Kim Pegula
| Kim Pegula | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1969 Seoul, South Korea |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Houghton College |
| Known for | Owner of the Buffalo Bills, President and CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment |
| Spouse(s) | Terrence Pegula (m. 1993) |
| Children | 3 (including Jessica Pegula) 2 stepchildren |
Kim Pegula (née Kerr) is an American businesswoman and, along with her husband, Terry Pegula, one of the principle owners of the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League. She is also one of the key personnel of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, which is the holding company that manages the Bills alongside with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League, Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, and Black River Entertainment, an independent record label based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Early and Personal Life
Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea. Orphaned at a young age, she was adopted by Ralph and Marilyn Kerr on December 30, 1974. Along with her adopted family, she grew up in Fairport, NY, a suburb of Rochester.[1] Kim participated in cheerleading and her school band, playing bassoon. After following her brothers' footsteps in enrolling at Houghton College, she and a roommate ventured to Alaska to work near a fishing camp upon hearing there was money to be made. It was there that she met her future husband, Terry Pegula, when he and his coworkers ate at a restaurant in which Kim was working as a waitress. Pegula offered her a job at his natural gas company, and they eventually entered a relationship, marrying in 1993. Kim and Terry have 5 children, 3 together and 2 from Terry's past marriage, and live in Boca Raton, FL.[2]
Career
Pegula was involved in her husband's company, East Resources, from 1991 to its sale in 2010. Shortly afterwards, the Pegulas purchased the Buffalo Sabres and its two affiliated teams, the Buffalo Bandits of the NLL and the Rochester Americans of the AHL[3] Kim had a big influence in the planning and construction of HarborCenter, a mixed-use development next to the Sabres' arena and part of the revitalization of downtown Buffalo. After the death of longtime Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, the team was put up for sale. The Pegulas competed with real estate mogul Donald Trump and a consortium comprising rock singer Jon Bon Jovi and key people in Toronto-based Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for the team. The Pegulas ultimately won, making an NFL record $1.4 billion bid all in cash.[4][5] Following the acquisition, Kim and Terry reorganized their sports franchises plus record label Black River Entertainment into a new company, Pegula Sports and Entertainment. She helped coin the term "One Buffalo" and is also involved with the NFL Foundation. The Pegulas have also donated significant amounts of money to their alma maters, including $12 million to Houghton College, which allowed it to build a new athletics complex and transition to NCAA Division III.[2]
References
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External Links
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Pegula Sports and Entertainment
- Living people
- American sports businesspeople
- Women in American Professional Sports Management
- Buffalo Bills executives
- National Football League owners
- People from Seoul
- People from Rochester, New York
- People from Fairport, New York
- South Korean emigrants to the United States
- American people of Korean descent
