale Housing in Australia.

Jackie Ventura joined The Heat Group at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL in 2001 and is entering her twelfth season with the Miami Heat organization. In her current role, Jackie monitors and tracks all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the Engineering and Operations departments including utility forecasting/tracking, labor distribution and building work orders as well as projecting and reconciling our multi-million dollar operating budget. In addition, she is the liaison for all vendors and contractors conducting business with the Engineering and Operations departments at the AA Arena.

In 2008 Jackie was approached to evaluate the NBA league-wide suggestions for viable sustainability initiatives for the AA Arena and she determined that the facility would satisfy all of the requirements for LEED Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance certification. Given her history and role in the department, Jackie was able to easily manage and administer the LEED certification completely in-house and within six months from project registration to certification award only employing the assistance of key staff members and vendors as needed. This earned the Arena the distinction of being the first NBA facility to earn LEED certification in April 2009. Since earning the certification, Jackie has also been charged with reviewing and recommending sustainability efforts for the facility as well as formalizing sustainability policies.

Mary Harvey is the newly-appointed CEO of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the Centre for Sport and Human Rights brings together an unprecedented alliance of intergovernmental organisations, governments, international sports bodies, athletes, mega-sporting event hosts, sponsors, broadcasters, civil society representatives, trade unions, employers and their associations, and national human rights institutions. These organisations have come together to fully align the world of sport with the fundamental principles of human dignity, human rights, and labour rights. Prior to her role at the Centre, Mary developed the human rights strategy for the successful United 2026 Bid, which will bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Canada, Mexico and the United States.  Mary has held a variety of senior roles in sports governance, including with FIFA, Women’s Professional Soccer and US Soccer.

A lifelong athlete, Mary enjoyed an 8-year career with the US Women’s National Soccer Team, winning Olympic Gold in 1996 and the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991.  Mary holds an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA and a BS from UC Berkeley.