ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos Vice President of Football Administration Rich Hurtado and Executive Director of Football Operations/Special Advisor to the General Manager Kelly Kleine Van Calligan have been nominated to participate in the NFL's Front Office Accelerator program, the league announced Thursday.
Taking place during December League Meetings in Dallas from Dec. 11-13, this is the fourth time the accelerator program has been held. Its goal is to connect highly qualified candidates of diverse backgrounds across player personnel, football operations and assistant general manager disciplines to build relationships with club owners and executives to further drive participants' success in future opportunities.
In addition to networking, candidates will participate in a range of personal and professional development programming, including practice interviews led by former general managers and leadership sessions from outside experts. For the first time, personal development workshops have been included to focus on candidates overall wellness and mental preparedness in their disciplines.
Hurtado and Kleine Van Calligan were two of 42 individuals selected for the prestigious program. This will be Kleine Van Calligan's third time participating in the program while Hurtado is a first-time nominee for the program.
In his fourth season with the Broncos, Hurtado is the club's lead negotiator and directs the club's compliance with the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement while serving as the primary liaison to the NFL Management Council on labor relation matters. Hurtado brought 15 years of experience negotiating contracts as a team executive or player agent to his role with the Broncos.
Kleine Van Calligan, in her third season with the Broncos and 12th year in the NFL, is the highest-ranking woman to hold a position in the team's scouting department in franchise history. In her role, she is the primary liaison for the Broncos' football operations and maintains significant responsibilities within both pro and college scouting.
Please see below for all Denver Broncos participants in the NFL Front Office Accelerator Program since its inception:
| Year | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Winter League Meetings | Rich Hurtado | Vice President of Football Administration |
| 2023 Winter League Meetings | Kelly Kleine Van Calligan | Exec. Director of Football Operations / Special Advisor to the GM |
| 2023 Spring League Meetings | Christian Parker | Defensive Backs Coach |
| 2022 Winter League Meetings | Kelly Kleine Van Calligan | Exec. Director of Football Operations / Special Advisor to the GM |
| 2022 Spring League Meetings | Ejiro Evero | Defensive Coordinator |
| 2022 Spring League Meetings | Kelly Kleine Van Calligan | Exec. Director of Football Operations / Special Advisor to the GM |
