Rita Benson LeBlanc

Biography

Owner/Executive Vice President Rita Benson LeBlanc oversees the business and administrative operations of the New Orleans Saints, including sales, marketing, community and youth programs, game entertainment, and stadium operations.   LeBlanc was formally named to her position with the club in 2006, after having assumed many of the same responsibilities during the 2005 season in which the team was forced to evacuate to San Antonio in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  During that period LeBlanc, under the leadership of Saints owner Tom Benson, played a critical role in securing the return of the Saints to New Orleans.  Since the team’s return, LeBlanc has focused her efforts on fulfilling Tom Benson’s pledge to Saints fans throughout the Gulf South “to build a winning team, on and off the field, and be leaders in the rebuilding of the Gulf South.”

In her role as Owner/Executive Vice President, LeBlanc represents the club at NFL Ownership Meetings, chairing the NFL Employee Benefits Committee and serving on the NFL International Committee which has brought the NFL International Series Games to London, including the New Orleans Saints versus the San Diego Chargers on October 26, 2008.  Her close working relationship with the League office has proved to be beneficial in securing League grants and programs that benefit Gulf South youth and charitable initiatives.  From 2006-2007, the Saints distributed over 1.5 million dollars to high school and youth football organizations to help in their post Katrina rebuilding process.

Through her leadership, the Saints maintain an active presence throughout the Gulf South region by developing and implementing programs that not only allow children to experience the excitement of Saints football but also teach important life skills.  Over 50,000 young people are reached every year through the Saints Youth Program endeavors while almost 700 youth football instructors receive training or serve as liaisons in the Saints outreach to their respective areas.  For her dedication and efforts in youth football development, LeBlanc was awarded the 2008 “Star Performance Award” by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society. 

LeBlanc, along with Saints owner Tom Benson, has made the team’s role in the rebuilding and growth of New Orleans and the Gulf South a priority.  In addition to leading the team’s expansive community, youth and charitable efforts, LeBlanc serves on the United Way Board of Trustees, the New Orleans Business Council, the Board of Trustees of Loyola University, the Shirley Landry Benson PACE Center at St. Cecilia, and the Oblate Missionary Partnership.  She is also involved with significant efforts to support coastal preservation and flood protection, working with Women of the Storm and The Coast Guardians to raise public awareness of these critical environmental conservation issues.  These efforts have included lobbying members of Congress in Washington, DC, creating public service announcements and recruiting players and their families to lend their support to the mission.

LeBlanc was recognized for her work on behalf of the team and community by being named one of the forty most influential sports executives under the age of forty by Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal in both 2007 and 2008.  She also was awarded the inaugural “Changing Louisiana Award” by Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu for her volunteerism and social entrepreneurship on behalf of the state.

In addition to her position with the Saints, LeBlanc serves as Owner/Executive Vice President of the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League and has played a key role in the development of the team since the franchise was awarded in 2002.  In 2004, LeBlanc was named AFL Executive of the Year and she currently serves on the Executive Committee and is Vice-Chair of the Properties Committee.  Under her leadership, the VooDoo set a league record for season ticket sales in 2007 and led the AFL in attendance.  With AFL board support, she and Tom Benson helped to secure ArenaBowl XXI for New Orleans, the first professional sports league championship game held in the city since Hurricane Katrina.

LeBlanc is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Agribusiness, and a certificate in International Business from the Mays School of Business.  She was a member of the inaugural class of the NFL Managers Program at Stanford University’s Executive Education Graduate School of Business.  Her previous sports experience includes roles with the NFL in New York, the NFL Properties Publishing Group in Los Angeles and NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J.

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