Will Packer And Dominique Dawes Strengthen Ties To Atlanta Through Falcons Ownership

Will Packer and Dominique Dawes are taking their love for Atlanta to new levels by becoming limited partners of the Atlanta Falcons.

TV and film producer Will Packer and Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes, along with American businesswoman Rosalind Brewer and venture capitalist Rashaun Williams, have joined the NFL team’s ownership group as limited partners, the Falcons announced. They were carefully vetted by the Falcons, the league office, and the NFL’s Finance Committee, before being advanced to a full vote of the NFL’s 32 owners during a May 21 meeting in Nashville.

“What I accomplished in 1996, winning America’s first Team Gold Medal in gymnastics and as the first African-American to win Gold, in the city of Atlanta, has given me, to this day, the greatest platform to continually inspire others,” Dawes said.

“The unique opportunity [Falcons owner Arthur Blank] has provided enables me to further my positive impact on those in the Atlanta community, a place I hold near and dear to my heart,” she added. “Having been a global ambassador for the United States, I hope that my platform and influence as one of the few African American women to be a limited partner in the National Football League has broad impact throughout the NFL community and beyond.”

Brewer, a Detroit native who is the first woman to become CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, group president and COO of Starbucks, and CEO of Sam’s Club, is also associate director on the board of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

“Having worked with Arthur and his foundation for several years, I have deep respect and appreciation for the values that guide everything Arthur does in his businesses and philanthropy–his impact on Atlanta has been immeasurable,” Brewer said. “With this incredible opportunity, I look forward to championing the Falcons’ successes and Atlanta’s spirit as we strive to make a genuine difference in the lives we touch, both on and off the field.”

Emmy-nominated Girls Trip producer Packer, who already serves on the board of the Atlanta Hawks Foundation, is excited to bring his expertise in the entertainment industry to the Falcons franchise.

“The power of representation and equity should never be underestimated and as someone who has dedicated his career to creating diverse imagery, I have a true appreciation of Mr. Blank’s commitment to opening doors that have historically been closed to African Americans,” Packer said. “This investment represents not only the personal opportunity of a lifetime, but also the chance to demonstrate for generations to come that someone who looks like me can excel not only on the field but at the highest level of the exclusive ranks of NFL ownership.”