Houston Dynamo Football Club (HDFC) announced todaythat Jasmine James joined the Club as the Chief of Staff. In this newly created role, James will oversee talent retention and recruitment efforts to promote a positive and inclusive environment for all, as well as work across the organization to accomplish business priorities. This is the first of several leadership additions to the front office that the Club will announce this month.
“We’ve sought out transformational change since Ted Segal became majority owner and the addition of the chief of staff role is vital to helping us navigate this change efficiently and effectively,” Club chief operating officer, Jessica O’Neill said. “Jasmine’s strength is focusing on culture while driving results and she’ll be a difference maker for us in hitting our ambitious goals.”
James joins HDFC after serving as the Director of Inclusion and Belonging at Tepper Sports & Entertainment in North Carolina for both Charlotte FC and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers in 2022. She oversaw diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for both teams. James managed the employee resource groups, the diversity and inclusion council, and provided leadership training in her previous role. She also created programming aimed at staff development to foster leadership opportunities in the organization.
“I’m excited to join the Club at such a pivotal point in our growth trajectory,” James said. “The future is bright for the Dynamo and Dash, and we will work with our stakeholders to ensure the potential of this organization becomes reality.”
The Columbus, Ohio native spent nearly three years with the sales department at Tepper Sports & Entertainment and was promoted to group sales manager in 2021. James created a group sales program for both teams and saw 35 percent growth in group sales for the Panthers in her first year as a manager. She also played a key role in helping Charlotte FC achieve its record-breaking crowd of 74,479 in the club's inaugural home match on March 5, 2022.
Her efforts extended beyond her role at the organization through her work for the employee resource group and starting a fundraising program for the Panthers in 2019.
James began her career in sports with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016 and generated more than $1.2 million in revenue from direct and group sales. Her success with the Cardinals opened the door to her role at Baylor University in 2018. She joined the university as the assistant director of community relations and led campaigns to increase attendance for the football, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball teams. Her role extended to fulfilling sponsorship deliverables and executing grassroot efforts with local businesses in the region.
James earned a M.S. in Sports Management from Swansea University and a B.A. in Physical Ed-Non-Teach with a concentration in Athletic Training from Kentucky State University.
