Todd: 00:00 Well, welcome to podcast. We are honored to have Mr. David Rousseau here with us today, who is the chairman of the Super Bowl Committee. The Super Bowl's going to be here in Arizona this year, so we're thrilled about that. His day job, chairman of the Salt River Project. David, welcome.
David Rousseau: 00:17 Thanks, Todd. Good to be here.
Todd: 00:18 Thanks for being here. For those few people out there who may not know you, tell us a little bit about yourself.
David Rousseau: 00:24 I think, I don't know that it's all that unique, but my family's been here for several generations and migrated in the late 1800s to Phoenix, and so largely agricultural involvement over those generations. And then I had an opportunity the second half of my career to go from being a vegetable farmer to playing a role in SRP's governance. So I'm president of their board as you pointed out, and that's been a gratifying mission to be part of. We belong to our customers and I think have been able to manage an enterprise the right way.
Todd: 01:03 So multi-generational here in Arizona, which is pretty unusual. Are you the first person in the family to be involved with SRP?
David Rousseau: 01:11 No, my great-grandfather actually was one of the petitioners when the Reclamation Act was first formed by Teddy Roosevelt in 1902 to petition to get a reclamation project awarded, which ultimately came to life in the form of Roosevelt Dam and our canal system. So our family's been involved, again, you couldn't be a participant in the ag industry here and not also take an interest in what was happening with Salt River Project. The two are interrelated. So it's been an interesting career, my dad had been on the board at SRP when I was growing up in high school, and so back in the '70s and '80s. So it's been a fun family pursuit to participate in.
Todd: 01:54 Absolutely. It is amazing to think your family has had such an impact on our state for so long, and I guess it makes sense that you would be involved with bringing the Super Bowl to Arizona.
David Rousseau: 02:04 Well, I think SRP views itself, along with APS and Tucson Electric, as economic development engines for our economy and the community. Ultimately I think we're all in agreement that we want better jobs, better education system, and everything that goes with that or follows. So part of that is to serve up this opportunity that the Super Bowl represents, to really highlight what's great about our community, our economy, and our region while the whole world's watching.
Todd: 02:38 Absolutely, and they will be watching very soon. Speaking about you, I hear that you have this idea of a perfect day and there's three parts to that. Can you tell us about what that perfect day looks like?
David Rousseau: 02:51 For me, it's about not taking our health for granted and being active. So for me, we refer to these five-star days where you have five different activities throughout the day and it usually involves burning calories and burning or generating an appetite, corresponding appetite to backfill those calories. I think that's probably as close to a perfect day as possible if you could have several forms of exercise and activity, and sometimes not always congruent with work, obviously.
Todd: 03:28 Right, absolutely. That certainly is good and a lot of opportunities for that. In terms of chairmanship, am I right in that this isn't your first rodeo in terms of being chair?
David Rousseau: 03:40 Yeah, I think I'm either really bad at handing off the responsibility. I had the good fortune of getting to do this the last time the Super Bowl came to town for the 2015 game. Really probably one of the things I would point to is the most successful thing I did with that game was hiring Jay Parry to run it, and I'd gotten asked to do the role by our owner, Michael Bidwill, whose family is responsible for the opportunity to begin with. But when I hired Jay, she did such a fantastic job of executing last time, doing, staying in the role, in my role, and which is diminutive compared to what she's done in terms of leadership and running a professional staff, is get her retention and her willingness to do it again has really served as an easy one that I'm selfishly maybe not excited about handing off. Eventually that's going to have to happen. I won't be involved in a third game.
04:36 Yet I think a lot of the successful delivery on the first promise is that you're back in contention to get the game again. I think that's been a nice compliment to the Valley and everything that goes into staging a game or hosting a game, is that fact that we're on a regular cadence that would appear with the NFL.
Todd: 04:55 I agree, Jay is a force of nature, so great pick there. Tell us a little bit about the committee and the work that the committee does.
David Rousseau: 05:03 Well, we have a backbone of individuals, Andy McCain as an example, Dan Lewis, and Brett... I'll just rattle off a couple. Brad Anderson and Earl Petznick, and then Rusty Kennedy, in honor of... he's accomplished a lot on his own, but obviously is the son of Mike Kennedy who was my predecessor and has a big shadow that he continues to cast here in the Valley and specifically in a sports realm.
05:34 That committee has been critical in supporting Jay's efforts as we go out into the community. We've had great success and support from the tourism industry here, the hotel and restaurant business. We've got great municipal support from our mayors and city governments and supporting throughout the region from Glendale to Scottsdale and everybody in between. Then what I've always continued to be encouraged by is the reception that we enjoy with our corporate partners, and the fact that they look at this is if we're going to have a headquarter and have it be a world-class city that houses our headquarters. There's a responsibility that goes with that. So there's examples, whether it's PetSmart, Freeport-McMoRan, APS, SRP, it's been terrific.
Todd: 06:29 Well, and that's such an important part and critical part of making sure the game stays here. Speaking of that, what makes us so attractive? Obviously weather, but what else?
David Rousseau: 06:40 On the weather front, I remember having an interview with somebody from the New England Media that was here in 2015, it was sprinkling that day off and on and it was in the low 60s. I was apologizing, and their family was in Nantucket and hadn't had power for five days, and we're worried that they might have frozen to death. So yes, weather, I think weather might be the first two or three answers to that question.
07:06 But on top of that, I think one aspect, we would not be successful if not for thousands, literally thousands of volunteers. I remember when we were going to the New York game and working with our counterparts there, they were trying to get across an effort with their volunteers to reverse the stereotype, negative stereotype that New Yorkers have, which is you might get stepped over, or for heaven's sakes, don't be caught in a crosswalk when the light changes. We don't have to train our volunteers that way. Our volunteers are already... have and enjoy, thankfully, a Southwestern hospitality that I think permeates that community, and inherent in the fact that they're willing to invest their time and energy in putting the best foot forward for our state. We're very fortunate on that front and I think has a lot to do with our success.
Todd: 07:59 It's amazing to see how when there's a need people raise their hands and they get involved, and that's, I think, a huge part of our success.
David Rousseau: 08:06 Absolutely.
Todd: 08:07 I understand there's four pillars of focus for the committee. Can you talk about those?
David Rousseau: 08:11 Yeah, I think it's education, health and wellness, DE&I, and sustainability. I think those are really a microcosm of the forces in our community. I think in every business setting and every community context, those are all relevant. So not surprisingly, we've incorporated those into our Legacy Grants Program as the focus. We're going to award an excess of $2 million in partnership with the NFL to our nonprofit community. We're using those as the goalposts, if you will, for where that emphasis and investment should be made.
Todd: 08:53 That's fantastic.
David Rousseau: 08:54 Again, the goal is to try to outlive the game, and as much enthusiasm as the Super Bowl or the mere mention of the Super Bowl elicits, it's going to be over at some point late in the day on that Sunday, and so it's our objective and those of us that have spent years literally at this tour, I think want to be able to point to somewhat of an ongoing legacy. So we're very fortunate to... We've worked with Arizona Community Foundation in making those awards and we have a very... Nicole Bidwill, Andy McCain, and Earl Petznick have served representing the board on making those awards. We're very proud of that record and wish we had more money to give to more non-profits, but again-
Todd: 09:42 $2 million is a lot of money.
David Rousseau: 09:43 Well, and again, we're very proud of that and everything that goes into it and all the corporate partners that have helped us.
Todd: 09:48 You mentioned the long-term impact, and I think people talk about the impact of a Super Bowl as a one-time thing, but it really isn't. I remember the last Super Bowl, Governor Ducey was front and center, for instance. The city of Phoenix was front and center in courting companies and I think there was a lot of success during the last... well, in bringing companies here. Can you talk a little bit about the economic impact of the game?
David Rousseau: 10:09 Sure. I think Olympics and World Cups and Super Bowls to a much lesser extent, have an image challenge, if you will. I think it has to do with major investment projects that go into hosting those types of mega sporting events. The Super Bowl, thankfully we're blessed with a wonderful stadium in State Farm Stadium, so we don't have to make those kinds of infrastructure investments in order to host a Super Bowl. I think that's one inherent advantage off the top. But the other thing is, again, this notion of having an ongoing impact. We were the first Super Bowl Host Committee that I'm aware of last time, and it really actually dates to our 2008 game of having an intention around having a visiting CEO program. So this time, as an example, we'll partner with Sandra Watson and Arizona Commerce Authority and have 70 different CEOs that represent targeted companies that are either looking to expand here or locate here, and they'll be our guests.
11:15 So we fundraise intentionally to host those 70, plus a guest. The idea is, and if again, not necessarily in the case of my family having been here as long as they were, I think it must have been really dire wherever we were leaving, which was Kentucky at the time, in order to trek out here with just the promise of maybe somebody would build a dam. But in terms of this economy right now, I think there's a huge desire to tell that best story about why people are here. So if we can do that with the CEO audience, I think what you see if history repeats itself is a number of those people will come back on family vacations, or they may have a corporate retreat here, or may decide to open a satellite office or buy a second home here. Ultimately that's been the formula that's seeded most of our immigrant population that has migrated here from other parts.
Todd: 12:19 Well, it's amazing to think that that could happen, that we could have a CEO among the 70s that decides to come and set up a satellite here and employee Arizonans, right?
David Rousseau: 12:28 Absolutely.
Todd: 12:29 And long after the Super Bowl's over to have that lasting impact, and we're probably having it from the '15 and the '08 Super Bowl as well.
David Rousseau: 12:37 Sure. Yeah, I know, I think that Sandra Watson has quoted I think 20 companies that arrive vis-à-vis this same program in 2015. So we're looking to add to that number. The actual spin, incremental spin that week, ASU's study in 2015 revealed that there was a $720 million incremental spend that week and corresponding impact on whether that's travel assets or tourism assets or just purely spending here. So that's 720 million, and not to apologize for that, but the ongoing impact that we're looking to have is through, while we've got the world's attention, is to try to promote these kinds of programs that we have in partnership with Arizona Commerce Authority.
Todd: 13:24 Hopefully we won't have fog on the day of the game, right?
David Rousseau: 13:25 Right. Yeah, exactly. It usually lifts here for some reason.
Todd: 13:29 Right. It's funny. You did mention infrastructure. We're certainly not like a Detroit, but are there some infrastructure type of needs that occur as a result of the game?
David Rousseau: 13:40 No. Well, not this game. Not that we needed to confront or address. I think what you've seen in other markets, New Orleans hosted Super Bowl and it was the first time anything of any major consequence had been in New Orleans post Katrina, and they built a number of public projects that were inspired around the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Sandy in advance of the New York, New Jersey game created the same opportunity. We've actually been fairly fortunate on the weather catastrophe front, and so we don't have that kind of model to rebuild from. I think it's more a matter of, our bigger challenge on future games vying to host those, has more to do with the fact that the NFL awards games to new stadium markets. So obviously SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which hosted the game last year, and the Las Vegas Raiders will host the game next year in Las Vegas.
14:44 So now you have two additional warm weather markets with brand-new stadiums. I think how we react to that is, again, we want to over-deliver on the promise and of our fulfillment with the bid this time, but I think we need to have an eye towards how do you... the next generation of Host Committee chairs will have to be focused on that. Probably the best idea and the one that we were excited to get an affirmative answer to was asking and getting Larry Fitzgerald to join our Host Committee board and service as our executive chair. I've always been a huge Larry fan, but the opportunity to have him dispatched in this role has been super gratifying to see, and he's been phenomenal and incredibly generous with his time and energy.
Todd: 15:35 Well, hard to say no to Larry Fitzgerald. Who doesn't like him?
David Rousseau: 15:39 That is funny. For some reason he gets more attention when we show up at the same venue, so.
Todd: 15:45 Yes. I'm sure that definitely works. When we're thinking about local businesses that want to capitalize on the game, what are some ways that they can capitalize on the game?
David Rousseau: 15:56 Well, we have a very active Business Connect program that's allowed people a process to become an NFL vendor. So that's a very active program that the NFL cares about and the Host Committee has done a good job of supporting. There's an intention around women and minority owned businesses there in Business Connect. Again, the Legacy Program. I think the biggest opportunity everybody has is to get involved. When we have out-of-town visitors previously in previous cycles, the one thing they marvel at is our region and the fact that Phoenix is kind of the center of the universe as it relates to the festival building up to it. We'll have a free series, concert series with 40 some odd bands over several days leading up to the Super Bowl. And then we'll have the first ever Watch Party there, free, at Hance Park.
16:52 So there's a huge intention around downtown. The Suns Arena obviously compliments that really well with one headliner after the next while everybody's attending to downtown. No secret, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is no secret rather. And the Thunderbirds do a fantastic job, and again, true to their mission statement and ours, they're promoting the Valley through sports. So the fact that that's happening and all of the fanfare associated with it at the same time that the Super Bowl's about to happen in this market and we're not bursting at the seams is impressive.
17:33 Then obviously Glendale's going to be all everything on game day, but typically there'll be a concert venue there adjacent to the stadium leading up to the game as well. So the ability to put on that kind of performance successfully has everything to do with prior regimes that have made the necessary infrastructure investments in obviously transportation. And then the tourism market has gone a long ways towards making sure that we have sufficient hotel rooms to host everybody once they get here.
Todd: 18:05 Well, I think one question that people have is Sky Harbor. We know that it's one of the largest, or we have most traffic from almost any airport nationally. I think we're busiest three airport runway in the country. Are we ready from an airport perspective to handle that influx?
David Rousseau: 18:23 Yeah, I think everything that I've heard or been privy to is that's such a strength to our ability to host, to have a close to downtown or essentially located airport that is that accustomed to large influx of visitors. It's a big intention around our volunteer program is to have people as they get off the plane be greeted by volunteers that can instantly hopefully be local ambassadors to not miss the opportunity to have somebody go in the wrong direction.
Todd: 18:56 Well, I think that's tremendous. Thinking about a market like Denver for instance, an hour out. Much, much nicer to have the airport close. In terms of game day, where are you going to be? What are you going to be doing? Tell us what that's going to look like.
David Rousseau: 19:10 The people that have made this possible and to host for the Valley, to host this game, we're excited about basically having a Thanksgiving like celebration with them and celebrating the accomplishment and really the realization of a long-term... It's something that a lot of other economies and states would be very interested in. We're lucky. On one hand, this same opportunity in 2015 happened when just as Governor Ducey was coming in, and he did a great job during his administration. I think in 2018 this game was up for contention. So Michael Bidwill and I were bookends on either end of Governor Ducey, who served as the best salesman to promote why the NFL should come back here. We're excited and have been working with Governor Hobbs on turning the page and making sure that she and her state get the appropriate attention and positive reaction from all over the world of the visitors that are coming in.
Todd: 20:15 Well, I think we're set up for success. Has there been a Vegas chairman identified yet? And if so, are you going to give him or her some pointers?
David Rousseau: 20:26 Well, I'm sure there probably has been. Jay would be able to answer that question more definitively given her 24/7 involvement in this for the last 18 months after she agreed to do it. I think my focus is, well, and really everything that I know about putting a Host Committee together and the success of hosting a game, I gleaned from other markets. So there's definitely a fraternity sorority around these events and you're working yourself out of a job, and everybody... I think it's such an exhausting effort that nobody really minds being out of work and they're typically very winning, successful personalities, and they don't have any trouble when they're ready to have another job to land on their feet.
21:19 Jay Parry, as an example, last time after doing this for the community became the chief operating officer of the WNBA for several years. So I think it's really, yes, emphatically, if Vegas had a question, we'd be happy to pay it forward to them because we've certainly been the beneficiary of that from other committees.
Todd: 21:41 Absolutely. Well, thank you for spending so much time with us today. We're going to do a quick lightning round. Very easy. Simple answers. What was your first job?
David Rousseau: 21:52 My first job, I grew up on a farm and so it wasn't a job when I worked on our farm, but our neighbor, Mr. Brooks, let me, I think I was 11 years old and I was driving a tractor for him and actually got paid for it.
Todd: 22:06 That sounds like a good job.
David Rousseau: 22:06 Yeah.
Todd: 22:07 What did you learn?
David Rousseau: 22:09 Oh, I just learned that I probably should focus on an education because there was a monotony associated with driving a tractor in a field that is hard to ignore.
Todd: 22:19 So dream job. What would be your... if you could do anything?
David Rousseau: 22:22 Well, I think, again, SRP, being president of SRP is not a bad gig, certainly.
Todd: 22:31 Agreed.
David Rousseau: 22:32 But just because it's such a phenomenal institution and being able to belong to your customers and not have the pressures of Wall Street. I think professionally I've landed in an ideal spot. Then frankly, the ability to, even though Jay does the lion's share of the work as we've already acknowledged, getting to work with sports has probably been the dream aspect. So just being adjacent to it and gaining insight on what Michael Bidwill's experience is with the Cardinals and their family history has been professionally gratifying to me, because it's something that I always was interested in and suddenly how reading the sports page cover to cover wasn't showing up as a positive anywhere in my life. So it's been a positive to be able to, and find, obviously, to have this role to a degree.
Todd: 23:21 So in a way you are living the dream. That's a good thing. Final question, prediction, who's going? Four teams left, who do you predict is going to go?
David Rousseau: 23:32 Well, I love the San Francisco story with Purdy. That's the local product that I don't think anybody saw coming. I think I liked, Joe Burrow's got a teammate on Cincinnati, Hubbard, that ran the fumble recovery back the other day. I guess they were both at Ohio State at the time. He said Joe Burrow was such a cool cat that he actually could pull off wearing white jeans amongst their friends. So I think he would be hard to bet against.
Todd: 24:06 Okay, so Niners are going to go. Who else?
David Rousseau: 24:08 I'd say Niners and the Bengals.
Todd: 24:10 Okay. Then, want to predict?
David Rousseau: 24:12 Oh, well, again, we might as well finish the local story and let Purdy win and bring home... it's all things Arizona, so.
Todd: 24:22 Well, and that bombshell, now you know. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for your leadership, not only with this very special event in Phoenix, but also your lifetime of community service to our state. We appreciate you being here and we'll love to have you back.
David Rousseau: 24:39 Thanks, Todd, appreciate it. Look forward to it.
Todd: 24:40 Thank you.