FC Tucson announced that Amanda Powers has taken the reins as the club’s first-ever president. A San Diego native, Powers arrives in Tucson following a successful run as start-up chief operating officer for New Mexico United, a USL Championship team that had arguably one of the best expansion club performances and led the league in attendance, ticket, and merchandise sales.

“I love this game, I love this city, and I’m honored and excited to use soccer as a vehicle to build community and to honor the unique heritage that makes Tucson special,” said Powers of her new role. “We’re not trying to recreate the success of New Mexico United. We’re trying to find that same authentic spirit and build a team and game experience around that, for us, by us.”

Powers is the second-ever female club president in U.S. men’s professional soccer history.

“Amanda brings the right level of dedication to this team, and a unique skill-set that will serve this community well,” said Bobby Dulle, general manager for Phoenix Rising FC. “Her background in marketing and community activism, coupled with her business acumen and league-specific experience, are exactly what this club needs.”

FC Tucson was purchased by the Phoenix Rising FC ownership group in 2018. In 2019, the new owners backed FC Tucson’s promotion into professional soccer’s third division, USL League One.

Powers is a former member of the USL Board of Governors, and has served as a trusted advisor and franchise builder for USL Championship ownership groups across the country. With a background in international economics, Powers has also advised teams on stadium feasibility, go-to-market strategies, and building foundational systems that meet the demanding needs of pro sports teams.

In terms of her plans for FC Tucson, which enters its 10th season this year, “we have an amazing front office and talented technical team, not to mention one of FC Tucson’s founders, Jon Pearlman,” said Powers. “We’re thinking big, and when you think big, the world gets bigger.”

Powers has already been making the rounds in the community this weekend. She was spotted at a campaign event for Pima County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard Elías on Sunday (Pima County owns FC Tucson's stadium). A statement from the club noted a commitment to both FC Tucson's youth development program and the women's team.

Lonely cracks in the glass ceiling

As in much of the business world, a woman sports executive is rare, especially in men's sports. Susan O'Malley was the first in the U.S.'s top-tier leagues, having become president of the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) in 1991 at the age of 29. She endured slights early in her tenure, both because of her gender and allegations of nepotism (her father was close to the team's owner). She won over the doubters quickly, however, and earned a nickname ("La Sooz") and left the position in 2007 after what was regarded as a successful tenure by many observers.

A surprising place to find women executives is the Philadelphia Eagles. Progressive workplace politics is not the first thing you'd associate with that team, but a recent Wall Street Journal article profiled the five women in that team's front office. None are the president of the Eagles, at least not yet.

Fans of soccer like to think of the sport as more progressive in many ways, but Powers is only the second female president at the professional level. The first was Amanda Duffy, a former pro player who headed up Louisville City FC as general manager and president from 2014-16. Duffy will be taking up a position on the executive team for the Orlando Pride next month.

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