Pam Gardner President, Business Operations

Houston Astros President of Business Operations Pam Gardner currently serves as the longest-tenured female chief executive in Major League Baseball. The 2008 season is her eighth season as President of Business Operations in addition to her 20th overall with the organization. She was named to her current post in August of 2001. She oversees all revenue areas, customer service, building and financial operations, sponsorship and ticket sales, as well as community and marketing outreach programs. Under Pam's leadership as team president, the club has consistently ranked among the top-drawing clubs in Major League Baseball. The Astros drew a franchise-record season crowd during their National League Wild Card season in 2004, as 3,087,872 fans attended games at Minute Maid Park. In 2007, the club drew 3,000,000 fans for the second consecutive year as well as the fourth time in the eight seasons of baseball in Houston's downtown ballpark. The Astros business group organized the ballpark activities as we hosted playoff games in three of the last six seasons since 2001, including the first World Series game ever played in the State of Texas in 2005. Minute Maid Park also played host to the All-Star Game in 2004. In ceremonies held in Houston in November of 2006, Pam became the first female executive inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame. In April of 2005, Gardner was recognized by Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal as one of the 20 Most Influential Women in Sports. She was also included in a special exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, saluting women in baseball. She joined the team in 1989 as director of communications, developing advertising and marketing campaigns for the Club. In 1994, she was named director of marketing, where her role expanded to include a strong focus on customer satisfaction and the in-game experience. Pam became Vice President of Marketing in 1996, overseeing advertising, marketing and ticket sales areas for the Astros, with emphasis on growing general revenue areas. As the dream of a new ballpark began to become a reality for the team, her focus was shifted to include a leadership role in the design and development of Minute Maid Park. While working on the construction and marketing of the new facility, she continued overseeing marketing for the team, including the nostalgic 1999 "A Season to Remember" campaign, a salute to the team's 35 years in the Astrodome. Pam was named senior vice president of sales and marketing in 1999, and added sponsorship sales and marketing operations to her responsibilities. She spearheaded the advertising and marketing efforts for both the team and the new ballpark in its inaugural season, as the Astros began a new era of excitement for baseball fans in Houston and Texas. During that time, she led the development of the new logo and uniform design and implementation for 2000 and beyond. The club also set franchise attendance records in three consecutive seasons (1998-2000) in the Astrodome, in addition to the current franchise standard set in 2004 at Minute Maid Park. Pam has also worked to make Minute Maid Park a destination for a multitude of events other than baseball games. The stadium has played host to numerous charity events, including major fund-raising galas for the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the United Way and the annual Astros Wives' Gala. Former President George Bush's 80th birthday party, a dual event with the M.D. Anderson event, was held at the ballpark in 2004. The club also instituted its annual Race for the Pennant in 2003, a 5K race which raises funds annually for the Astros in Action Foundation. Additionally, the annual Houston College Classic presented by the Houston Chronicle, a six-team tournament held in conjunction with the annual FanFest in early February, has developed into one of the premier early-season college baseball tournaments in the country. The Astros in Action Foundation, which works to enhance the quality of life in our community, has also increased its efforts under Pam's leadership in terms of both the volume of appearances the club makes in the community along with the amount of money donated to charitable projects through the Foundation. Pam currently serves on the board of the Astros in Action Foundation, and is also a member of the board of the Houston Area Women's Center, which provides shelter and support services to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. Pam is a member of the board and Executive Committee of Central Houston, Inc., a private, non-profit organization supported by business institutions with the purpose of redeveloping and revitalizing downtown. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Newfield Exploration Company and the Advisory Board for J.P. Morgan Chase. A native of Green Bay, Wisconsin and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Pam joined the Astros after working for ten years with an advertising and public relations agency in Chicago, serving her last five years as the vice president of the entertainment division. Gardner has two children, Meaghan and Coleman Anderson, age 23.

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