Darcie Glazer Kassewitz has been the driving force behind many of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' innovative, forward-thinking fan engagement. Her leadership has helped position the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the forefront of driving gender equality and social justice through strategic programming across the greater Tampa Bay region and nationally.
Through her relentless pursuit of creating innovative programming, Kassewitz helped to establish the Social Justice Initiative prior to the 2018 season. The Social Justice Initiative includes monthly events focused on youth empowerment, police relations, criminal justice reform, racial equality and workforce development. The initiative is supported by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation Social Justice Fund, a campaign driven by the team's players and matching contributions from the Glazer family that invests more than $1 million to charitable organizations throughout the region. In recognition of her leadership, Kassewitz was appointed to the NFL's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Aligned with the belief that "football is for all", Kassewitz has implemented initiatives to strengthen the Buccaneers' connection with all segments of their fan base. In 2015, she introduced the Women of Red, a pioneering program focused on enhancing the fan experience for women. In its highly anticipated debut season, Women of Red was deemed "the tipping point for a genuine connection to fans" attracting thousands of women to customized events that offered a wide variety of interactive experiences, exclusive behind-the-scenes access, and opportunities to interact with Buccaneers players and legends as well as current executives. Kassewitz has also positioned the Buccaneers as a leading organization across the NFL among women-focused programs, including a first-of-its-kind Women's Summit for Careers in Football, an NFL-first Girls in Football Scholarship, and the Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic which remains the largest girls flag football tournament in the country. She is also a trustee of the Women's Sports Foundation, a national non-profit organization established in 1974 to enable all girls and women to reach their potential in sports and life.
In support of the organization's long-standing commitment to education in the Tampa Bay community, Kassewitz launched the Jr. Bucs School Program - the single-largest in-school program in team history. Impacting nearly 200,000 students in 300 elementary and middle schools across the Tampa Bay area, these "Bucs Academies" help students on and off the field by providing equipment, expanding the current physical fitness curriculum, and supporting youth literacy in the classroom.
Under Kassewitz's leadership, the Buccaneers provide resources and financial support to important community causes including supporting food banks in partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay and raising awareness and funds towards cancer awareness and patient services benefitting the American Cancer Society, Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation, the AdventHealth Foundation of Central Florida and Moffitt Cancer Center.
Kassewitz also leads the Glazer Vision Foundation, which is committed to full-treatment vision correction for children in Tampa Bay. For over a decade, the Foundation has provided the Mobile Vision Clinic, which provides eye exams and prescription glasses to children in need. Since its inception, the program has performed more than 100,000 free eye screenings and provided more than 20,000 free prescription eyeglasses to children and families.
Through a lead gift, the Foundation has provided the funding necessary to open the world-class Glazer Children's Museum in downtown Tampa as part of its ongoing dedication to children and families. The one-of-a-kind museum opened on September 25, 2010, and instantly became the featured destination for children and families in Tampa Bay, providing 53,000-square feet of space for safe and playful learning.
Since 1999, the foundation has hosted more than 20,000 children at Raymond James through the Buccaneers Gameday for Education program which rewards participating students for academic achievement.
Kassewitz's design expertise has also inspired many of the signature spaces enjoyed by Buccaneers fans and players at the team's business headquarters and training facility. In partnership with her brothers, she spearheaded the design and construction of the AdventHealth Training Center which features in-depth exhibits that tell the story of the franchise and includes a display with the team's two Lombardi trophies as well as a one-of-its-kind sculpture titled "The Moment of Victory" which depicts the moment the team won its first World Championship in Super Bowl XXXVII. Additionally, she was instrumental in the planning and design of the Buccaneers' 100,000-square-foot indoor practice facility which debuted in 2018.
In addition to her responsibilities with the foundation and the Buccaneers' charitable endeavors, she has served as Co-Chairwoman of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Palm Beach. Kassewitz also serves on the Board of Manchester United Soccer Club, which has captured six titles since the Glazer family took over the club: five Premier League titles (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011 and 2013), as well as the 2008 Champions League title.
Kassewitz graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from American University in 1990 and earned her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk Law School in 1993. Kassewitz and her husband, Joel, reside in Tampa.
