South Charlotte Today

CHARLOTTE — At one of her first NFL league meetings, Kristi Coleman was sitting next to Panthers owner David Tepper as the business session was about to begin.

"Stand up," he told her. "Look around this room."

The message was clear. The decision-makers and power brokers of the league were gathered in one place, and the population was nearly as completely male as every locker room in the league.

That day, she was still the team's chief financial officer, a step away from her current role as team president. Sunday, she can look across the field to the other sideline and see a colleague — and progress, all at the same time.

When the Panthers and Raiders face off at Allegiant Stadium, it will be the first game in NFL history between teams with female presidents.

Coleman and the Raiders' Sandra Douglass Morgan have become close since rising to those jobs — Coleman in February 2022 and Morgan in July of that year — and the moment is not lost on them.

"I think it's important for women, and really everyone, to be able to see that they can be in these roles," Coleman said.

"I think it's great that we're both two female presidents in the NFL supporting each other and hopefully giving greater visibility to women and girls to know that there are definitely opportunities for leadership and management in sports," Morgan said when she joined Coleman here for International Women's Day in 2023.

While they have risen to these positions of prominence, having a built-in network creates a level of comfort for both of them.

"You do feel a little bit more comfortable when you have someone else you can call," Coleman said. "While Charlotte and Vegas are obviously two very different markets, the role and what you're having to do isn't different. A lot of the things we do and nuances that we experience are the same."

Seeing them together will be a proud moment for many others as well.

When Coleman became president, she was surrounded by female executives in Charlotte. It's not a large group, but they support each other by sharing wisdom earned over years.

Nancy McNelis, a local business development leader, made it clear during one of their first meetings that Coleman's success represented something greater than just her own role or team.

"You have to succeed," she told Coleman. "We want to see you succeed. It's important to us as women. So we will do everything we can to make sure that we help you succeed."

Coleman grew up thinking about the Panthers but did not expect she'd be running them.

Growing up in Lake Hartwell, S.C., near Clemson where she'd go on to study accounting, football was always part of her context. However, after graduating from Clemson with aspirations towards becoming a partner at Deloitte, sports were not initially on her career radar until she audited for an early client: The Panthers.

During audits at Bank of America Stadium's basement offices while players like John Fox asked tax questions or Cam Newton nodded greetings down hallways—the hook set itself deep within her professional trajectory toward sports management roles eventually leading her into joining Panther staff officially by 2014 despite hesitations over career stability shifts involved therein given rarity promotions inside small company setups defining broader NFL landscape overall wherein even advanced tracks might last decades potentially without upward mobility prospects beyond initial hire levels per se—despite being offered controller position then too (and subsequent promotions later) such concerns lingered until trusted advisor reassured: “Do you want teach someone boss/become yourself?”—her mother Kim prompted resolutely cementing final acceptance ultimately culminating ascension CFO title before eventual presidency status finally achieved accordingly afterward post-2019 tenure period specifically thus far encompassing significant operational milestones including extending stadium naming rights agreements alongside spearheading $800 million renovation deal recently concluded respectively thereby demonstrating unassuming yet effective executive acumen throughout meanwhile continuing embody grounded demeanor reflecting personal touchpoints facilitating seamless transitions amidst dynamic corporate environments encountered regularly nonetheless today persistently driving organizational values forward consistently therein via ongoing engagement strategies involving direct interactions among team members reinforcing collective cohesion underpinned mutual respect foundationally maintained institutionally thereby ensuring inclusive atmospheres perpetuated continually henceforth duly recognized appreciated reciprocally amongst peers contemporaneously acknowledged uniformly universally aligned shared visions collectively pursued steadfastly committed unwaveringly advancing 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