ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After participating in the NFL's inaugural Front Office Accelerator at the Spring League Meeting in May, Executive Director of Football Operations/Special Advisor to the General Manager Kelly Kleine will join the program's second session in Dallas from Dec. 13-14.
As the NFL works to promote diversity among executive and coaching staffs across the league, the Front Office Accelerator will bring together 32 general manager prospects of diverse backgrounds, representing the league office and 28 clubs, to connect with ownership representatives from every NFL club.
The Front Office Accelerator program aims to "provide rising people of color and women front office prospects with the opportunity to strengthen relationships with club ownership and executives," the NFL wrote in a press release. The program includes opportunities to propel participants into future front-office roles through content sessions with academic and business leaders and experts in football operations.
"The goal of our Accelerator Program is to foster relationships between owners and potential candidates for front office positions," said Steelers president Art Rooney II, chairman of the NFL Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. "Both the clubs and the Accelerator participants understand the importance of the exposure, professional development and networking opportunities of the Accelerator."
Kleine, who is in her 11th NFL season, joined the Broncos in 2021 and is the highest-ranking woman to hold a position in the team's scouting department in franchise history. In her role, she works with "all aspects of the Broncos' personnel department, including player evaluation, NFL Draft/free agency preparations and day-to-day football administration," as the Broncos note in their media guide.
"Someone I don't talk about enough is Kelly Kleine," General Manager George Paton said after the 2022 NFL Draft. "She's really the glue that keeps us all together, the details, all the little things. She keeps me in check, keeps all the scouts in check. She knows football, she knows the building, and she's the glue that keeps everything together."
