When Chuck Arnold was named president of the Seahawks and First & Goal Inc., the longtime team employee who began his career as an intern said, "I'm ready to take on this role. We've done a lot of great things, and our job now is to see if we can continue to do great things and do even more."
And with Arnold as president the past three years, the Seahawks have indeed done great things while continuing to raise the bar, which is why he will continue in that role for the foreseeable future, having signed a contract extension that runs through 2027.
Arnold's new contract gives the Seahawks stability in leadership on the business side of the organization to go along with continuity on the football side of things with head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider both signing extensions in the past six months, Carroll's running through the 2025 season and Schneider's running through the 2027 draft.
"Chuck continues to do an exceptional job working with and supporting the football operation while assuring that the entire Seahawks organization remains an engaged and invested community leader unafraid to tackle tough challenges in our region," said Jody Allen, chair of the Seattle Seahawks. "Stability, quality, and consistency of leadership is a key ingredient to our continued success and winning culture. I remain excited for the future of this organization both on and off the field."
Arnold, a Tacoma native and Washington State University grad, began his career with the Seahawks as an intern in the public relations department in 1994. The then joined the team's ticket sales department, eventually being promoted to director of ticket operations in 1997 before adding the title of director of ticket sales and service in 2001. Arnold was named vice president of sales and marketing in 2010, then became the team's chief operating officer in 2013.
While overseeing the financial and business side of the organization, Arnold has helped the Seahawks brand continue as one of the strongest in the NFL. The Seahawks have set franchise records for new season tickets sold, overall season ticket base, average attendance and group sales, including its current streak of 146 consecutive home game sellouts. In 2020, the team ranked sixth in the NFL in local TV ratings and consistently ranks in the NFL's top 10 in numerous categories, including local and national fanbase, fan experience, retail, and digital engagement.
Arnold's commitment to making an impact off the field continues to be one of the organization's top areas of focus. The club supports nearly 2,500 charities around the Pacific Northwest and beyond and uses its unique and powerful platform to support community programs around the region. In light of COVID-19's impact on the community, Arnold led the Seahawks and FGI to support numerous COVID-related efforts in 2020 including utilizing Lumen Field's vast stadium and event center space to host an army field hospital, blood donation center, and make more than 120,000 emergency meals that were distributed throughout the Seattle area. In March 2021, Lumen Field also opened the country's largest civilian-led community vaccination site in partnership with the City of Seattle. Arnold also oversaw the creation of a new role in the organization earlier this year, with Karen Wilkins-Mickey being named the team's first vice president of diversity, equity & inclusion.
