Steve Swindal
{{short description|American businessman}}
{{For|the Scottish rugby union footballer|Steve Swindall}}
{{Redirect|Swindal|a similar surname|Swindall}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Steve Swindal
|office=Chairman of the Port Tampa Bay
|spouse={{marriage|Jennifer Steinbrenner|1983|2007|end=div.}}
|birth_place=Tampa, Florida
|alma_mater=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
}}
Stephen Whitfield Swindal is an American businessman. He is the chairman of Port Tampa Bay. Swindal was a general partner of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball from 1998 through 2007, and in 2005 had been chosen as George Steinbrenner's successor as head of the Yankees.
Biography
=Early life and education=
Swindal graduated from Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). He earned his bachelor's degree in history in 1976. He hoped to become a doctor, but was not accepted into medical school, and he then took postgraduate coursework in biology at the University of Florida. He returned to Tampa to work for his family's furniture wholesale company.{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/son-in-law-rises-swindal-poised-reins-boss-article-1.597460|title=Son-In-Law Rises, Swindal Poised to Take Reins From Boss|first=Wayne|last=Coffey|work=New York Daily News|date=July 3, 2005|access-date=January 7, 2019}}
=Career with New York Yankees=
Swindal met Jennifer Steinbrenner, a UNC alum and daughter of New York Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, through a mutual friend in Tampa.{{cite news|last=Macur|first=Juliet|title=Emotional Steinbrenner Aims To Put All His Houses in Order|date=May 2, 2004|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/02/nyregion/emotional-steinbrenner-aims-to-put-all-his-houses-in-order.html|access-date=January 22, 2019}} They married in 1983. Swindal initially continued working for his family's business, but eventually joined the American Shipbuilding Company, owned by George Steinbrenner. He then ran a tugboat company Steinbrenner owned until it was sold in 1995. Swindal then joined the Yankees front office.{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/sitting-steve-swindal-future-yankee-boss-talks-dad-boss-article-1.568043|title=Sitting Down with Steve Swindal. Future Yankee boss talks about his 'dad, The Boss|website=NY Daily News|access-date=January 7, 2019}} He became a general partner of the team and chairman of Yankee Global Enterprises, including a financial stake. Swindal led the Yankees in negotiating a contract extension with manager Joe Torre in 2004.{{cite news|first=Tyler|last=Kepner |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/05/sports/baseball-torre-feeling-wanted-is-working-on-extension.html |title=Baseball; Torre, Feeling Wanted, Is Working on Extension|work=The New York Times |date=March 5, 2004 |access-date=January 7, 2019}} In June 2005, he was named by Steinbrenner to be his eventual successor as head of the Yankees.{{cite news|title=Swindal may have lost chance to take over Yankees|date=March 30, 2007|website=ESPN.com|url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2816598|access-date=January 22, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/07/steve-swindal-steinbrenners-once-heir-apparent-finds-new-success/ |title=Steve Swindal, George Steinbrenner's Once Heir Apparent With The Yankees, Finds New Success |publisher=CBS New York |date=March 7, 2012 |access-date=January 7, 2019}}
=Arrest and buyout=
In February 2007, Swindal was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. He had been driving to his boat, where he planned to sleep for the night.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/steinbrenner-son-in-law-arrested-for-dui/ |title=Steinbrenner Son-In-Law Arrested For DUI |publisher=CBS News |date=February 16, 2007 |access-date=January 7, 2019}} The following month, he and Jennifer released a statement saying that they were in the process of a divorce.{{cite news|first=Tyler|last=Kepner|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/sports/baseball/29yankees.html?_r=0 |title=Swindal Divorce Shakes Up Yankee Hierarchy|work=The New York Times |date=March 29, 2007 |access-date=January 7, 2019}} The Yankees bought out Swindal's stake of the franchise in September; Hal Steinbrenner succeeded him as chairman of Yankee Global Enterprises.{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-09-28-101528113_x.htm |title=Yankees complete buyout of Stephen Swindal |work = USA Today |date=September 28, 2007 |access-date=January 7, 2019}} Swindal pled no contest to DUI in November, agreeing to a suspension of his driver's license for six months, a year of probation, and 50 hours of community service.{{cite web|url=https://www.ocala.com/news/20071102/ex-yankees-executive-pleads-to-dui-charges|title=Ex-Yankees' executive pleads to DUI charges|agency=Associated Press|work=Ocala Star Banner|date=November 2, 2007|access-date=January 21, 2019}}
=Post Yankees career=
In 2007, Swindal became chairman of Marine Towing, a tugboat business when he bought out the Steinbrenner family stake.{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/catching-up-on-a-new-tugboat-and-port-plans-with-port-tampa-bay-chairman/2183903/ |title=Catching up on a new tugboat and port plans with Port Tampa Bay chairman Steve Swindal |publisher=Tampabay.com |date=June 11, 2014 |access-date=January 7, 2019}} Charlie Crist, the Governor of Florida, appointed him to the board of Port Tampa Bay in 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/06/16/daily14.html|title=Tampa Port Authority welcomes Swindal, Brown as new commissioners|work=Tampa Bay Business Journal|date=June 17, 2008|access-date=January 7, 2019}} The next year, he opened a baseball academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, with Hans Hertell, a former United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, and Abel Guerra, a former Yankees front office executive.{{cite web|url=https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/07/steve-swindal-steinbrenners-once-heir-apparent-finds-new-success/ |title=Steve Swindal, George Steinbrenner's Once Heir Apparent With The Yankees, Finds New Success « CBS New York |publisher=Newyork.cbslocal.com |date=March 7, 2012 |access-date=January 8, 2019}} Swindal became vice chairman of the board of Port Tampa Bay. When the chairman resigned in 2013, Swindal succeeded him.{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/stephen-swindal-takes-over-as-chairman-of-tampa-port-board/2131703 |title=New chair takes over from Hoe Brown on Tampa Port Authority |publisher=Tampabay.com |date= |access-date=January 7, 2019}} Governor Rick Scott reappointed Swindal as chairman in 2018.{{cite web|author=Richard Danielson |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/Mark-Kaplan-named-to-Port-Tampa-Bay-board_167021832 |title=Mark Kaplan named to Port Tampa Bay board |publisher=Tampabay.com |date= |access-date=January 7, 2019}}
=Family=
Swindal has two children: Haley and Stephen Jr. Both graduated from UNC.{{cite web|url=http://givingpubs.unc.edu/documents/carolina_connections/summer2012/stories/Swindal/Swindal.html |title=Steve Swindal: Swinging for the fences |publisher=University of North Carolina |date= |access-date=January 7, 2019}} Haley is an actress who has appeared on Broadway{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/fashion/weddings/haley-swindal-jack-tantleff-wedding.html |title=An Actress and an Agent: 'What Could Be a Better Match?' |work= The New York Times |date=December 12, 2015 |access-date=January 8, 2019}} and Stephen Jr. works in the baseball operations department of the Yankees.{{cite web|last=Hoch |first=Bryan |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/steinbrenners-committed-to-owning-yankees/c-213930320 |title=Steinbrenners committed to owning Yankees |work=MLB.com |date=May 24, 2018 |access-date=January 8, 2019}}
See also
{{Portal bar|Biography|Florida}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swindal, Stephen}}
Category:New York Yankees executives
Category:Businesspeople from Tampa, Florida
Category:American business executives