National Football Foundation 2nd Annual Leadership Symposium

The Board of Directors, in an effort to provide the chapter’s honorees with additional resources and guidance, has decided to host an inaugural “Leadership Symposium.” NFL Senior Vice President of Football Operations and Sayville native, Dave Gardi, has agreed to host the event at the NFL’s league offices. It will be a powerful opportunity to interact with distinguished professionals from a wide array of disciplines including law, medicine, finance, and sports. Each panelist will provide a brief overview of their background and the role athletics played in their professional development and then the floor will be opened for questions by our honorees. NFF honorees will get an opportunity to receive critical career advice and interface with accomplished professionals in a meaningful way.

The moderator of the event is Dave Gardi, currently the Senior Vice President of Football Operations Policy and Compliance for the National Football League (NFL). Dave employs a unique combination of legal background and a lifetime of football knowledge to ensure that all football operations are in compliance with policy, process and rules. Gardi is the gatekeeper of policies and procedures that control competitive balance, where he utilizes a Juris Doctorate in Law from Hofstra as the watchdog over integrity of the game policies, and rules administration on game day. As a former quarterback for Brown University, Gardi is also a driving force in communicating the department’s accountability initiatives to clubs, coaches, and players. Gardi began his journey with the NFL in 2003. Prior to joining Football Operations, he served as Vice President of Labor Relations and Football Administration where he advised clubs on matters related to the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, including player contracts, salary cap, club discipline, League policies, and workers compensation.