‘Honesty-loyalty hallmarks of smooth venue operations’

Article posted by Coliseum, May 8^th, 2026

Image: Coliseum GSVA

Jeffrey Stonebreaker was with the National Guard for the first 10 years and with the football-soccer security for about 20-plus years.

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Stonebreaker joined the Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2018 and at that point of time they didn’t have a Security Department.

Jeffrey Stonebreaker serves as the Senior Vice-President (SVP) of Safety and Security for Major League Soccer (MLS). In this role, he oversees the security policies, compliance and incident management for all MLS and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) sanctioned matches across the United States and Canada.

In an exchange with ‘Coliseum’, Jeffrey Stonebreaker, SVP, Safety and Security, MLS, US, talks about the human resources, human assets which facilitate flawless entry screening to the venues, great incident management “but if you don’t have the humans connected in those processes you are struggling”. He further stated that the operations team in the venues should be honest, have integrity and be loyal for smooth operations of the stadia.

Major League Soccer

The Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams with 27 in the United States and three (3) in Canada. The MLS is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The league is headquartered in New York City (US).

Unique MLS

Jeffrey Stonebreaker started the conversation by remarking, “The Major League Soccer is unique. We have fans that consume the game at a different level – the recognized supporter groups, we allow flags, banners and drums and it is a unique opportunity. When I started with the league we had 13 teams. We have 30 teams now and I have really learnt so much because I was working around Nashville as part of the construction process. So, the investment in a league, the amazing venues that have come along in the last few years it has been a great time to be involved.”

He added that his job is to “hold the venue, hold the team and keep them honest. Then there has to be the balance between revenue generation, guest experience and the actual functioning persons that we need to make the game run.”

Fan Behaviors

Talking about the fan behaviors, Stonebreaker stated, “What is a good fan experience without a couple of beverages. We have to maintain the balance on that. We always like to maintain a clear field of play. The people want to run out, get a selfie. Sometimes our supporter groups get a little too passionate. The passion is amazing, the energy is amazing, it is organic, but everything we have to ensure that it is happening in a safe environment.”

Operations Team

The top shot emphasized that the operations team in a venue needs to be skilled, they need to be a good communicator, they need to be aware, they need to be inclusive, and “they should have integrity and be honest and loyal. It is always better to choose a group of people that has a really strong base of principles and values and then we help them develop the skills.”

Pearls of Wisdom

“One needs to be a student of history so that you understand your culture that will help you change potentially the organization’s communication and the organizational alignment.”

He emphasized further that team work is key and “nothing can be done alone, one must be comprehensive in one’s planning and one’s progress, the power of relationships and we all should work as one. Bring these networks and expand that and then continue to improve the landscape in which you are working.”

Closing Thoughts

Jeffrey Stonebreaker summed up by stating, “Most people listen to respond. I would encourage you to listen to understand. That’s where communication starts. Communication then becomes the bedrock of relationships and that just is a force multiplier over time. The other thing is no matter how good you are someone eventually gets a seat in the seat that you are sitting in. That’s reality. I would ask you to be a good servant to those that you work with and understand the importance of stewardship to make it better for not only those around you but also the people coming behind you.”

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