Iona College has a unique connection to Super Bowl XLVIII. Though no players from the game graced the campus, one of the most important and influential figures in the game did: Alfred F. Kelly Jr.

Kelly ’80, ’81MBA is the president and CEO of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee. By holding such a position, he oversees all of the preparations for the big game. He was appointed to this position in April 2011.

“For Al and Iona, it is so great to have Al in this position,” Charles J. Carlson, Vice Provost for Student Life, said. “They picked the absolute perfect guy. He has always made us proud.”

Kelly’s first task was to build a committee around himself to prepare the New York and New Jersey area for the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl Host Committee features 30 full-time employees and 12 part-time employees. These men and women are assisted by about 10,000 volunteers for the week leading up to the big game.

“[The 10,000 man volunteer force] is one of the largest of any Super Bowl, due to the complications of the area and the range of the geographic footprint,” Kelly said in an article from the fall issue of Iona Magazine.

Kelly and the staff make sure that the area is prepared for the game and the week-long activities. Furthermore, they are in charge of making sure the area receives the maximum amount of benefits from hosting the game. The game is expected to generate a lot of money for the region’s economy (roughly $550 million, according to nynjsuperbowl.com).

Super Bowl XLVIII is the first Super Bowl to be played outside in a cold weather climate. It is also the first Super Bowl to be played in a stadium that two NFL teams call home (the New York Giants and the New York Jets).

“This is the biggest event on the biggest stage. I think it’s more than just event planning,” Kelly said in an article on NJ.com. “I think this is about figuring out how to get the maximum economic impact for the New Jersey/New York area. I think it’s about putting New York/New Jersey on the map as a go-to event for any event anyone is thinking about.”

Prior to being named head of the Super Bowl Host Committee, Kelly was the president of American Express, a company that he worked at for 23 years. He also worked in the Ronald Reagan administration, serving as the Head of Information Systems.

Additionally, Kelly spent 13 years as a trustee of Iona College. He also served as the chair of the Iona College Development Committee.

“It’s nice to have Al remain a part of Iona,” Carlson said. “He doesn’t forget where he’s come from; he graduated a while ago but still takes the time for students. He’s at the essence of what it means to be Iona.”

Kelly is not the only Iona person on the Super Bowl Host Committee. He is joined by Rich Petriccione ’81 ’95MS, who holds the position of Senior Vice President for Philanthropy and Community Relations on the Super Bowl Planning Committee. At Iona, he served as Athletics Director and Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs.

With these fine Gaels running the operations at the Super Bowl, the event is in good hands.