MEMBERS OF THE USSF BOARD

The Board of Directors of U.S. Soccer is the governing board of the Federation in accordance with the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. Consisting of elected members representing all facets of soccer in the United States, the Board administers the affairs of the Federation between meetings of the National Council.

Meeting Minutes

 Term for Members of the Board 

POSITION

MAXIMUM TERMS

LENGTH OF TERM

President

Three (3) terms

Four (4) years each term

Vice President

Athlete Council Representative

No term Limits

Four (4) years each term

USSF CEO/Secretary General

Employee of organization

Independent Directors

Three (3) terms

Three (3) years each term

Adult Council Representative

Eight (8) terms*

Unless member is employee of organization

Two (2) years each

At Large Representative

Pro Council Representative

Youth Council Representative

 


U.S. Soccer President

Cindy Parlow Cone
 
Cindy Parlow Cone

Term 2

U.S. Soccer's first woman president, Parlow Cone played for the U.S. Women’s National Team from 1996-2004 and was a member of the historic 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup championship team. She also won two Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004) in a career that spanned 158 caps and saw her score 75 international goals, which is eighth all-time in U.S. history.  During the past 20 years, she has served on U.S. Soccer’s Referee Committee, Medical Advisory Committee, Appeals Committee and the Athletes’ Council as well as more recently with U.S. Soccer’s Youth Task Force.

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U.S. SOccer vice president

 
Nathán Goldberg Crenier

Term 1

Nathán Goldberg Crenier is a lifelong soccer fan and player, an accomplished soccer executive, and a successful nonprofit leader who is passionate about using the power of soccer to make the world a better place. Most recently, he was Assistant General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer at Gotham FC, where within one year he transformed the worst team in the league into NWSL champions, earning a place on Sports Business Journal’s New Voices Under 30 list.

Nathán currently holds a research fellowship appointment at the Harvard Global Sports Initiative, where he develops evidence-based approaches to enhance player wellbeing. A soccer data expert, he also oversees a soccer analytics course at Harvard and was a panelist at the 2023 StatsBomb Conference in London for his innovative, data-driven work in women’s soccer. Additionally, he is a pro bono advisor to the US Youth Soccer board on their Athlete Council strategic initiative.

Before Gotham, Nathán served as Special Assistant to two US Soccer Presidents, Cindy Cone and Carlos Cordeiro. He has worked as a data analyst for an MLS team, managed operations for a Concacaf senior national team, and consulted for investors in professional clubs in Europe.

A proud first-generation American, Nathán speaks Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German. He holds a D level coaching license and earned a joint degree in Philosophy and Statistics at Harvard, where he captained the Division I varsity men’s soccer team.

Nathán was recently recognized in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for his impact as a nonprofit founder and president.



U.S. Soccer CEO/Secretary-General

Will Wilson
 
Jt Batson
Chief Executive Officer

JT Batson has been CEO / Secretary General of the U.S. Soccer Federation since September 2022.

A longtime member of the soccer community, Batson fell in love with soccer at a young age. He played club soccer for Augusta Arsenal growing up in Georgia and later helped run the club while serving as a referee and a referee assignor, mowing and lining fields and working in coaching recruitment. He has coached boys and girls at the grassroots level and has been active in supporting his childhood soccer club as a member of the Augusta Arsenal Soccer Club advisory board.

A strong believer in the power of teamwork, the first software Batson ever worked on was for the assigning of youth soccer referees for tournament organizers. His work with soccer camps would help put him through college. He has described his young self as being a kid that didn’t dream of playing in a World Cup, but instead of organizing one. Like for many, the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the USA had a profound impact on Batson and opened his eyes to the potential and global impact of soccer. It was a rallying cry to think big about soccer in the USA and a watershed event for his generation, showing how big investment can impact the future while setting the stage for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to impact many more soccer fans of all ages.

Batson moved to U.S. Soccer from a career as an executive and entrepreneur at the intersection of media, advertising, and technology, focused on solving challenging problems at scale through innovation and collaboration – a mindset he brings to growing the sport.

He is a former member of U.S. Soccer Finance Committee and spearheaded the creation of the U.S. Soccer Development Fund. The Fund raises money to support U.S. Soccer’s development of world-class players, coaches, and referees, all with the goal of continuing to inspire a nation.

Batson is currently on the Undergraduate Cabinet at Stanford, from which he graduated with a BA in Political Science and where he earned the JE Wallace Sterling Award. Batson is a member of the board of the LGBTQ+ entrepreneur focused non-profit StartOut. He also serves on the board of directors for the NYC Ballet and the Doris Duke Foundation. Batson has guest taught at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and the Graduate School of Business.

 

ADULT COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES

 
Fritz Marth

Term 1

Fritz Marth was elected to the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors in 2024 as a representative from the Adult Council and is the current Vice President of United States Adult Soccer Association. As a long serving-member of the soccer community he has previously served as U.S. Adult Soccer’s National Cups Commissioner and as the Regional Director of U.S. Adult Soccer’s Region 1. He also continues to be active at the local level with the Cosmopolitan Soccer League in Eastern New York and New Jersey, and as a member and director of his life-long club, Hoboken F.C. 1912.

Professionally, Fritz is a licensed Professional Engineer and consultant to the construction industry on matters of project delay and disruption. He received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Drexel University, and as a court-recognized recognized expert in his field he provides expert opinions and testimony nationwide on construction disputes.



 
John Motta

Term 5

President of the United States Adult Soccer Association since 2014, John Motta has been a long-serving member of the soccer community in the United States. Motta previously served as New Hampshire Soccer Association from 1988-1998, and as U.S. Soccer Vice President from 1998-2000.



at Large Representative 

 
JOHN COLLINS

Term 1

John Collins has an international sports law practice in which he has represented sports organizations, athletes, coaches and agents in 15 different sports in a wide variety of matters.  John has participated at all levels of soccer, including FIFA, CONCACAF, professional leagues, professional clubs, national associations, players and coaches. 

He was General Counsel for U.S. Soccer from 1997 to 2001 and also a member of the FIFA Legal Committee and the FIFA Task Force Revision of Statutes.  Additionally, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago where he prosecuted a wide array of criminal cases. 

John has lectured extensively on sports law and ethics.  He taught sports law and legal ethics at the University of Chicago Law School and sports ethics at Loyola University.  He is Chair of the National Board of Advisors of the National Sports Law Institute.

 


ATHLETE REPRESENTATIVES

Chris Ahrens
 
Chris Ahrens

Term 2

A member of the U.S. Para 7-a-side National Team from 2006-2016, Chris Ahrens was a member of the U.S. team that qualified for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Ahrens is an Adapted Physical Education Teacher for the San Diego Unified School District and head coach at Crusaders Soccer Club.

 



Nelson Akwari
 
DR. nelson akwari

Term 1

Dr. Nelson Akwari joined the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors and U.S. Soccer Athletes Council in December 2021.  He represented U.S. Soccer as a captain of the U-17, U-20, and U-23 national teams, and he played soccer professionally for 10 years (Major League Soccer, United Soccer League).  Dr. Akwari played collegiately at the University of California, Los Angeles where he earned his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. 

Dr. Akwari works at Boeing as the Site Leader and Operations Superintendent for the Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina.  He serves on various Executive Boards focused on STEM based educational initiatives, health and wellness, and economic community development.  Dr. Akwari has experience as a youth soccer coach, mentor, and consultant.     



 

 
sean boyle

Term 1

Sean Boyle was named to the Board of Directors for the U.S. Soccer Federation on December 3rd, 2021. Sean, comes to Board as a representative on the Federations Athletes’ Council, as well as a member of the Athletes’ Advisory Committee within the USOPC. 

As an athlete Sean has represented the United States since 2016 on the U.S. Paralympic Soccer Team. He competed in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games as well as the 2019 IFCPF World Championships held in Sevilla, Spain. He received a bronze medal at the Para Pan American 2019 games held in Lima, Peru and was voted U.S. Soccer’s Player of the Year with a disability in 2017.  

Outside of soccer Sean worked at Mastercard on the Financial Inclusion Product Team before leaving in 2022 to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Notre Dame.   



Whitney Engen
 
Whitney Engen

Term 1

Whitney Engen joined the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors in March of 2023. Whitney comes to the Board as a representative on the Federation’s Athletes’ Council. Whitney played for the USWNT from 2010 to 2016 where she won the World Cup (2015) and played in the Olympics (2016), During her professional career she played for club teams in the U.S., England and Sweden. Whitney played collegiately for the University of North Carolina where she won three national championships. Whitney works as a corporate attorney at Moore and Van Allen PLLC where her practice is focused on representing public and private companies in a variety of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, business entity formation, securities offerings and compliance, financing transactions, and corporate reorganizations.

 



 
 
Cassidy Leake

Term 1

 

Lori Lindsey
 
Lori Lindsey

Term 1

Lori Lindsey was a member of the USWNT that competed in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, and was an alternate for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Lindsey worked her way up to the full USWNT after being a member of the U.S. U-16, U-17 and U-21 Women’s National Teams, including the U-21 team that won the 2001 Nordic Cup in Norway. Lindsey is currently a performance coach at Lori Lindsey Performance, and also served as a commentator for National Women’s Soccer League games on go90 and the NWSL website in 2018.

 

Danielle Slaton
 
danielle slaton

Term 1

Danielle played for the USWNT from 2000-2005. She played professionally for the Carolina Courage of the WUSA and for Olympique Lyonnais, and collegiately for Santa Clara University.

Danielle previously was a member of the Athlete Council and was a member of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors from 2012-2014. She is currently a board member of the U.S. Soccer Foundation and the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative. She is a Director at Santa Clara University and a television analyst for Fox Sports, NBC and the San Jose Earthquakes. She has a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Northwestern University.”

 



INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Juan Uro
 
Juan Uro

Term 1

Juan Uro, a Partner at Ernst & Young with deep expertise in corporate strategy, growth strategy, capital allocation, operating model, operational improvement, governance and organizational design was elected as an Independent Director to the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors during the 2020 National Council Meeting. He specializes in advising CEOs, Boards, CFOs and other C-suite executives on strategy, corporate finance, operations issues. He has over 20 years of management consulting experience with companies across many sectors (media, financial services, consumer products and healthcare) and geographies (North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America).



Lisa Carnoy
 
Lisa Carnoy

TREASURER

Term 2

Lisa Carnoy was elected to the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors as an Independent Director in 2017. Carnoy is the Chief Financial Officer at global consulting firm AlixPartners, after 23 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Carnoy earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree cum laude from Columbia University. She became co-chair of the Columbia University Board of Trustees in September 2018. She has been a passionate advocate for diversity, co-founding several organizations including the Women’s Leadership Council at Bank of America and both the Women’s Leadership Council for Athletics and the Dean’s Advisory Council at Columbia. She also serves on the boards of the United Way of New York City, and the Rodeph Sholom School.



Patti Hart
 
Patti Hart

Term 2

Patti Hart has served as Chief Executive Officer of International Game Technology since April 2009. Before joining IGT, she was the Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Systems Inc. from 2004 to 2005, and of Excite@Home Inc. from 2001 to 2002. Hart was previously Chairman and CEO of Telocity, Inc. and held various executive positions at the Sprint Corporation from 1986 to 1999, including President and COO of Sprint’s Long Distance Division. She was named on Fortune’s inaugural list of “Most Powerful Women” in 1998.



PRO COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE

Jessica Berman
 
Jessica Berman

Term 1

Jessica Berman is the Commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League where she oversees all operations of the league with a focus on supporting players on and off the pitch, working with NWSL clubs to continue to build on the positive momentum of the league’s growing audience, and collaborating with NWSL partners to create the most engaging and entertaining fan experience.

Berman joined the NWSL after two and a half years serving as deputy commissioner and executive vice president of business affairs at the National Lacrosse League. During her time with the NLL, Berman’s responsibilities included overseeing team services, operations, marketing and communications, broadcast and content, community engagement, human resources, and league governance. 

Prior to her time with the NLL, Berman spent 13 years with the National Hockey League, first serving as vice president and deputy general counsel for the organization before becoming vice president of community development, culture and growth and executive director of the NHL Foundation. 
 
A graduate of the Fordham University School of Law, Berman also worked as an associate at Proskauer Rose LLP in the labor and employment sector where she represented several employers in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, mediations and litigations, and worked on pro bono cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault and military matters. 
 
Berman completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, graduating with a degree in Sports Management and Communications. A Brooklyn, New York native, Berman resides in Larchmont, New York, with her two sons and two rescue dogs.  

 


Don Garber
 
Don Garber

Term 13

Don Garber was named Commissioner of Major League Soccer in 1999. During his tenure, MLS has expanded from 10 to 27 clubs, added 23 new owners and secured long-term broadcast agreements with major domestic and international broadcasters. Garber has also led efforts to develop soccer stadiums across the United States with more soccer venues due to open in the next few years. In 2002, Garber created Soccer United Marketing (SUM), an affiliate of MLS and one of the world’s leading commercial and media soccer companies. SUM represents a wide variety of soccer properties, including Concacaf, the United States Soccer Federation and the Mexican Soccer Federation. Prior to joining MLS, Garber spent 16 years in a variety of sales, marketing, programming and event management positions at the National Football League. In 1996, he launched NFL International, a division that was responsible for all aspects of the NFL’s business outside the United States.



 
Amanda Vandervort

Term 1

Amanda Vandervort was named President of the USL Super League in October of 2022. Vandervort joined the USL after serving as Chief Women’s Football Officer of FIFPRO, the global player’s association based in Amsterdam, where she directed strategy, policy, and stakeholder relations. She published Raising Our Game, a women’s football report detailing global industry standards and a player-centric approach to improving the game. Prior, she spent nearly a decade at Major League Soccer as Vice President of Social Media and CRM, then as Vice President of Fan Engagement. She was recognized as a Sports Business Journal Game Changer in 2016. 

Vandervort was a member of the United Soccer Coaches Board of Directors for 10 years and in 2016 became the fifth female President in the Association’s 75-year history. She was the Head Women's Soccer Coach at New York University for four years, and before that, the Graduate Assistant at The College of New Jersey. Vandervort holds her United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma and a B Coaching License from the U.S. Soccer Federation.

She spent four years as an instructor in FIFA Women’s Football Development, leading marketing and communications workshops in South Asia, the Caribbean and Africa. Vandervort was a FIFA Women’s Leadership Development Program mentor. She currently serves on the boards of several global non-profit organizations dedicated to transforming community through soccer. 



youth council representatives

 
mike cullina

Term 1

Mike Cullina joined the US Club Soccer staff on July 1, 2021 and assumed the CEO/Executive Director position on January 1, 2022. Cullina recently concluded a two-year term as the At-Large Representative on U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors and initially joined US Club Soccer’s Board of Directors in 2015 prior to being appointed as Chairperson in 2018.

Cullina has wide-ranging business and technical experience as a board member, league director, club executive director, club technical director, club director of coaching, A-licensed coach, grassroots coaching education instructor and referee.

Most recently, Cullina served as Executive Director of Prince William Soccer Club (PWSI) and Virginia Development Academy, and President of the Virginia Premier Soccer League.

 



Michael Karon
 
MICHAEL KARON

Term 1

As a committed, but mediocre youth player, Michael learned firsthand how soccer teaches important lessons in life. He has been a grass roots soccer volunteer for almost 50 years and is currently National President of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). He is passionate about making communities better by bringing more family centered soccer programming to more kids. Besides his interest in youth soccer, Michael has had a successful career as an executive and entrepreneur in the technology and financial services industries.     



 

Todd Lockhart
 
todd lockhart

Term 1

 



Dr. Pete Zopfi
 
DR. PETE ZOPFI

Term 2

Currently serving a two-year term as US Youth Soccer Association chair, Dr. Zopfi most recently served as chair for the US Youth Soccer Member State Association, California Youth Soccer Association – North (Cal North), from 2010 to 2018. Dr. Zopfi also served as the State Association’s vice chair from 2006 to 2009. Dr. Zopfi also has more than 30 years of coaching experience, and he also played soccer at the University of California, Davis as well as the University of San Francisco. Aside from being a soccer administrator, Dr. Zopfi is a general surgeon in Northern California.