Arnie Fielkow - Council Member-At-Large City Hall, Room 2W40 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068 Email:AFielkow@cityofno.com     Biography: Arnie Fielkow was elected on May 20, 2006 as the newest Councilman-at-Large for the City of New Orleans. Fielkow received over 61,000 votes (56% of the vote). Fielkow possesses a wealth of experience in sports management and law, having most recently served as Executive Vice President of the NFL's New Orleans Saints. In this capacity, he served as the top senior management official presiding over all administrative/business departments, including marketing, sales, regional development, governmental affairs, community relations, business media relations and youth programs. Fielkow was instrumental in enhancing the team's influence, both nationally and locally, throughout Louisiana and the entire Gulf South. Upon joining the Saints, Fielkow immediately restructured the Saints business and marketing efforts, with an emphasis on increasing the club's ticket, suite, sponsorship and special event sales. Under his leadership, the Saints sold out 36 consecutive games and established club records in both season ticket sales as well as total attendance. The Saints were also successful in reaching a virtual sellout of the 137 Superdome box suites and saw a three fold increase in corporate sponsorship sales through the Patron Saints Partners program which Fielkow established. He also created and implemented one of the most comprehensive regional sales operations in all of professional sports, creating a presence over a four-state area. Since beginning this effort in 2000, regional sales jumped from 8% to 30% of the club's business ventures. In addition to his administrative duties, Fielkow also led the club's efforts in negotiations with the State of Louisiana. A landmark 10-year agreement was reached with the State in 2002 which solidified the club's finances and also provided for the construction of a state-of-the-art practice facility at the Saints' headquarters. This agreement, which provided for $187 million in total inducements over the next decade, was overwhelmingly approved by the Louisiana legislature and signed into law by former Louisiana Governor Mike Foster on April 18, 2002. Fielkow initiated a number of innovative business/marketing/community projects, including the NFL's first Fan and Community Advisory Boards, Saints-led international trade missions to Central America, marketing partnerships with the Harlem Globetrotters and the PGA's HP Classic of New Orleans, Football 101 mini-camps for the team's female fan base and the Hispanic community, a Business Breakfast series with the top 200 business leaders in New Orleans and the Gulf South, Draft Day and Monday Night Football cruises, and a Saints ticket sales Radio-a-thon. Fielkow also oversaw tremendous growth in the Saints youth programming, highlighted by its involvement in the NFL's Junior Player Development program and the administration of summer youth clinics throughout greater New Orleans. Teaming with the NFL and the Orleans Parish School Board, the Saints were instrumental in returning tackle football to the city's public middle schools. For his efforts, Fielkow was selected to receive the prestigious 2004 TOP Award ("Ten Outstanding Person") and the 2003 Sanchez to Sanchez to Smith Award issued by Family Service of Greater New Orleans and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, respectively. Prior to joining the Saints, Fielkow was involved in Major League Baseball's player development system by serving as President and General Counsel of the historic Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs and as President of Minor League Baseball's AA Association. During his six-year tenure, Fielkow oversaw the construction and renovation of six new ballparks and introduced marketing and business programs that catapulted the Southern League into one of the most respected leagues within Minor League Baseball. Previously, Fielkow served as Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel of the Continental Basketball Association, the official developmental league of the NBA. During his tenure, he negotiated new player and referee development agreements with the NBA and helped the League reach record attendance levels. He also introduced and administered several new programs, including a national television agreement with ESPN2, a CBA national radio contract, and a multi-game exhibition series involving former Lakers' great Magic Johnson. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of USA Basketball. Fielkow began his professional career as a practicing attorney in Chicago, and eventually co-founded the law firm of Grossman, Solomon, & Fielkow, P.C. As part of this practice, Fielkow was elected Commissioner of the NCAA Division I North Star Conference (currently the Mid-Continent Conference), the last all-female Conference at the Division I level, and was successful in securing the conference's first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. A member of the Illinois and Wisconsin Bar Associations, Fielkow has authored several legal and sports-related articles/publications, including "Civil Rico: The Insurers Fight Back" and "CBA: A World of Opportunity", and is a frequent public speaker at national and local sports industry events. Fielkow immersed himself in the New Orleans community, serving on the Board of Directors for Greater New Orleans, Inc., United Way, Each One, Save One, the World Trade Center, Audubon Commission, The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Touro Synagogue and the National Conference for Community and Justice. He also co-chairs the Sports Cluster for GNO, Inc. and was an executive committee member of the Super Bowl XXXVI Host Committee. A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Fielkow is a 1981 graduate of the University of Wisconsin - School of Law and earned his B.A. degree with honors (Phi Beta Kappa) from Northwestern University. An avid sports fan, Fielkow played tennis on the collegiate level and was selected to the silver-medal winning United States men's basketball team at the 15th Maccabiah Games in Israel. Fielkow also serves as an active youth coach in the uptown New Orleans Carrollton baseball program. He and his wife, Dr. Susan Fielkow, have three sons, Justin, Michael and Steven.