Three major management moves took place last month. Amy Rahja has been named GM of Target Center, Minneapolis. Rahja replaces David Feeley, who is the new GM of T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Mo. Feeley replaces Jay Cooper, who started the domino effect with his retirement. All work or have worked for Legends Global, and all are active IAVM members.
David Feeley
Feeley first worked with Cooper in Chicago when both were involved with the AEG-operated Toyota Park and the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer team, Rahja recalled. Feeley replaced Cooper at T-Mobile Center in early January after serving as GM of Target Center from 2021 to 2026.
His resume on LinkedIn includes being Executive Director of Entertainment, Northeast Region, for MGM Resorts International; Director of Entertainment Operations for Horseshoe Casino; Director of Operations for SMG Worldwide; and Director of Operations for AEG. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University.
Cooper retired after 43 years in the venue business, per T-Mobile Center’s Facebook post on Jan. 16. He had been GM of T-Mobile Center for four years. His first retirement activity? A trip to Costa Rica, per his email to this journalist regarding a post-retirement interview.
Prior to moving to Kansas City, he was Vice President-Regional Operations for AEG Facilities, and before that, General Manager of Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Cooper was also directly involved in the opening and operation of the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, as Director of Operations for three years, and was Director of Operations for Olympia Entertainment, Detroit, for eight years.
A graduate of the University of Iowa, Cooper began his facility management career while still in college, directing all aspects of concert promotion and production for three venues on the University of Iowa campus. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in Sports Administration from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Connections Matter
Rahja had been Assistant General Manager at Target Center since 2022, first working for Hugh Lombardi, then Feeley. The 20,000-seat
Amy Rahja
Target Center is home to the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA Minnesota Lynx.
Pre-COVID-19, when everything changed, she had been a big participant in IAVM and said she plans to get back to it. Target Center sends a rotating group of its operations people to VMS, she said. She always tells the lucky VMS registrants that they will make connections there that will make a difference in their lives and careers going forward.
Target Center was blessed with a 30|UNDER|30 honoree this year, so they were able to send two people to VMS, she said.
She will always cherish her experience attending VMS. “As a training ground, it gives you so much exposure to different parts of the business. It gives you resources across the country. The people I met there and through Feld Entertainment are still part of my life,” she said, noting she was about to call Lombardi, who retired to Nashville, to find out how he fared during Winter Storm Fern.
Rahja joined Target Center in 2019 as Director of Booking, Marketing, and Sales. Prior to that, she worked with family show producers VStar Entertainment Group, Feld Entertainment, and Broadway Across America. She started in the business on the venue side with Olympia Entertainment, before moving to Minneapolis to work for VEE (now VStar).
She joined IAVM in 2013 while working for Feld Entertainment. She served on the Mentor Committee and the Arena Committee, “all before COVID.”
She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and IAVM’s VMS. Rahja also completed the WISE Emerging Leaders Certificate Program, earning certificates in leadership and negotiation.
“I love being in the building when all those fans arrive for an experience my team put together,” she said. “I will always love seeing their excitement.”
