Golden State Warriors hire Ellen Warner as Vice President of Development

The Golden State Warriors have hired Ellen Warner as Vice President of Development, it was announced today.  In this role, she will serve as the development manager for the team’s proposed privately financed sports and entertainment complex on Piers 30-32 and Seawall Lot 330 in San Francisco and will oversee planning, design and construction of the project.

“We are thrilled to add Ellen to the Warriors organization in this critical role,” said Joe Lacob, the team’s Co-Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  “Her skills and experience make her a perfect choice to lead our project.”

A San Francisco resident, Warner has more than three decades of experience successfully managing large and complex real estate projects, with budgets totaling $1 billion, including public buildings, hospitals, medical campuses, and office buildings.

“Joining the Warriors organization at this pivotal time is incredibly exciting,” said Warner.  “I look forward to helping the organization bring a new world-class sports and entertainment complex to San Francisco.”

Prior to joining the Warriors, Warner was a partner at David S. Taylor Interests, Inc. in Sacramento, where she was directly responsible for the development of several of Sacramento’s most prominent buildings.  Her portfolio includes Sacramento City Hall, which was named “Best Public Project” in 2005 by the Sacramento Business Journal, and US Bank Tower at 621 Capitol Mall, which the SBJ named “Best Office Project” in 2009.

Warner is a licensed architect and a licensed general contractor, with LEED accreditation.  Her experience in the real estate development industry also includes nine years as the Assistant Manager of Facilities Design and Construction at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where she and her staff of architects, engineers and construction inspectors managed a $500 million capital improvement program for the hospital campus.  Warner also previously served as the Regional Project Director for National Medical Enterprises, an international health care company. She began her career in various architecture offices, including the San Francisco firm Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz.

In 2007, the SBJ honored Warner with their “Women Who Mean Business” award, which recognizes Sacramento-area women for their exemplary career achievements and entrepreneurial accomplishments.  From 2008-2012, Warner served on the Board of Directors for WEAVE, a non-profit agency in Sacramento with a mission to end domestic violence.  Warner attended Cornell University and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis.

Baron Davis will likely stay involved with Knicks

Baron Davis to stay involved with Knicks

Knicks unrestricted free agent Baron Davis will remain with the team in “some capacity,” his agent Todd Ramasar told ESPNNewYork.com on Thursday.

The Knicks won’t re-sign Davis as a player because the 33-year-old point guard suffered a horrific right knee injury in last season’s playoffs, and it’s likely he could miss the entire 2012-13 campaign. But since the spring, the Knicks have treated Davis like one of their own. The team has allowed him to do physical therapy with their training staff, and most recently, management has approached him about staying on board this season.

Ramasar said Davis is very excited about the opportunity, but it won’t involve a job title or him sitting on the bench during games. Instead, it will likely be more of a mentorship role behind the scenes and during practices.

— Reported by Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York

Nets are signing Donte Greene

Nets are signing Donte Greene

Donte Greene will soon be the latest player to join the Nets, as their massive roster overhaul this summer continues.

The 6-foot-11 forward tweeted, “HELLO BROOKLYN” along with a picture of the Nets logo inside the team’s facility in Brooklyn yesterday. That came shortly after Yahoo! Sports reported the Nets had agreed in principle with Greene. A league source said the deal will be non-guaranteed.

Greene’s agent, Chris Luchey, told The Post it was premature to say a deal had been signed, but that all signs point to Greene officially joining the Nets in the near future.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post