As President of one the world’s largest facility management firms, Doug Thornton manages the North American Venues Division of Legends/ASM Global, a responsibility that includes oversight of over 150 facilities in the U.S., including 7 NFL stadiums and over 150 arenas, convention centers, theatres and attractions. During his 28-year tenure with ASM Global, Thornton has helped to attract, host and produce numerous major special events, while being involved in other key aspects of the sports and entertainment business including sports team negotiations.
In his executive role with the company, Thornton works closely with clients to develop facility development strategies and live event programming options. He has led the expansion of ASM’s stadium and arena business in recent years to include management of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona and the opening of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Internationally, Thornton led the company’s involvement with the Kai Tak Sports Park, a 50,000 seat stadium and multi-purpose sports campus in Hong Kong, China that opened in late 2023.
Thornton joined ASM as General Manager of the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans Arena in 1997, where he would later lead the unprecedented $225 million renovation and re-opening of the Superdome in 2006 after it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The project was widely viewed by the industry as the largest stadium reconstruction project in American sports history and was credited for playing a significant role in the City’s recovery. In 2002, Thornton managed facility operations for Super Bowl XXXVI, the first Super Bowl to be played under a National Security Special Event designation after the 9-11 tragedy.
Under Thornton’s leadership, Caesars Superdome has continued to move into the future, with continued improvements and features that allow the facility to remain competitive at a time when newer stadiums are being constructed throughout the country at higher costs. The facility just completed a multi-phase, $450M renovation and upgrade.
Throughout his career, Thornton has helped to create innovative facility programming and revenue options. As a 30-year industry veteran, he has developed strong relationships with top Sports League executives, Collegiate Conference Commissioners, as well as top executives of the entertainment and tourism industry.
The Board conducted a special session following the unexpected resignation of RI President-elect Mário César Martins de Camargo on 8 June. Guided by the RI code and policies, the Board selected the new president-elect from a pool of candidates who were considered by the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in August 2023.
The 2025-26 presidential message, announced at the 2025 Rotary International Assembly in February, will remain Unite for Good, which calls on Rotary members to be a force for unity in a world increasingly divided by politics, geography, and ideology. Through service projects, Rotary brings together people of every background — across races, religions, and professions — in a shared mission to do good in their communities.
Arezzo is an orthodontist in private practice. He is active internationally as a member of the Italian, European, and American orthodontics associations. He is vice president of the National Association of Italian Dentists for the province of Ragusa and was the founder and head for seven years of the delegation for Ragusa of the National Trust for Italy. He is a Knight of Honor and Devotion in Obedience within the Sovereign Order of Malta.
A Rotary member for more than 30 years, Arezzo has served as vice chair of the Joint Strategic Planning Committee and as RI director, learning facilitator, and as district conference presidential representative.
Arezzo is a Benefactor of The Rotary Foundation. He is married to Anna Maria Criscione, an entrepreneur in the tourism field. They have two children.
Happy June members, This is an update regarding the Paul Harris wheels. Since the last article, we have more members that have contributed to the Rotary Foundation. Let us congratulate fellow members that have qualified, They are as follows:
Mary L Bonfanti
Two other members were selected from the wheel and they are:
Thomas McAlister
Craig Wroten
I want to thank these and all members that continue to support this effort, by joining the wheel and donating their points, To make sure everyone understand, if you have joined the wheel and not been selected, we will make sure that you are honored with a Paul Harris Fellow after you donate at least $500 total in wheel opportunities. as long as we have member donate the matching points we can continue the wheels program.
To become a wheels member, a check to the NEW ORLEANS ROTARY CLUB in the amount of $100. $200, $205 or $500 will qualify you and the more will increase the odds. Ultimately. all funds are donated to the Rotary Foundation. Remember, Tara will process any donations for these Paul Harris Wheels.
As part of our continuing effort to strengthen connections within our Club, we have launched a new Pairing/Buddy System, where each member is assigned to a small group of fellow Rotarians. The goal is simple: stay in touch regularly, whether by text, phone, email, or in person. Just a quick check-in every week or two can go a long way in building stronger bonds and ensuring we’re supporting each other like the Rotary family we are.
Each member should have received an email from John Olinde with your group assignment and contact details for your group members. If you didn’t receive the email, please:
Check your spam folder, or
Reach out to John directly at johnfolinde@gmail.com
We encourage you to take a moment each week to connect with your group members. This is a simple but meaningful way to engage more deeply with fellow Rotarians and foster our core value of fellowship.
Thank you for your participation in this initiative, and let’s continue to make our Club a place where strong connections thrive.
Our club is seeking input from members on what kind of speakers you would like to see going forward. Please forward all suggestions to Seth Nehrbass, SNehrbass@gmail.com.
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings: Of the things we think, say or do:
If you would like to be featured in our member spotlight, please upload your photo and complete your bio in our member directory. You can access the directory here . When complete, just send an email to alanc@ldcv.com and let me know you’d like to be added to the rotation.
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