James Madison University - Index

James Madison University - Madison Magazine - Summer 2008 - Index

“i grew up here. i followed the old senators
when i was a kid,” explains Ward, who
graduated in 1974 from Magruder High
school in Rockville, Md. “i have come
360. it is a blessing in disguise.”
The senators left to become the Texas
Rangers after the 1971 season, and the city
was without Major League Baseball until
the nationals moved from Montreal for
the 2005 season.
While Ward actually saw his first major
league game at Fenway Park in Boston, he
grew up watching the senators and Wash-
ington Redskins at RFK stadium. now he
is helping create memories for youngsters
today in the capital region.
He says nationals Park has 66 corporate
suites and about 60 percent of those had
already been spoken for by august 2007.
Three department heads report to Ward,
and he oversees 50 employees.
Ward began his sports career in 1979 in
the national Basketball association with
the Washington Bullets (now Wizards)
and became director of marketing before
moving on. He joined the nationals in the
middle of the 2006 season after the Ted
Lerner family bought the team.
after more than 30 years as the Montreal
expos, the team arrived in Washington as
the nationals just before the 2005 season.
While the nationals are not an expansion
franchise, Ward’s background in professional
sports with expansion franchise clubs
was key to his return to Washington.
Ward’s resume includes time with three
expansion franchises in pro sports. He
joined the nBa’s Charlotte Bobcats in
2003 as executive vice president of business
operations and chief marketing officer; he
worked for the national Hockey League’s
nashville Predators in 1997 as executive
vice president of business operations; and
he joined the nBa’s Charlotte Hornets in
1988 as vice president of marketing.
“That has become my ‘Mo,’ if you
will,” Ward says of his ability to start with
pro teams at the ground level.
nationals’ president stan Kasten was
once president of the atlanta Braves, the
atlanta Hawks and the atlanta Thrashers
— all at the same time. Kasten knew
of Ward’s work in the nBa and nHL for
many years.
“My marketing people spoke highly of
his accomplishments,” says Kasten during
a sunday afternoon home game this
past season. “His work with the Charlotte
Hornets was spectacular. We consider ourselves
fortunate to have Tom.”
“He knew that i was from here,” Ward
says of Kasten. “We have been in touch off
and on for years. i have known him from
the nBa and the nHL. We have a lot of
mutual friends.”
Ward commutes to suburban Maryland
from Charlotte, n.C., where his wife,
Joanne Hopper Ward (’79), and their three
children live. The couple did not want to
disrupt school for two of their high-school
age children. Ward tries to get to Charlotte
as often as he can.
Future plans for the nationals’ park
include statues of Frank Howard and former
senator’s pitching greats Walter Johnson
and Josh gibson for left field and a
museum that will include some things from
RFK stadium like the white Frank Howard
home-run seats that marked the distance of
his longest home runs.
Through it all, Ward will be there to
make sure everything runs smoothly for
corporate clients and season ticket holders.
“This is really unique in itself. it’s baseball
— america’s pasttime — in the nation’s
capital,” says Ward.
What more could you ask for, except
perhaps for an ump to say, “Play ball!” M
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