Kim Pegula

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Kim Pegula
Houghton College
Known forOwner of the Buffalo Bills,
President/CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment
Spouse
​
(m. 1993)​
Children3 (including Jessica Pegula)

Kim S. Pegula (

née Kerr; born June 7, 1969) is an American businesswoman and, with her husband Terry Pegula, one of the principal owners of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). She was also the president of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the holding company that managed the Bills as well as the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, in addition to several other minor league sports teams and entertainment assets, under one entity, prior to PSE's dissolution in 2023. By extension she was the president of several teams under Pegula Sports and Entertainment, including the Bills and Sabres. Pegula, Shahid Khan, Zygi Wilf
are the only three NFL team owners who were not born in the United States.

Early life

Pegula was born on June 7, 1969, in

Houghton College, she and a roommate made plans to venture to Alaska to work near a fishing camp upon hearing there was money to be made. Unable to afford the fare, she applied for work at a restaurant in Belfast, New York; while interviewing for a waitressing gig, she met Terry Pegula who was dining at the restaurant. In 1991, Terry offered her a job at his natural gas company and they eventually entered a relationship; they married in 1993.[4]

Career

Pegula was involved in her husband's company,

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for the team. The Pegulas won with an NFL record $1.4 billion all-cash bid.[6][7]

Following the acquisition Kim and Terry Pegula reorganized their sports franchises, along with record label Black River Entertainment into a new company, Pegula Sports and Entertainment. She helped coin the term "One Buffalo" and is also involved with the

Houghton College, which allowed it to build a new athletics complex and transition to NCAA Division III.[8] A fan of desserts, Pegula helped formulate "One Buffalo" branded premium ice cream and cupcake products.[9] Since its formation Pegula Sports and Entertainment, with Kim Pegula as its president and CEO, has made several acquisitions of property in Buffalo and launched a regional sports network, MSG Western New York. The company also acquired two more professional sports teams, the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League (until divesting of the team a year later) and the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League
.

In March 2018, Pegula was named to the National Football League's business ventures committee, replacing Russ Brandon. Pegula is on the NFL's Super Bowl and major-event advisory committee.[10]

On May 1, 2018, after the abrupt resignation of Brandon as president of Pegula Sports and Entertainment as well as the Bills and Sabres, Pegula was installed as president over all of the Pegula Sports and Entertainment properties.[11] She became the first female team president in the history of both the NFL and NHL when she became president of the Bills and Sabres franchises.[12] Pegula remained president of the organization and its properties until its dissolution in 2023, which occurred after a major health incident in 2022 that left her unable to fulfill her duties. Her husband, Terry, took up Kim's president position with the Bills and Sabres, which like all other former PSE properties, would be managed separately.[13]

Pegula is also one of a handful of female NFL owners, including Sheila Ford Hamp (Detroit Lions), Virginia Halas McCaskey (Chicago Bears), Amy Adams Strunk (Tennessee Titans), Carol Davis (Las Vegas Raiders), Denise DeBartolo York (San Francisco 49ers), Gayle Benson (New Orleans Saints), Janice McNair (Houston Texans), Jody Allen (Seattle Seahawks) and Dee Haslam (Cleveland Browns).

Personal life

Kim and Terry Pegula have three children, Kelly, Matthew, and Jessica, who is a professional tennis player. Kim has two stepchildren, Michael and Laura, from Terry's previous marriage. The Pegulas have homes in East Aurora, New York, and Boca Raton, Florida.[8]

In June 2022, Pegula was hospitalized in an

CPR class just months prior. In late July 2023, she attended a training camp practice of Buffalo Bills, which was her first public appearance in 14 months.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Happy Birthday, Kim Pegula! – Buffalo Rumblings". SB Nation. 7 June 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  2. ^ "The Queen of Buffalo: A look at Kim Pegula's surreal journey". Official site of National Football League. NFL. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  3. ^ Alan Pergament (October 7, 2015). "The story of the Bills owner will make you want to sob". The Buffalo News.
  4. ^ a b "Bills co-owner Kim Pegula makes 1st appearance at training camp since going into cardiac arrest". AP News. 31 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Owner: Kim Pegula" (PDF). Buffalo Bills. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2014.
  6. ^ "Buffalo Sabres Owners Reach 'Definitive Agreement' to Buy Buffalo Bills". The Wall Street Journal. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  7. ^ "Pegula's Bills Bid to Be Vetted by NFL's Finance Committee". WNY News. 16 September 2014. Archived from the original on 16 September 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b Sal Maiorana. "From orphan to NFL owner". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
  9. ^ Kim Pegula presents One Buffalo Cupcake. WGRZ-TV. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  10. ^ "NFL adds Kim Pegula to its business ventures group". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  11. ^ "Russ Brandon resigns as Bills, Sabres president". Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  12. ^ "Buffalo Bills' Kim Pegula making history as first female team president in NFL". Buffalo Rumblings. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  13. ^ "Pegula appoints himself NHL Sabres president, dissolves parent company that also oversaw NFL's Bills". NBC Sports. 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  14. ^ Dougherty, Nathan (2022-06-16). "Insider Gives Update on Status of Bills Owner After Health Emergency". Heavy.com. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  15. ^ "Buffalo Bills, Sabres co-owner Kim Pegula undergoing medical treatment for undisclosed health issues". ESPN.com. 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  16. ^ "Jessie Pegula says mom is 'doing a lot better'". wgrz.com. June 29, 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  17. ^ Pegula, Jessica (2023-02-07). "I Want to Talk to You About My Mom". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved 2023-02-08.

External links

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