His professional goals are simple and straightforward – focus all of his efforts and resources on bringing a championship to New Orleans – and also support the region through civic and charitable contributions as well investing in the local economy. As Owner of the New Orleans Saints, Tom Benson has made those objectives not only his aim on a daily basis, but the core values of the entire organization.

Success has followed, both on and off the field. When Benson purchased the club in 1985, the Saints entered the most dynamic and memorable period franchise history. Prior to his arrival, the club’s fans had never enjoyed a winning record, celebrated division titles or experienced the thrills of playoff victories. Two years into Benson’s tenure as Owner, the Saints hosted their first playoff contest. After multiple winning seasons and playoff berths since, in 2006 the club advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

His resolve and dedication to his hometown have been among Benson’s defining traits – and most rewarding endeavors. Since 2005, he has positioned the Saints as a leader in the recovery of a region that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history. The club was among the first major business to return to New Orleans, and in 2006 became an inspiration for a region on the mend with a memorable season. The efforts of the organization have continued to lift the community, with the team serving as an economic engine, a pacesetter in philanthropic contributions and as a rallying point.

Under Benson’s guidance, the Saints have been a focal point for healing and restoration. He pledged the club’s commitment to the region was firm and lasting, with his focus on building a stronger, better and more unified city. It’s a direction that continues to evolve and expand. Benson’s vision of what an NFL club should be off the field – proactive, with a positive impact on the prosperity of the community and the charities that support the less fortunate – has been the determining factor of the Saints’ approach and set a positive example for young and old fans alike.

Annually, the team puts $5 million in charitable contributions, goods and services back into the Gulf South and Greater New Orleans. Recently the Saints donated $50,000 to complete the rebuilding of four homes in a New Orleans neighborhood, then sent four busloads of players, coaches and staff to the worksite to provide the labor.

And Benson not only has reached out by supporting charities, but also by recognizing the future of the area’s economy depends on keeping major businesses and employers in the Gulf South locally-owned. His philosophy is to rebuild the economy by developing the infrastructure of the region from the inside, and Benson recently made another large investment in the city’s future and has encouraged a number of other businesses both within and without the State to follow his example.

Early in 2008, he purchased WVUE, making FOX-8 the only network-affiliated television station in the New Orleans market that is wholly locally-owned. After researching the trends of the media industry, Benson discovered television stations have increasingly become parts of national media companies, and his focus remains on keeping Louisiana businesses owned by those with ties to the state.

In 2004, he brought the Arena Football League to the region with the New Orleans VooDoo, and the team returned to the field in 2007. The ArenaBowl has been held in New Orleans for the last two years, also bringing a dramatic economic impact to the city.

Since 2006 – when New Orleans went 10-6 and captured the nation’s imagination by winning the NFC South title and advancing further into the postseason than ever before – the Saints have been symbolic of the region’s resolve and grit, though Benson as usual chooses to work quietly in the background.

His tenure as owner has been defined by honesty, dedication, loyalty and commitment to the city, region, Saints and the NFL. When Benson initially became interested in purchasing the club, he was motivated by reports that out-of-town investors were planning to move the club from New Orleans. He was certainly a fan of the game and the Saints, but the sport had yet to become one of Benson’s passions.

As one of the area’s top businessmen, Benson recognized the importance of the team to the region, and he immediately spearheaded the effort to keep the Saints. But unlike others at the time, it wasn’t just an emotional plea. He pooled all of his resources, purchased the club in 1985 and preserved the Saints for the team’s legion of fans across the area. And the once-rampant speculation that the club was moving immediately ceased.

While Benson’s initial motivation for purchasing the team was to ensure it did not leave New Orleans, all of the Saints’ best seasons have come since his arrival, and Benson’s goal remains for the club to rank among the most-admired franchises in all of sports. He has worked tirelessly toward that mission since becoming owner in 1985.

So perhaps the Saints’ successes in the years since were to be expected. Football was a new business for Benson when he arrived on the scene, but he was a quick learner and followed his lifelong professional philosophy of finding the right people and giving them the freedom to handle their responsibilities.

A year after he was able to put his management group in place, New Orleans stormed to a 12-3 record in 1987 and the city hosted its first playoff contest. In 1990, the Saints captured a playoff berth, and the following year the club earned its first division title. In 1992, New Orleans would go 12-4 and marched into the postseason again. And in 2000, the Saints won the NFC West and the club’s first playoff contest.

Benson also emerged as one of the most trusted and valued figures in the league. He has played a key role in many capacities, including three stints as Chairman of the Finance Committee, one of the league’s most difficult, time-consuming and influential positions. The assignment is evidence of the respect and esteem in which he is held by successive NFL commissioners and his fellow NFL owners.

While his work within the organization and the Saints’ turnaround is well documented, his efforts have also paid dividends for the city and the surrounding area. During his tenure as owner, the city has hosted four Super Bowls. Each time New Orleans has been chosen to host the NFL’s biggest game, Benson has been the driving force in the campaign to secure the contest. And each Super Bowl has been an economic windfall that totals over $300 million, not to mention the exposure and charitable contributions that the league makes during Super Bowl week.

Community involvement has been the hallmark of the Benson era since he became the owner of the team, and because of those efforts the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame has twice recognized the club as one of the five most charitable professional organizations. Recently, Benson was selected by the Volunteers of American as the winner of its annual Good Samaritan Award in Philanthropy in recognition of his work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. and Mrs. Benson unveiled plans to fund the building of a football stadium that will be located on the University of Incarnate Word Campus, which will be known as the Gayle and Tom Benson Field. His wife, the former Gayle Marie LaJaunie and a fellow native of New Orleans, is also involved in several charitable endeavors, including supporting local and regional causes.

In 1945, Mr. Benson served in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. South Dakota and has remained particularly close to this branch of the armed forces. He is the only enlisted man to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Pensacola Naval Museum and has been honored with an award from the crew of the submarine U.S.S. Louisiana. In 2007, Benson was honored by the U.S. Navy Memorial with the Lone Sailor Award, presented to those who exemplify the core values of honor, courage and commitment.

A leading advocate for the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., Benson was also a major contributor and past director of The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, with his pledges helping fund the Pacific Exhibit Grand Opening and the Midway Theater.