Andy Arlotta is the Co-Owner and President of the Georgia Swarm. He runs all aspects of the Swarm’s day-to-day business operations including, sales, sponsorship, marketing, community relations, broadcast, and communications. In the summer of 2013, Arlotta was promoted to the role of President after spending five seasons as the Swarm’s Vice President.
In the summer of 2015, Arlotta managed the Swarm’s relocation to the Metro Atlanta Area after the team had spent 11 seasons as the Minnesota Swarm in the Twin Cities.
“Building our fan and partner base and taking care of those customers is our number one priority,” Arlotta says.
Arlotta also represents the Swarm as an Associate Governor in the NLL and is the Vice Chair of the NLL’s Marketing, Commercial Properties and Broadcasting Committee, the league’s largest committee; on the league’s Marketing & Commercial Properties Committee, which oversees sponsorship partnerships; the NLL Jr. Committee, which focuses on growing box lacrosse on the youth level in the league’s 15 cities; and the NLL’s Broadcast Committee, which handles all broadcasting initiatives throughout the league, including the League’s current partnership with ESPN and TSN.
During the 2017-18 season, Arlotta and the Swarm won the final six games of the season to finish as the East Division Regular Season Champions with an 11-7 record. Arlotta served as Modern Luxury’s Men’s Book Atlanta guest editor for its first annual Men of the Year Event.
That same season, the Swarm were also named the Pinnacle Awards 2018 Family-Owned Small Business of the Year, honored as a Bronze Award Winner in the third annual Stevie® Awards for Great Employers in the Employer of the Year category for Media & Entertainment, and named a finalist in the “Hospitality” category for the IMPACT Regional Business Awards. The Swarm was also selected as the Star of the Year winner for the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame 2018 class and was up against the Atlanta United FC and Atlanta Falcons for Team of the Year and Head Coach of the Year at the prestigious Atlanta Sports Awards. Arlotta also renewed the Swarm’s partnership with Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for the next three years.
In 2019, Arlotta was named to the Board of Director’s for the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, and his term was extended three years in 2020.
In 2017, Arlotta and the Swarm won their first-ever World Championship, and finished the season with a league-best 17-5 overall record. Arlotta helped the Swarm increase attendance in the postseason by 78 percent and the team’s Champion’s Cup home game featured a halftime performance from Ludacris, which was praised as the biggest halftime act in league history. Following the team’s victory, Governor Nathan Deal invited Arlotta to his office and proclaimed June 20, 2017 as Georgia Swarm Day. After having one of the team’s most successful seasons, Arlotta was named a finalist for the NLL’s Executive of the Year Award. Arlotta and the Swarm were also named the Gwinnett Sports Commission Sports Partner of the Year for 2017.
In 2016, Arlotta was named to the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Sports Council, which is comprised of local business leaders in the Sports & Entertainment Industry in the Atlanta region. In addition, Arlotta is an Executive Board Member of the Northeast Georgia Council – Boy Scouts of America, a Board Member on the Gwinnett YMCA, serves on the Board of Advisors for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and served on the Outreach Committee for the 2016 ACC Men’s Lacrosse Championships. Under Arlotta’s leadership, the Swarm has been both a finalist for the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce IMPACT Awards (2015) and Small Business of the Year Awards (2016).
During the Swarm’s inaugural season Georgia, Arlotta helped the Swarm secure a season-long television deal with FOX Sports Southeast. The partnership marked the first-ever season-long TV deal with an NLL franchise and a FOX Sports regional network.
Arlotta was named the 2015 recipient of the Good Leader Award as part of the Community Impact Awards from the Minnesota Business Magazine. The Community Impact Awards honor Minnesota companies and business people that make giving back to the community a priority.
In 2014, Arlotta and the Swarm were honored by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and Jefferson Awards Foundation for Corporate Giving. The Swarm was selected because of the time, talent and energy it dedicates to local charitable causes.
In the summer of 2013, Arlotta was named a recipient of the Twin Cities Finest Award presented by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The award honors ten men and ten women in the Twin Cities, between the ages of 25 and 40, who have demonstrated success in their chosen field and commitment to their community. Along with his award, Arlotta along with the other recipients pledged to raise $5,000 in an effort to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.
Following the 2012 season, Arlotta was named the NLL Executive of the Year after helping the Swarm reach new heights both on and off the field. Arlotta significantly helped increase the team’s ticket and sponsorship revenue in 2012. The Swarm’s average home attendance rose to 8,595 fans per game at Xcel Energy Center, an increase of nearly four percent from 2011, the second-highest percentage increase in the league this season. Under Arlotta’s guidance, the Swarm broadcast all of their home games on television (Channel 45) and on the radio (SAM 101.5) for the first time in team history.
In 2011, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recognized Arlotta with the prestigious 40 Under Forty award, which honors business professionals under the age of 40 in the Twin Cities. To be selected, a candidate must demonstrate consistent, outstanding professional achievement and show a commitment to community service as well. Arlotta is also a founding member of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Insider’s Club, which was established in 2013.
In his time with the Swarm, Arlotta has helped create programs to reintroduce the sport of lacrosse to the Native American community in Minnesota. In 2010, he helped establish an after school program on the Prairie Island Indian Community that kept kids involved in lacrosse on a year-round basis. Professional coaches from the Swarm visited the community weekly and provide lacrosse instruction and mentoring. Because of his efforts, a competitive team in Prairie Island participated year-round in multiple lacrosse leagues in the Twin Cities, and became the first Minnesota Native American youth team to compete in over 100 years.
In 2010, Arlotta and the Swarm established Lax-4-Life, an overnight lacrosse camp open to boys and girls from all 11 Minnesota tribal communities. Campers not only learn about the history, tradition and game play of lacrosse, but also life skills, such as the importance of education, healthy living and abstinence from drugs, alcohol and violence.
Arlotta’s work in the Native community has earned praise nationally and locally. In the summer of 2011, the Minnesota Swarm was recognized at the White House during First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! In Indian Country initiative. And recently in December, Arlotta was named the recipient of the Spirit of the People Award, which is presented to one individual annually by the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce (MAICC). Arlotta’s Native initiatives have also received press coverage from the Pioneer Press, The Circle, and Indian Country Today Media Network.
In February of 2012, Arlotta was selected to the Board of Directors for the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce.
Arlotta is a 2010 graduate of the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Saint Paul program. From 2010-12, Arlotta served on the Planning Committee for the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals (YPro). Under Andy’s leadership, the Swarm was named the winner of the 2011 Deubener Award in the category of Family-Owned Business. The Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce presents the award to companies that exemplify growth, excellence, risk, diversity and innovation. The Swarm was also a finalist for the Deubener Award in 2010.
Arlotta participated as one of 50 local leaders, which also included St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, in the Minneapolis-St. Paul InterCity Leadership Visit in Portland, Ore. in 2011. The two-day trip addressed local community economic development, education and urban issues.
He was also involved in the Imagine the Possibilities program at Risen Christ School in Minneapolis, where he serves as a mentor to 8th grade students. In his role as a mentor, Arlotta provided students with an in-depth curriculum on the business aspects of running a professional indoor lacrosse team.
In November of 2011, he served on the volunteer committee for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference in Minneapolis. AISES is an organization that aims to substantially increase the representation of American Indians and Alaskan Natives in engineering, science and other related technology disciplines.
Prior to joining the Swarm, Arlotta spent 10 years working in the healthcare industry in sales and management. Most recently he served as National Account Manager at Managed Healthcare Associates, a group purchasing organization for specialty pharmacies. His prior experience has provided him with an exceptional sales and marketing philosophy with a keen understanding of customer service.
Arlotta graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1999 with a degree in corporate communications and was a member of the school’s wrestling and Army ROTC programs. While at NIU, Arlotta was a member of the ROTC Dean’s List and named GTE Huskie Scholar. In 1995, Arlotta traveled to El Salvador and Guatemala as a member of Athletes in Action (AIA), a Christian ministry group. In 1997, Arlotta was selected to wrestle for the U.S. National team in Poland.
Arlotta was born in Libertyville, Ill. and grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wis. He currently resides in Suwanee, Ga. with his children and dogs.
Spirit of the People Award Recipient
