The Washington Spirit’s first official signing of the offseason is Kim Stone, who will be joining as the club’s first CEO under Michele Kang. You may remember that Emma May (now Emma May-Bradley) was hired as President of Business Operations, but left her role in early October to ‘focus on family’ by transitioning to an advisor. Stone’s announcement reveals that she will be head of all business operations at the Spirit.

“Joining as the CEO of the Washington Spirit marks not just a new chapter in my career but also a commitment to a vision that deeply resonates with me. Michele [Kang]’s visionary leadership and her unwavering dedication to excellence are what drew me to this role,” said Stone in the press release. “Collaborating with her, our talented leadership team, exceptional players, loyal fans and expert technical staff, we aim to elevate the club to be the world’s preeminent sports organization. Our goal is to foster a high-performance culture of winning, both on and off the pitch. It is a privilege to embrace this journey, and I am excited to contribute to our collective pursuit of excellence.”

In a 2021 feature in The Athletic, Stone discussed coming out to her Mom in her 30s, getting married to her wife in Canada, and the importance of being able to live openly in her personal and professional life. “I had other job offers when in Miami, and the first thing I’d do is Google ownership, the person calling me, the community, and I’d look it all up. I don’t ever want to worry that something could happen to my family because someone decides whatever they decide and do something,” Stone told The Athletic. “Fortunately, for me, there are places where my lifestyle isn’t an issue. I want to be able to call my wife my wife and my son my son.”

According to LinkedIn and my incredibly suspect math skills, Stone has held approximately several hundred thousand job titles with the NBA’s Miami Heat. Including Vice President of Season Ticket Service & Retention and most recently Executive Vice President of Human Capital & Special Projects. She also held the title of General Manager of the Chase Center for the Golden State Warriors.

She heads to the Spirit after a year and a half as President of UBS Arena & Executive VP East Coast for Oak View Group. Oak View Group is a developer of sports and live entertainment venues around the world, whose properties include the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, and dozens more.

We may be making a leap beyond the press release, but we know from previous interviews of Michele Kang that a dedicated training facility for the Spirit remains on her list of things to do. From that vantage point, Stone’s resume would seem even more intriguing. Also, who knows, Audi Field is great but hosts D.C. United and the DC Defenders, a minor league American football team that chews up the pitch every week during the penultimate part of the NWSL season.

Obviously building anything in this area is gonna take more than one (1) hire, but Stone’s background and experience will surely be useful in helping to navigate the process. But given the official title as CEO, there will be plenty to focus on around the business of the Spirit. Here’s hoping the Spirit make her job a smooth and easy transition by announcing a coach and a few fun player signings.