Wikipedia

Dave Kaval

David A. Kaval[1](born October 28, 1975) is an American sports executive. He is the seventh president of theOakland AthleticsofMajor League Baseball.He previously served as president ofMajor League SoccerclubSan Jose Earthquakesand founded theGolden Baseball League.

Dave Kaval
Kaval in 2019
Born(1975-10-28)October 28, 1975(age 48)
Cleveland, Ohio,U.S.
EducationStanford University(BA 1998 and MBA 2003)
OccupationSports executive
Years active2003–present
Known forPresident of theOakland Athletics
SpouseMaria Fredricsson
Children2

Early life and education

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Kaval was born on October 28, 1975,[2]to Jim and Paula Kaval.[3]Jim, a member of thePeace Corpsand real estate entrepreneur, and Paula, a realtor and school teacher, raised Kaval inCleveland,Ohio.[3]He is ofSlovakandItaliandescent.[3]Kaval attendedStanford Universityand received aBachelor of Artsin international relations in 1998.[1]He later returned to Stanford for an MBA and did a national security budgets summer internship for theGeorge W. Bushadministration.[3]

Career

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Early career and the Golden Baseball League

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Following Stanford graduation, on June 20, 1998, Kaval and a former classmate began their trip to visit all 30Major League Baseballballparks in 38 days.[4][5]The trip ultimately led to the publication ofThe Summer that Saved Baseballwhich chronicled their journey.[5][6]

Kaval founded theindependentGolden Baseball Leaguein 2003 as part of a class project.[7]The teams were run on just a $90,000 salary cap per season.[8]In October 2010, Kaval left to become the president ofMajor League SoccerteamSan Jose Earthquakeswhich raised questions as to the future of the league.[9]Those questions became answered when the league merged with two other leagues the year after Kaval's departure and ultimately ceased operations in 2012.[10]

San Jose Earthquakes

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Kaval was named president of theSan Jose Earthquakesin October 2010, taking over fromMichael Crowley.[11]During his time with the Earthquakes, the team won the2012Supporters' Shield,but failed to make the playoffs in every other season he oversaw.[12]Despite numerous delays, the team was able to openEarthquakes Stadiumin February 2015, which was the firstsoccer-specific stadiumfor the team.[13][14][15][16]

It was announced in June 2017 that Kaval was replaced as team president byTom Fox.[17][18]

Oakland Athletics

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Kaval with Oakland MayorLibby SchaafatOakland City Hallduring the 2018 season

On November 17, 2016, Kaval was named the seventh president in Oakland Athletics history.[19]Kaval initially made a positive impression with fans upon assuming the position when he attempted to be more open to fans through scheduled meeting times, a tactic he previously employed with the San Jose Earthquakes.[19]The A's also made fan and capital improvements to the Oakland Coliseum such as removing tarps which covered the Coliseum's third deck, creating afood truck rallywith outdoor games, and investing $1M in upgrades to an all-access club called Shibe Park Tavern.[20][21]Kaval's COO, Chris Giles, also spearheaded a membership campaign, "A's Access", which granted members with benefits that surpassed that of previous season ticket holders.[22]

New ballpark efforts

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Main article:Oakland Ballpark

Kaval, who successfully built a stadium for the Earthquakes, sought to build a stadium for the Oakland A's. In September 2017, Kaval announced that the A's had selected site near downtown Oakland owned by thePeralta Community College Districtas their desired location after considering the current Coliseum site and a Howard Terminal site at thePort of Oakland.[23]The selection was immediately met with local opposition from students, teachers, and the nearby communities ofChinatownand Eastlake.[23][24]The selection was also brought concern from Oakland mayorLibby Schaafand former mayorRon Dellumsas the move would have displaced low-income and immigrant families and businesses from the surrounding area.[23][25]Despite the concerns, Kaval attempted to move forward with the site and targeted an opening during the 2023 Major League Baseball season.[26]In December 2017, the Peralta Community College District board turned down the A's proposal, leaving Kaval to backtrack to his lesser preferred locations.[27][28]

Nearly a year after the Peralta site rejection, Kaval and the A's announced the Howard Terminal site at thePort of Oaklandas their primary focus in November 2018.[29]Concerns and community opposition to the project was voiced primarily from the maritime industry,[30][31][32]but also saw transportation[33][34]and environmental[35][36]groups become vocal about the site choice. Kaval progressed the project and on July 20, 2021, theOakland City Councilvoted 6-1 (with one abstain vote) to approve a non-binding term sheet to continue negotiations with the A's for the new ballpark.[37]However, Kaval said that the team did not agree to those terms since it was not the term sheet the team provided.[37]Subsequently, on April 20, 2023, it was reported that the Athletics had purchased a parcel of land fromRed Rock Casino, Resort & Spafor a new stadium in Las Vegas, near theLas Vegas Strip;subsequently, Oakland mayorSheng Thaoannounced the cessation of negotiations with the team regarding the Howard Terminal site, effectively ending the proposed ballpark project.[38]

Personal life

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Kaval is married to Maria Fredricsson, whom he met his first day at Stanford.[39]Kaval is a resident ofMenlo Park, California,where the couple have raised their two daughters.[40]

He serves on a number of boards, including the Bay Area Council and Rocketship Education, in addition to the National Governing Board of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO). He is also a lecturer in management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) where he teaches sports management.

References

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  1. ^ab"David A.Kaval Lecturer in Management".Stanford Graduate School of Business.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.
  2. ^Jennings, Duffy (December 2015)."Meet Dave Kaval, San Jose Earthquakes".jointventure.org.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.
  3. ^abcdAlmond, Elliott (December 27, 2016)."Dave Kaval: The man commissioned to save the Oakland Athletics".The Mercury News.San Jose, California.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.His father's roots are Slovak, his mother's Italian.
  4. ^"Boys of Summer".STANFORD magazine.September–October 1998.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.
  5. ^abSimon, Mark (March 31, 2001)."Diamond-Studded Summer / Stanford grads who hit every major league ballpark tell all".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.
  6. ^"The Summer that Saved Baseball".Stanford Graduate School of Business.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.
  7. ^Leuty, Ron (March 30, 2017)."A's President Dave Kaval on Quakes, A's, and search for new stadium site".San Francisco Business Times.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  8. ^Caple, Jim."Golden Baseball League wackiness".ESPN.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  9. ^Souders, Travis (October 6, 2010)."Kaval" s resignation leaves questions for Outlaws, GBL ".The Reporter.Vacaville, California.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  10. ^Almond, Elliott (December 27, 2016)."Dave Kaval a worthy savior for A's".Santa Cruz Sentinel.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  11. ^"San Jose Earthquakes Hire New Team President".KPIX-TV.October 6, 2010.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  12. ^Lalas, Greg(October 20, 2012)."San Jose clinch Supporters' Shield, home-field advantage throughout playoffs".Major League Soccer.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  13. ^Hepler, Lauren (February 7, 2013)."San Jose Earthquakes set new stadium construction start date".Silicon Valley Business Journal.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  14. ^"New Stadium now set to open in second half of 2014 season".San Jose Earthquakes.July 29, 2013.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  15. ^"Earthquakes new stadium will now open at start of 2015 MLS season".San Jose Earthquakes.September 13, 2013.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  16. ^"Recap: Quakes 3, Galaxy 2".San Jose Earthquakes.February 28, 2015.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  17. ^Almond, Elliot (May 31, 2017)."Exclusive: Earthquakes hire EPL executive as new president".The Mercury News.San Jose, California.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  18. ^Rodriguez, Alicia (June 1, 2017)."San Jose Earthquakes hire Tom Fox as team president".Major League Soccer.RetrievedOctober 26,2020.
  19. ^abSlusser, Susan(November 17, 2016)."New A's president Dave Kaval focused on stadium, community".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  20. ^Petersen, Gary (April 13, 2017)."A's new president changing team's culture one tarp at a time".The Mercury News.San Jose, California.RetrievedSeptember 27,2021.
  21. ^Slusser, Susan(February 19, 2017)."A new Coliseum experience: food trucks, Shibe Park tavern".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedSeptember 27,2021.
  22. ^Hart, Torrey (July 31, 2018)."A's end season ticket program, announce 'A's Access' membership alternative for 2019".athleticsnation.com.RetrievedSeptember 27,2021.
  23. ^abcDebolt, David (September 12, 2017)."A's preferred site for new ballpark is Peralta College land".The Mercury News.San Jose, California.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  24. ^"Laney College staff, students voice opposition to Oakland A's stadium plan".KGO-TV.November 22, 2017.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  25. ^Debolt, David (September 19, 2017)."A's stadium: Chinatown leaders, activists split over Peralta location".The Mercury News.San Jose, California.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  26. ^"Oakland A's ballpark plan faces opposition from college students, faculty, many residents".KTVU.November 21, 2017.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  27. ^Veklerov, Kimberly (December 6, 2017)."Laney College board halts ballpark plans, leaving Oakland A's shocked".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  28. ^Smith, Ashley A. (December 7, 2017)."Saying No to the Majors".Inside Higher Ed.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  29. ^Matier, Phillip; Ross, Andrew (November 27, 2018)."A's propose 'jewel box' ballpark for waterfront, Coliseum redevelopment".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  30. ^Anthony, Laura (April 17, 2019)."Maritime Industry opposes new Oakland Athletics's ballpark at Howard Terminal".KGO-TV.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  31. ^Matier, Phil (February 15, 2019)."A's ballpark proposal encounters choppy waters".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  32. ^Spedden, Zach (February 19, 2019)."Groups Opposing A's Howard Terminal Ballpark Plan".ballparkdigest.com.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  33. ^Ronan, Dan (May 25, 2021)."Trucking Groups Oppose Oakland Stadium Port Site Even as A's Mull Moving".ttnews.com.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  34. ^"RAIL COMPANIES COMMENT ON HOWARD TERMINAL".newballpark.org.May 7, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  35. ^Hickey, John (June 30, 2020)."Athletics' Push for Howard Terminal Ballpark Continues Despite Sierra Club Letter".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  36. ^Berman, Steve; Coffey, Alex (April 5, 2021)."The A's believe their Howard Terminal ballpark project is eco-conscious. Environmental groups are skeptical".The Athletic.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  37. ^abAxisa, Mike (July 21, 2021)."A's stadium proposal moves forward with City Council vote, but team's future in Oakland remains uncertain".CBS Sports.RetrievedSeptember 28,2021.
  38. ^Kelly, George (April 20, 2023)."On the move? Oakland Athletics announce Las Vegas land deal".The Mercury News.RetrievedApril 20,2023.
  39. ^Elliot, Almond (December 27, 2016)."A's new president: Five things to know about Dave Kaval".The Mercury News.San Jose, California.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.
  40. ^Kato, Yoshi (September 3, 2018)."Menlo Park resident gaining popularity as A's president".Palo Alto Weekly.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.
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