A group huddles around a computer screen on a recent late afternoon in the Milwaukee Bucks’ bustling Downtown corporate headquarters. It’s a much-needed break in a busy day for the squad, which includes Peter Feigin, the outgoing president of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum, and his appointed replacement, Josh Glessing.
“Here’s what you need to know,” Glessing says he scurries into his glass-walled office that overlooks the organized chaos going on outside of it. “There’s a group Wordle that just took place. Yes, I missed the first two guesses because I was filling up my water bottle. But I came back and solved it on the third turn in about 20 seconds.”
Glessing, a Wisconsin native who served as the chief of strategy and development of Ohio-based Haslam Sports Group, the parent company of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew that also has a shared controlling interest in the Bucks, recently arrived in Milwaukee to begin his new job.
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Born in Manitowoc, Glessing, 40, moved to Racine at a young age and attended Park High school before graduating from Oak Creek High School. He describes himself as a “life-long Bucks fan.”
He takes the reigns from Feigin, who landed in Milwaukee 2014 and has left an indelible mark on the city, so much so that on Thursday morning in a ceremony at Fiserv Forum, Feigin was honored with a key to the city from Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and a proclamation presented by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley for his long-standing leadership and commitment to Milwaukee.
“It’s a fool’s errand to try to emulate what Peter’s done here,” Glessing says of his predecessor, who spearheaded the creation of Fiserv Forum and Deer District and whose announced departure caught many in the community by surprise.
“However, what I can commit to is being a very active, involved member of the community, not just for the 41 Bucks home games each season but each and every day and night. My role isn’t to replace Peter. But there are important relationships that we have to maintain, with individuals and also with the community at large.”
Glessing takes over at a time of uncertainty regarding the future of franchise superstar and two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also earned MVP honors in the 2021 NBA Finals when the Bucks captured the franchise’s first league crown in 50 years and just the second in its history. The Bucks have struggled on the court this season, and held an 18-27 record entering play on Thursday, with the team in danger of not making the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
Glessing spoke with Milwaukee Magazine about a range of topics, including sharing his thoughts about the Bucks chances of returning to championship form as well as continuing Deer District development.
What should Bucks’ fans and the city of Milwaukee, in general, know about you?
First of all, I’m from here. A lot of times when someone steps into this type of role they talk about the community and the culture. Those are the buzzwords that you’re supposed to say. But I’m from here. I truly understand this community, the people in it and how important the Bucks are. I say this as someone who’s been a Bucks fan for literally 40 years and someone who has a brother that lives in Milwaukee, a mother that lives in Racine, a sister that lives in Kenosha and in-laws that live in La Crosse. The people here should know that I’m coming home and I’m excited to be here.
What appealed to you so much about coming back home to take this job?
There’s the obvious reason – my kids growing up closer to their grandparents. This is an opportunity that my wife and I couldn’t pass up. There’s also the ability to lead a global brand. The reality is that the Milwaukee Bucks are a global brand. The NBA is a platform that lends itself to global brands and to come back to Wisconsin and be able to helm a company that shines a light on Milwaukee, those opportunities don’t come very often. There’s an opportunity to be here and build onto what’s already been built. If I didn’t take this opportunity now, does the opportunity ever present itself again? Maybe not, certainly not in [my] home state, right?
Peter Feigin will remain with the Bucks as you transition into the job. What are your thoughts?
I’m grateful for that. Peter’s been a friend of mine for the better part of a decade. Above all else, he’s just an incredible person. He means a lot to the city and the city means a lot to him. There’s no set date on when he goes, but his mother, mother-in-law, both brothers and two adult kids [are] all in New York City. You have to remember Peter also did what he did in a very different time, when there were real fears of the team leaving Milwaukee. He led Fiserv Forum from its groundbreaking in Deer District. He was the face of an NBA championship. He came in at a different time in the Bucks history.
What’s your message to frustrated Bucks fans?
Over the last couple of years, we’ve fought injuries, and, unfortunately, we’ve had injuries at the wrong time. It’s part of the game. We commit to the health and wellness of the players to try to ensure that injuries don’t happen, but sometimes they just do. What I can say is (General Manager) Jon Horst is a pro’s pro, and he’s proven that he can lead the basketball (operations) and ensure that we’re putting a competitive product on the court. The goal, of course, is to win. We have the resources from our ownership group to ensure that we compete, but it’s hard. There’s great parity in the league. The last seven championships have been won by a different team each season, so that means we have a fighting chance every year, and the goal is to take advantage of that.
Is it realistic that this franchise could win another NBA title, with or without Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Yes. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think that was realistic. Jon Horst wouldn’t be here either. That’s the goal, but it’s not easy.
How much of a challenge is it right now to operate Fiserv Forum and Deer District, given the ongoing struggles with the economy?
Developing in any urban core in America right now is really, really hard. We think we have interesting and realistic paths to multiple projects this calendar year. We are not necessarily a developer, but we’ve got partners who are great developers. So, the hope is, in the coming months, we break ground on the next phase of residential multifamily units in Deer District. The Live Nation music venue is going to open at the end of February. That’s going to drive activity for upwards of 80 nights a year and that activity flows into all of the other parts of Downtown, before and after shows. We’re also looking at another hotel, the Moxy. Ground will be broken on the ($50 million, 156-room, seven-story) hotel this year.
What are the specific challenges associated with Deer District projects?
I don’t want to pretend this stuff is easy. It isn’t. It’s capital intensive. Construction costs are not going down, so that makes things really, really difficult. But we partner with professionals who are good at doing this.
There’s also other undeveloped acreage in Deer District. Are you looking at projects for those sites as well?
We’ve got a guy on the team, Mike Belot (chief real estate development officer) who’s exploring that every single day trying to find the right projects to drive density. In Columbus, I oversaw 33 acres of development where we used a soccer stadium to spur meaningful activity. We also built the nicest Class-A commercial building in the state of Ohio, and we did it when times were toughest. All of that spurs more activity.
What’s the importance of the Landmark Credit Union Live concert hall to Deer District and how will it fit into the Milwaukee concert venue landscape?
Live Nation is trying to ensure that they’re not necessarily cannibalizing anything else but instead are bringing shows here that otherwise would not have come. There’s probably a lot of shows that have skipped over Milwaukee because there hasn’t been the right venue. This is an incredible venue. I walked through it a couple weeks ago and it’s awesome.
You oversaw considerable success with the Columbus Crew, as far as revenue, corporate partnerships, ticketing and premium sales. What worked there, and can you bring some of that here, too?
That’s the goal. And here’s the really, really good thing. There’s an incredible team in place here. If we can sell out soccer in Columbus, Ohio, we can do the same thing with basketball and other events here in Milwaukee. In fact, we have done that. There’s an incredible team here from a ticket sales perspective that has been doing that, and they’ll continue to do that.
Where were you when the Bucks won the NBA championship in 2021?
I came to Milwaukee for game three. I did not come when they won, unfortunately, but what happened was incredible. The NBA championship shines a bright light. People from all over the world were thinking about Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
What should we know about your family?
I told my 4-year-old daughter, Greta, that we were planning to move here. Her demands were a bunk bed and a puppy. My son Charlie’s demands were a little easier to fill. I just told him that there are three Monster Jam events at Fiserv Forum. He said, ‘I’m in.’ I told him that maybe I can introduce him to Gravedigger. My wife, Sarah, was born in Champaign, Illinois, and grew up in La Crosse. We got engaged and married in Milwaukee.
What’s the job been like for you so far?
Peter has been incredible in that he’s trying to introduce me to the to the relevant people to get involved with in the community. But it has been a fire hose. But it’s been really special to see how important the Bucks are in the community and with community leaders that I’m spending time with.
What are your hobbies?
I play some pickleball and golf. Real simple.
Anything else to add?
We’re going to have fun. We’re committed to winning on the court, to taking great care of our fans and giving back to our community. That’s been the case here and that’s going to continue to be the case.
