Executive Team

Josh Kroenke
Governor, Colorado Avalanche
President & Governor, Denver Nuggets

Josh Kroenke is entering his second season as Governor of the Colorado Avalanche owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE). Kroenke also works closely with KSE executives on multiple business operation issues, ranging from finance to marketing.

In addition to his role as Governor of the Colorado Avalanche, Josh serves as the President and Governor of the Denver Nuggets, a member team of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Over the past three years, he's been involved in every aspect of the Denver Nuggets organization's day-to-day operations and helped Denver enjoy the most successful three-year stretch in team history, with three consecutive 50-win seasons and two division titles.

After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in financial management, he completed a six-month internship with the NBA's League Office working in their Player Development Department. Upon finishing his internship, Kroenke worked as an underwriter for Lehman Brothers in their Global Real Estate Group where he assisted with the debt underwriting and securitization of numerous commercial real estate transactions.

Kroenke was rated a top 50 player nationally in high school according to several scouting services and helped lead the Rock Bridge High School Boys' basketball team to a No. 1 ranking in the state of Missouri as a junior. Kroenke received a full basketball scholarship to the University of Missouri, where he was named Academic All-Big XII First Team and selected team captain as a junior and senior.

Currently an active supporter in KSE Charities, Kroenke is also involved in other charitable entities including the Todd Peglow Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Missouri and Playing for Change Foundation, which is operated by his sister, Whitney, and benefits children worldwide through the building of schools that specialize in the teaching of music and arts.

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Jim Martin
President and CEO

Jim Martin was promoted to President and CEO of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment in November of 2010.  Martin oversees business operations for all KSE-owned venues, including Pepsi Center and Dick's Sporting Goods Park, related service businesses as well as the Colorado Rapids and Colorado Mammoth, in addition to Altitude.

He works closely with, and provides support to the President and Governor of the Denver Nuggets and Governor of the Colorado Avalanche, Josh Kroenke, as well as the President of the Avalanche, Pierre Lacroix.

The former head of the Altitude Sports & Entertainment, Martin joined Kroenke Sports & Entertainment following successful stints at a number of major media companies.  In the mid-1990s, he was the first Chief Operating Officer of FOX Sports Net, overseeing all aspects of that network's launch and operation.  He was subsequently promoted to Executive Vice President, Head of Business Operations for FOX/Liberty Networks, which owned such networks as FOX Sports Net and its regional sports networks, FX, FOX Sports World and FOX Sports Americas, as well as partnership interests in other networks such as Speedvision and Outdoor Life.  He was instrumental in creating and launching new FOX Sports regionals, including FOX Sports Arizona, FOX Sports Detroit and FOX Sports West 2.

Prior to joining FOX, Martin was President of Regional Network Operations for Liberty/Prime Sports.  In that position, he was responsible for overseeing and managing Liberty Media Corporation's owned-and-operated regional networks, as well as managing Liberty Media's investments in other regional channels.  He joined Liberty Media in 1991 as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

A 1977 graduate of the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, Martin graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1980.  Martin currently serves as the Vice Chairman on the board for the Colorado Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).  He also serves on the Arsenal Broadband board.  Martin and his wife Jana have three grown children and are long-time Colorado residents.

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Bruce Glazer
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Bruce Glazer was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment in November of 2010.  Glazer oversees KSE's finance, risk management and internal audit departments.

Since 2004, Glazer he served as Executive Vice President and CFO of Altitude Sports & Entertainment and directed the KSE internal audit department.  In addition to his work with Altitude, Glazer has assisted in the management of resort investments, ranch and vineyard owned by KSE founder Stan Kroenke.

Glazer joined KSE after more than 10 years at food processing giant, ConAgra Foods, Inc., where he held numerous senior financial positions within the company's various protein divisions including CFO of Monfort Beef Company.  His responsibilities included all financial matters related to strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, operations and information systems.

Prior to ConAgra, Glazer worked at accounting firm Ernst & Young and Iowa-based Master Manufacturing Co.  A 1980 graduate of the University Colorado with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, Glazer is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants.  Glazer is a board member of the Anti-Defamation League and Food Bank of the Rockies.  He and his family reside in Denver.

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Kimberly A. Carver
President and CEO of Altitude Sports & Entertainment

Denver native Kim Carver was tapped in November 2011 as the new President and CEO of Altitude Sports and Entertainment. In this capacity she will oversee network operations including the network’s business initiatives, marketing, sales and distribution efforts, programming, production and new media. A 24-year veteran of the television and broadcasting industry, Carver has successfully launched, grown and managed a myriad of international television networks and sports programming ventures.

A graduate of the University of Denver with a degree in mass communications, Carver began her career in Golden, Colo. in 1984, spending seven years as a production assistant with JPI Productions, a live sports productions company which produced high school, college, and professional sports programming throughout the Front Range. Demonstrating her abilities while learning the intricate and ever-changing details of the industry from the ground up, Carver embarked on her international career with STAR Television in Hong Kong where she served in a variety of capacities while managing multi-million dollar sports productions from 1991 to 1995.

Her next destination was Sydney, Australia, where she accepted a new role as the program manager for GALAXY Television’s Premier Sports Network in 1995. There she would establish herself as one of the top managers in the sports broadcasting industry as she assumed the role of program manager, launching a myriad of FOX networks under the FOXTEL banner and later taking the reins of Main Event Television as the network’s general manager.

After nearly a decade Down Under, Kim was on the move once more, this time to Singapore, where she was tapped vice president of network presentation for ESPN STAR Sports, a position she held from 2004 until assuming her duties with The Mtn. the latter half of 2006. At ESPN Star Sports, Carver was reunited with her original team from STAR in Hong Kong when the network had employed 30. Now 10 years later, the network numbered nearly 500 employees.

Returning to the United States in 2006, Carver and her team had the task of taking a pioneering concept of creating the first television network dedicated to a single college athletic conference and launching it in the span of six weeks. The Mtn. premiered on September 1, 2006.

Kim is a member of Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) and was recently one of 22 individuals selected to attend the 2011 WICT Rocky Mountain Leadership Institute. She is a two-time mentor in WICT’s mentoring program, designed to help develop future industry leaders by putting WICT members and senior executives together.

Born and raised in Wheat Ridge, Colo. and a proud Wheat Ridge High School Farmer, Carver resides in Centennial, Colo. with her husband, Craig, and her two sons, Ryan and Logan.

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Doug Ackerman
Senior Vice President, Venues

Doug Ackerman joined the Pepsi Center in 1999 following nine years with Ascent Entertainment Group's corporate accounting department.

Ackerman is responsible for all aspects of the Pepsi Center.  He oversees financial reporting, financial transactions, budget preparations and all operations from booking to management of the facilities.

Ackerman is responsible for the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment investment in the Paramount Theatre, Dick's Sporting Goods Park and 1STBANK Center.

Prior to his work with Ascent, Ackerman worked for seven years with Ernst & Young.  Ackerman graduated from Ohio Northern University and subsequently earned his CPA certificate.

He and his wife, Trish, reside in Parker with their three children, Ashley, Steven and Ian. 

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Michael Benson
Senior Vice President, Business Affairs & Treasurer

Michael Benson has been with the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment organization since 1996, including three years with its prior parent company, Ascent Entertainment Group.  During his tenure with Ascent, Benson managed corporate finance, treasury and insurance.  His resume also includes a stint in the finance and planning departments of Pulte Mortgage Corporation.

In addition to his executive duties at KSE, Benson is responsible for all treasury, cash management, risk management, 401(k), insurance, retail and human resources for the company.  Additionally, he shoulders Executive Management responsibilities for Inovation, a Kroenke-owned Production and Stage Lighting Company and KSE Imprints, an apparel imprint and embroidery company. 

Benson's efforts led Kroenke Sports and Pepsi Center's efforts on the 2001 NHL All-Star festivities, the Grand Prix of Denver from 2002-2006 and financial aspects of the 2005 NBA All-Star game.  Part of his executive duties in 2008 included negotiating and managing the contract between KSE and the Democratic National Convention.

Born in Eugene, OR, Benson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Arizona (1991) and a Master of Science degree in finance from the University of Colorado (1996).  He currently sits on the Board of Visit Denver and the Metro Denver Sports Commission.  Michael and his wife, Laura, reside in Parker, CO with their three daughters, Carolyn, Meredith and Hailey.

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Mark Waggoner
Senior Vice President, Finance

Mark Waggoner is responsible for all of the financial reporting aspects of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets in conjunction with the NHL and NBA in his role as Senior Vice President, Sports Finance.  He also serves as an active participant on various League finance committees.

Waggoner oversees all financial transactions for both franchises and is responsible for developing and maintaining budgets, working with the teams on matters involving insurance and other benefit programs.

Waggoner originally joined the Denver Nuggets in 1986 as the organization's accountant following five years of service in the public accounting profession in Denver.  He was then promoted to his current position in 2002.  Mark also serves as the treasurer for the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets community funds.

A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., Waggoner graduated from Central Michigan University in 1980 with a B.A. in business administration.  He proceeded to earn his CPA certificate in 1982.

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Tom Philand
Senior Vice President, Media and Sponsorship Sales

Philand will rejoin the KSE management team after serving as the Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Altitude Sports & Entertainment since their inception in 2004. Prior to that, Tom served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, starting in August of 2000. In his newly expanded role, Philand will continue to be in charge of Sales and Marketing for Altitude Sports and will also oversee and combine all sales and sponsorship departments of KSE, including the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Mammoth, Altitude television and radio networks’, Pepsi Center, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Paramount Theatre as well as all internet properties. Before joining KSE, Philand worked for The Denver Post and King Soopers, the Rocky Mountain region's leading grocer. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Philand attended the University of Colorado.

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Stephen Stieneker
Senior Vice President, General Counsel

Stephen L. Stieneker joined Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and the Denver Nuggets in 2005 as vice president and general counsel, overseeing all legal affairs for the Kroenke organization's sports teams and entertainment venues.

Mr. Stieneker received his law degree from the University of Virginia and his undergraduate degree in economics from Virginia Tech.  Prior to joining KSE and the Nuggets, Mr. Stieneker worked for Janus Capital Group as assistant general counsel, vice president of public affairs and chief administrative officer of investments.

Mr. Stieneker is a member of the Denver Zoo's board of trustees.  He resides in Denver with his wife and three children.

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Kurt J. Schwartzkopf
Chief Marketing Officer, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche

As Chief Marketing Officer for the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, Schwartzkopf oversees all marketing, creative, interactive media, ticket sales & service, box office operations, game entertainment, fan development and community relations for the clubs.

Before joining Kroenke Sports & Entertainment in July of 2008, the 40-year-old Schwartzkopf spent seven years with the Los Angeles Kings and STAPLES Center.

A graduate of Colorado State University, Schwartzkopf also has nine years’ experience with FELD Entertainment, Inc., most recently serving as Vice President of Event Sales and Marketing for the Western United States and Canada. Overseeing the Los Angeles based region for FELD, he was responsible for all marketing, promotions, public relations and ticket sales for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney On Ice, Disney Live! and High School Musical the Ice Tour in over 50 cities.

Kurt and his wife Cindy reside in Highlands Ranch with their two daughters – Riley and Karter.

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Dave Jolette
Senior Vice President, Venue Operations

Dave Jolette has been running the day-to-day operations of Pepsi Center since the building opened in the fall of 1999 and enters his eleventh season in that role.  He was named vice president in May 2003. 

Jolette and his staff oversee the approximately 180 annual events that take place at Pepsi Center, as well as 1STBANK Center, Dicks Sporting Goods Park and Paramount Theatre.  All told, his staff helps put on almost 400 events in a given year.  Dave and his staff are currently engaged in partnership with AEG Live to transform 1STBANK Center (formerly the Broomfield Event Center)  into a premier concert and entertainment venue in Colorado.

During his tenure at Pepsi Center, Jolette, 45, has helped stage the 2001 NHL All-Star Game and 2005 NBA All-Star Game, as well as NCAA regional basketball tournaments and the wide range of events that come through the KSE facilities.  Dave and his team also managed one of the most important events in Denver's history, the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Overall, this marks Jolette's 15th year with the Avalanche and Nuggets, as he was hired as the event manager for McNichols Sports Arena in 1995, the Avalanche's inaugural season.  He was also in charge of event operations for both the Denver Coliseum and Red Rocks Ampitheater.  He joined KSE in 1999, just four months before Pepsi Center opened.

After getting his bachelor's degree from California State-Chico in 1987, Dave operated his own business in California for several years before pursuing a graduate studies in facilities management at the University of Michigan. 

An avid sports and fitness enthusiast, Dave spends his free time running,  biking, swimming and golfing with his family.  He and his wife of 22 years, Stacy, have a daughter, Nicole (18) and a son, Ryan (16).

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Deb Dowling-Canino
Vice President, Community Relations

Deb Dowling-Canino returned to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment in 2002 as Vice President of Community Relations.  Previously she served as Special Events Director for the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche from 1993-96.

Her responsibilities include community involvement and initiatives for all KSE entities including the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Mammoth, Colorado Rapids, Pepsi Center, Dick's Sporting Goods Park and Paramount Theatre.

Dowling-Canino's professional career has included media stints at KHOW and KWBZ Radio as public service, promotion and programming director.   She owned and operated Abracadabra Events, an event production company whose clients included The International at Castle Pines, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Special Olympics, Metro State College, Downtown Denver Partnership and Colorado Broadcaster's Association.   In the non-profit sector she has worked with the March of Dimes, AMC Cancer Research Center and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.  From 1996-2000 Deb and restaurateur-husband Roland Canino owned and operated the highly acclaimed Canino's Trattoria.  In 2009, she was honored with the Contribution Award by Sportswomen of Colorado.

Deb's personal involvement with non-profit and civic organizations in Denver has included volunteer leadership roles with Special Olympics Colorado, ALS Association, Junior League of Denver, Central City Opera, Denver Baseball Commission, Colorado Tourism Board, National Philanthropy Day and others. 

A native of Colorado, Deb graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Technical Journalism.   

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Mike Kurowski
Vice President, Corporate Sales & Partnership Marketing

Mike Kurowski is entering his 16th season with the organization.  He began his ascent as an account executive, selling and servicing partners for the Denver Nuggets.  Soon after his arrival, the corporate sales group was challenged to create a solid sponsorship base for the Colorado Avalanche.  While Mike and the rest of the sponsorship group exceeded expectations, the next hurdle was to prepare for the opening of the Pepsi Center doors in 1999. 

During this time, and leading up to Mike's new role within Kroenke Sports as director of corporate sales in October 2001, his sales skills consistently placed him at the top of the department.  During his time spent in the director's chair he led the charge in promoting the Colorado Crush and Colorado Mammoth in their successful inaugural seasons as well as sponsorship efforts for the Colorado Rapids.  In 2004, he was promoted to his current role of vice president. 

In 2007, the Colorado Rapids moved into their new home at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.  Naming rights, founding partners and numerous marketing partnerships for this state of the art sports and entertainment complex were successfully obtained under Kurowski's leadership.

Mike's team consists of a solid group of sales and service professionals with a tremendous amount of inventory and demanding responsibilities ahead. 

Prior to his time spent with Kroenke Sports, Mike's experience as an account executive was fine tuned with a Florida-based advertising agency.  His abilities helped land several key accounts that ultimately led to his hiring with the Nuggets and his relocation back to Denver.

A native of Colorado, Mike grew up in Littleton and attended Columbine High School. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay and currently resides in Littleton with his wife, Christy, and their three boys, Cason, Kade, and Camden.

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