NEW ORLEANS (May 5, 2015) – The New Orleans Saints and Pelicans announced Tuesday that Stephen Pate has been named Senior Director of Community and Governmental Affairs.
Pate will oversee community affairs for both organizations, coordinating all charitable, community and youth initiatives. He will also assist in managing the teams' relationships with state and local government agencies and officials as the Saints and Pelicans continue to serve communities across the Gulf South.
"We are really proud of the work Stephen has done since he joined our team," said Saints and Pelicans Owner Tom Benson. "His work is exemplary and we know he'll do a great job in his new position. Stephen is a hard-working, polite and determined person and I'm excited to see him take our work in the community to a new level across the state."
"Since joining the Saints, Stephen has demonstrated his commitment to representing the organization positively in all aspects of his work," said Saints and Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha. "We've had the opportunity to watch him develop over the last seven years and are thrilled to announce his new role with the Saints and Pelicans. Stephen's ability to build strong, trusting relationships is a testament to his character and we are confident that the combination of that and his understanding of the collective goals of both organizations will make him successful in his new position and further our positive impact in the Gulf South."
After starting his tenure with the Saints in 2008 as the manager of business and marketing operations, Pate was promoted to director of Champions Square and Saints initiatives in 2011. During that time, he oversaw Saints-related events in Champions Square and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, as well as planned and executed all business/marketing and sponsorship-related events. Additionally, Pate was the lead in coordinating and ensuring the success of the Saints Kickoff Run presented by Chevron, an event that has made over $150,000 in donations to several local and national non-profit organizations in its first three years.
Prior to joining the Saints, Pate worked for SMG at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and Smoothie King Center as the coordinator of events. He started his career under Hall of Fame women's college basketball coach Leon Barmore at Louisiana Tech working for six years in the Lady Techsters' basketball operations department.
A native of Castor, La. and graduate of Louisiana Tech, Pate serves as the VP of Development for the Young Leadership Council, as well as on the boards of the Children's Bureau and the St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church. He also was a member of the host committee for Super Bowl XLVI.
