In the spring of 1999 Lincoln Holdings LLC purchased 100% of the Washington Capitals (held in the name of Lincoln Hockey LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lincoln Holdings) and, together with a subsequent purchase, approximately 44% of Washington Sports and Entertainment Limited Partnership (WSELP). WSELP owns 100% of the NBA Washington Wizards, Verizon Center and the Baltimore-Washington Ticketmaster franchise. In 2005 Lincoln Holdings purchased the WNBA’s Washington Mystics from WSELP. Lincoln Holdings has a right of first refusal on the sale of any of the individual teams or other assets, as well as an option to purchase Abe Pollin’s majority interest in WSELP.
All of the current partners of Lincoln Holdings are extremely active in the Washington-area business community.
Ted Leonsis, the founder, chairman and majority owner of Lincoln Holdings LLC, is known as one of the country’s premier businessmen holding numerous leadership positions at AOL in his 15-year tenure. He is also a professional sports team owner; chairman of Clearspring Technologies, Revolution Money and SnagFilms; a film producer; a private-angel investor; an active board member; and a committed philanthropist.
Now serving as AOL’s vice chairman emeritus, Leonsis is also the chairman of Clearspring Technologies, the leading provider of cross-platform widget services; Revolution Money, an innovative new Web 2.0 payment platform and credit-card service; and SnagFilms, which allows viewers to watch full-length documentary films for free online.
In addition to Lincoln Holdings LLC, Leonsis has investments and/or sits on the board of directors for several companies including: Algentis LLC; AnimalAttraction; Beacon Capital Strategies LLC; Bridgevine, Inc.; Capitol Acquisition Corp; Geneva Acquisition Corp; Georgetown University; GridPoint; Launchbox Digital; Mahalo.com; MediaBank; MobilePosse; ObjectVideo; PodShow and Qloud.
Leonsis is a recent film producer having conceptualized and produced “Nanking,” a documentary film that serves as a powerful, emotional and relevant reminder of the heartbreaking toll war takes on the innocent as it tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II. He is also the producer of “Kicking It,” another example of Filmanthropy, which debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. “Kicking It” will be distributed by ESPN and Netflix, as well as in theaters via Liberation Entertainment.
Leonsis is a committed philanthropist and is very involved with numerous charities including Best Buddies, Hoop Dreams, See Forever Foundation, YouthAIDS and others through the work of the Leonsis Foundation.
Dick Patrick, along with Ted Leonsis, is one of the original partners in Lincoln Holdings LLC, which was formed in the spring of 1999. A mainstay for the Washington Capitals’ franchise for more than two decades, the owner, president and governor continues to lead the club with his tireless effort and intense desire to continue a family tradition – engraving the Patrick name onto the Stanley Cup.
Patrick, who joined the Capitals prior to the 1982-83 season, guides the team on a daily basis and also serves as the team’s representative to the NHL’s Board of Governors. The former chairman of the NHL Finance Committee, Patrick has been instrumental in the Capitals’ long-term success as a franchise both on and off the ice. Patrick was a leader in the conception and development of the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the team’s state-of-the-art training center and office building that opened in 2006 in Arlington, Va.
Jack Davies was the founder and president of AOL International and now serves on the board of directors of Scholastic, the global children’s publishing and media company. Prior to joining AOL in 1993, Davies was managing director of Citicorp's London-based consumer mortgage business after serving as vice president, Europe, for RCA Records. He began his career at General Electric where he held numerous senior consumer marketing positions. Davies earned an MBA in Marketing (1973) and a BA in Political Science (1972) from the University of Rochester.
Active in philanthropy in the D.C. area, Davies serves on a number of boards including the Board and Executive Committee of Venture Philanthropy Partners. In addition he is on the board of HeadsUp, See Forever Foundation, CharityWorks and The Washington Scholarship Fund.
Richard D. Fairbank is founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Capital One Financial Corporation, a Fortune 130 company headquartered in McLean, Va. Fairbank founded Capital One in 1988 based on his belief that the power of information, technology and testing could be harnessed to bring highly customized financial products directly to consumers. Today, Capital One is a broadly diversified financial services company and the 13th largest bank in the United States, with more than 740 locations in New York, New Jersey, Texas and Louisiana and international businesses in the United Kingdom and Canada. Capital One offers a wide variety of financial services, including credit cards, auto loans, small business loans, home equity loans, installment loans and deposit and savings products.
Capital One has been widely recognized for its entrepreneurial culture and people. In 2007, Capital One was named to: Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” Fortune’s “20 Great Employers for New Grads,” BusinnessWeek’s “Best Places to Launch a Career,” Working Mother’s “100 Best Companies” and DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity.” In addition, in 2007, Fortune published its list of "Top Companies for Leaders," ranking Capital One second in North America and fifth globally. Under Fairbank's leadership, Capital One has demonstrated a strong commitment to community engagement and volunteerism, supporting a number of area programs focused on community redevelopment and youth education, including DC Cares, the DC College Access Program and Junior Achievement. Fairbank has been recognized for his business and industry leadership, including being named “2006 Banker of the Year” by the American Banker. Fairbank holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University.
Raul Fernandez is the chairman of ObjectVideo, a leading video analytics company specializing in security surveillance. He is also a special advisor to General Atlantic Partners, a growth equity firm with over $17 billion under management. Fernandez founded Proxicom, an e-business solutions company, in 1991, took it public in 1999 and sold it in 2001. Fernandez also serves on the board of Liz Claiborne, an international apparel company; TROW, a Toronto based engineering and consulting firm; ValueOptions, the nation’s largest independent behavioral healthcare company; and Capital Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company.
Fernandez, a native Washingtonian, is involved with many D.C.-based philanthropic organizations, including serving as a founding member of Venture Philanthropy Partners as well as acting as a board of directors member for D.C. College Access Program, D.C. Children’s First and the National Symphony Orchestra. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland.
Michelle D. Freeman is the owner and active board member of The Carl M. Freeman Companies and has an intimate understanding of the Company and the real estate industry as she worked very closely with her late husband, Josh Freeman, on many company related matters. Michelle is a licensed real estate broker and was a leading sales associate at Sea Colony in Bethany Beach, Del., during the expansion of Sea Colony West in the 1980s and ’90s. Established in 1947, The Carl M. Freeman Companies are the successful developers of award-winning residential and golf communities and neighborhood shopping centers.
Michelle is also chairman and president of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, created in 2007 to honor Josh’s passions and interests. In addition, she is the chairman and president of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, which has been providing grants and guidance to nonprofit organizations since 1960. Josh and Michelle were proud to be founding members of Venture Philanthropy Partners and she continues to be involved with this outstanding organization. Michelle is actively involved with the Landon School in Bethesda, Md. She also launched, owns and operates Pilot Properties, a small business that specializes in the building, rental and sales of properties on the Delaware Shore. Michelle is responsible for the management and oversight of the Freeman Family farm, a 500-acre historic property located in Gaithersburg, Md. She is the proud mother of three wonderful children.
Sheila C. Johnson, a successful entrepreneur and impassioned philanthropist, is CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, overseeing a growing portfolio of luxury properties including The Woodlands Resort & Inn in Summerville, S.C., Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Fla., and Salamander Resort & Spa in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Middleburg, Va., which is poised to become one of the most unique retreats in the world when it opens in early 2010. Johnson is president and managing partner of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. She has long been a powerful influence in the entertainment industry as a founding partner of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and most recently as a film producer. Her film A Powerful Noise premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
In 2006 Johnson was named global ambassador for CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty by empowering women because they have the unique power to help entire communities escape poverty. “Sheila’s I Am Powerful Challenge” was instrumental in helping raise funds for CARE’s important work. Johnson is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. An avid supporter of the arts and an accomplished violinist, Johnson dedicates her time to organizations that create opportunities for children to express and explore their creativity. She serves as chair of the Board of Governors of Parsons The New School for Design in New York and sits on the boards of VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, Americans for the Arts, the Curry School of Education Foundation at the University of Virginia and the University of Illinois Foundation.
Richard Kay is currently chairman of SENTRILLION Inc., a “TS” (Top Secret) international border and port security, information assurance and health managed services company. He is the former founder, chairman and CEO of OTG Software, a data storage software company that he founded in 1992. OTG became the leader in online data storage and access. OTG was acquired by Legato Systems in 2002 and Kay remained on the board of directors until the acquisition of Legato Systems by EMC in 2003.
Kay currently serves on the board of directors of Control Point Solutions and the University of Maryland School of Engineering . He is a special partner with ABS Capital, a multibillion dollar equity investment firm focused on healthcare, IT and media companies. Kay is also an honorary member of the board of directors of Venture Philanthropy Partners. He and his family work closely with various charities.
Jeong H. Kim is the 11th president of Bell Labs, the communication industry's most heralded research organization. His background ranges from being a CEO of a high technology start-up to senior executive of a Fortune 500 corporation. Kim’s early career encompassed computer design, satellite systems design and data communications and included seven years as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy.
Kim holds a Ph.D. in Reliability Engineering from the University of Maryland, a Master's degree in Technical Management and Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. Kim currently serves on the boards of, the Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies, and Global Internet Ventures. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the NASDAQ Listing and Hearing Review Council, and was named one of the 10 most influential Asian Americans in business for 2005 by the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber.
Mark D. Lerner, representing members of the Theodore N. Lerner family, is a principal owner of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club and a principal of Lerner Enterprises, a Rockville, Md., based real estate development, management and investment company founded in 1952 by his father, Ted Lerner. Lerner Enterprises development activity is mainly concentrated in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Some of the company’s major projects include White Flint Mall, White Flint North, Washington Square at 1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 20 M Street, SE, The Corporate Office Centre at Tysons II, Dulles Town Center, Fallsgrove Village Center and the Greenbelt Marriott Hotel, among many others. Lerner also has developed, and manages many residential communities in the Washington, D.C., area. In addition, Lerner Enterprises is a partner in Chelsea Piers, a 30-acre sports and entertainment complex located on the Hudson River in New York City.
Lerner and his family have been involved in many worthwhile causes including the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The George Washington University, Georgetown Day School, The Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Washington, Jewish Community Centers of Greater Washington and the District of Columbia, JCC Maccabi Games, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Imagination Stage, ADL In Concert against Hate, YouthAids, Juvenile Diabetes, Junior Achievement, Food and Friends and the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation, among many others. He currently serves as a trustee of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, a member of the board of Hillel at The George Washington University and the Advisory Board of Israel Bonds.
George Stamas is a senior partner of the international law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He is a venture partner of New Enterprises Associates and the former vice chairman of the board of Deutsche Banc Alex, Brown Inc. A 1973 graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Stamas graduated in 1976 from the University of Maryland Law School and began his career as a special counsel in the Securities & Exchange Commission. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for many years and was previously named as one of the leading 45 lawyers in America under the age of 45 by The American Lawyer. Stamas is also a founding board member of FTI consulting (NYSE) and of NexCen Brands (NASDAQ).
Stamas is active in numerous local and national civic affairs, and is on the board of The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Leadership 100, Caves Valley Golf Club and the Baltimore Orioles and is an Archon of the Order of St. Andrew.
