PETE FIERLE
CHIEF OF STAFF & VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
 
Pete Fierle (pronounced FEAR-LEE) joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame in April 1988. A current member of the company’s executive team, he was promoted to Chief of Staff & Vice President of Communications in January 2016. He had served as the Vice President of Communications & Special Assistant to the President since June 2014.

Fierle oversees the Hall of Fame’s public relations and communications efforts that include sharing the message of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s important mission to 'Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE'. His responsibilities also include providing content for the Hall of Fame’s website ProFootballHOF.com and editorial materials such as the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Yearbook magazine and other publications. Under his direction, the reach of publicity for the Pro Football Hall of Fame has grown significantly.
 
In addition to overseeing external communications, he coordinates internal communication and major company projects as directed by the Office of the President. Prior to his current capacity, he was the Hall of Fame’s Manager – Digital Media/Communications. In that role, his responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of the Hall’s dynamic website including programming, promotion, and development for the
site, in addition to serving as the editor and writer. He also was responsible for the day-to-day management of the Hall of Fame’s Ralph Wilson Jr. Pro Football Research and Preservation Center, the world’s largest archive on pro football. In 2014, Fierle was bestowed the Ralph Hay Award by the Pro Football Researchers Association in recognition of his “lifetime achievement in pro football research and historiography.”
 
Before he joined the Hall of Fame, Fierle worked temporarily in the programming department at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. He also served internships at WIVB-TV in Buffalo, New York and in the public relations department of the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, New York. From 1981-1990, he worked as a statistician and spotter for NBC's telecasts of Buffalo Bills games. Fierle is a current member of the Canton Strategy Group, a committee of business leaders shaping the vision for a growing city. He also serves on the Board for Leadership Stark County that offers various programs to fulfill its mission of developing a corps of motivated leaders. Fierle is a former longtime member and officer of the Board of Directors for the International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA).
 
A native of Buffalo, New York, Fierle has a B.A. degree in Speech Communication from Ithaca College. He and his wife Debbie, a school case manager for special services, are the proud parents of daughter Hannah and son Jake.