| National Football League | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Chief administrator of football operations |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | 1971 or 1972 (age 53–54) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Notre Dame Academy (Staten Island,New York) |
| College: | Delaware Wagner College New York Law School |
| Career history | |
As an administrator: | |
| |
Dawn Marie DiFortuna-Aponte (bornc. 1971) is anAmerican football administrator,accountant, and attorney. She is the chief administrator of football operations for theNational Football League (NFL), having served in the position since June 2017.
Aponte was bornc. 1971) grew up inStaten Island,New York.[1] She attendedNotre Dame Academy. She went to theUniversity of Delaware and graduated in 1993 with aB.S. degree in accounting.[2][3]
While enrolled at Delaware, she interned with theNew York Jets as an accountant, and took a full-time position in 1994.[2][4] She graduated fromWagner College in 1999 with anM.B.A. degree in finance and management, and received aJuris Doctor fromNew York Law School in February 2003.[3][5] In May 2001, the Jets promoted her to salary cap analyst and pro personnel assistant.[6] She was promoted to manager of football administration in June 2003.[7] While with the Jets, she was mentored byMike Tannenbaum,Bill Parcells, andBill Belichick.[2] Aponte became the vice president of labor finance for theNational Football League's management council in 2006,[2] and stayed in that position for three years.[1]
Aponte was the vice president of football administration and top contract negotiator for theCleveland Browns in 2009.[2] She resigned from the team to become the senior vice president of football operations for theMiami Dolphins in February 2010.[8] She was promoted to executive vice president of football administration in 2012, and worked withgeneral managerJeff Ireland on player contract negotiations until 2014.[2][1] She began reporting to general managerDennis Hickey when he was hired in January 2014.[9] In 2014, Aponte was one of two female vice presidents on NFL teams, along withKatie Blackburn of theCincinnati Bengals.[1] Mike Tannenbaum was promoted to executive vice president of football operations of the Dolphins in February 2015, and Aponte started reporting directly to ownerStephen M. Ross.[10] She left the Dolphins in September 2016 to become a business development executive at RSE Ventures, a private investment firm founded by Ross.[11]
Aponte was hired by the NFL league office to become their chief administrator of football operations in June 2017.[12] She became the highest-ranked woman in NFL football operations with the appointment.[13] On the third day of the televised2020 NFL draft, she and NFL executiveDave Gardi replaced commissionerRoger Goodell in announcing draft picks from their homes during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[14] She continued announcing selections during the2021 NFL draft.[15]
Aponte interviewed with theLos Angeles Chargers for theirgeneral manager position in January 2024.[16]
Aponte, via The 33rd Team will be interviewed for theNew York Jets general manager position in 2025.
Aponte is married with four children.[1] Aponte was a guest speaker at the NFL Career Development Symposium in May 2013.[17] She was named to theUSA Football board of directors on October 17, 2013.[18] In March 2016, she spoke at the first NFL Women's Career Development Symposium.[19]
Jennifer Garner's character in the 2014 filmDraft Day is loosely based on Aponte.[20]