The Bid Committee

Sunil Gulati

USA Bid Committee Chairman and U.S. Soccer President

Re-elected U.S. Soccer President for his second four-year term in 2010, Sunil Gulati has more than 30 years of experience at all levels of soccer in the United States and has helped the sport rise to new heights.

Gulati has continued his mission of improving soccer in the United States by taking an active approach on improving the structure and development of the sport in the country, while also reaching out to broaden the organization's relationships within the international community.

As Chairman of the USA Bid Committee, Gulati is spearheading the USA's effort to earn the right to play host to the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022. A veteran of the process after also serving on the bid committee for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Gulati is supremely qualified to help bring the world's game back to the shores of the Unites States.

Gulati currently serves as the President of Kraft Soccer Properties, taking the position after serving as Major League Soccer's Deputy Commissioner from its launch until 1999 and teaches in the economics department at Columbia University. He was elected U.S. Soccer President in Las Vegas on March 11, 2006.

The native of Allahabad, India, has played a role in the development of U.S. Soccer since the early 1980's and has been intimately involved in the rise of the U.S. National Teams to prominence. He served as U.S. Soccer's Executive Vice President from 2000 to 2006 before stepping into his role as President.

He has served in numerous other positions for U.S. Soccer, including Managing Director of National Teams, Chairman of the International Games Committee and Chairman of the Technical Committee. He was also the original Managing Director of U.S. Soccer's Project 2010 and served as Chairman of both U.S. Cup '92 and U.S. Cup '93, two events that helped showcase U.S. Soccer's rise and prepare the federation for the upcoming 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Gulati is a member of the CONCACAF Executive Committee and represents U.S. Soccer as Chairman of CONCACAF National Team Competitions Committee. At the FIFA level, Gulati serves on the FIFA Confederations Cup committee as well as the FIFA Ticketing Subcommittee.

Additionally, Gulati served on the Board of Directors of FIFA Women's World Cup USA 1999 and 2003 and is currently a member of the Board for the U.S. Soccer Foundation and National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Gulati graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bucknell University and earned his M.A. and M. Phil. in Economics at Columbia University. He served on the Columbia Economics Faculty from 1986 to 1990 before joining the World Bank through its Young Professionals Program in 1991 and serving as country economist for the emerging country of Moldova.

Gulati, 50 and his wife, Marcela, have one son, Emilio, and one daughter, Sofia. They live in New York City.

President William Jefferson Clinton

USA Bid Committee Honorary Chairman

William Jefferson Clinton was the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice — first in 1992 and then in 1996. Under his leadership, the country enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs.

After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. Today the Foundation has staff and volunteers around the world working to improve lives through several initiatives, including the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (now the Clinton Health Access Initiative, a separate nonprofit organization) which is helping 2 million people living with HIV/AIDS access lifesaving drugs. Other initiatives — including the Clinton Climate Initiative, the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative, and the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative — are applying a business-oriented approach worldwide to fight climate change and develop sustainable economic growth in Africa and Latin America. As a project of the Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative brings together global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues. In the U.S., the Foundation is working to combat the alarming rise in childhood obesity through the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and is helping individuals and families succeed and small businesses grow.

In addition his Foundation work, President Clinton has joined with former President George H.W. Bush three times — after the 2004 tsunami in South Asia, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008 — to help raise money for recovery efforts. He also served as the U.N. Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, and was recently named U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti to assist its people and government as they "build back better" from recent storm damages and implement their economic vision for the future.

President Clinton was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas. He and his wife Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton have one daughter, Chelsea, and live in Chappaqua, New York.

Carlos Cordeiro

USA Bid Committee Vice Chairman

Carlos A. Cordeiro is Vice Chairman and an Executive Committee member of the USA Bid Committee. He currently serves on the United States Soccer Federation Board of Directors and the U.S. Soccer Foundation Board of Directors.

Cordeiro retired as a Partner, Managing Director and Vice Chairman (Asia) of The Goldman Sachs Group in 2001 and since then has been an Advisory Director of the investment banking firm. At Goldman Sachs, he held numerous leadership positions with the Global Capital Markets Group and was instrumental in building the firm's government advisory and financing businesses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa from London, and subsequently across Asia while in Hong Kong.

In 2005, Cordeiro was appointed to the board of the BHP Billiton Group, the world's largest diversified resources company, as an independent non-executive director. For several years he has served on Harvard University's Asia Center Advisory Committee and the Board of Overseers' Visiting Committees, and in 2009 was elected a Director of the Harvard Alumni Association.

In 1998, Cordeiro established a family foundation which actively supports and promotes projects in Asia and the United States primarily in education, medicine and public health. He has been involved with several not-for-profit organizations including serving as a director of The Half the Sky Foundation (Beijing) from 2004-08, and since 2005 for Nick Faldo's Trust, "Tomorrow's Champions" (Hong Kong). He was previously on the Board of NYC 2012, the New York entity which bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Carlos was born in Bombay, India of Indo-Portuguese and Colombian parents. He received his high school diploma from Miami Beach High School, Florida, AB in Economics from Harvard College and MBA from Harvard Business School. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1981.

Douglas Band

Counselor to President Clinton

The Honorable Douglas J. Band currently serves as the Counselor to President Clinton. He began working in the White House in 1995 and has been with President Clinton for over 14 years. He has served as President Clinton's chief advisor since 2002, counseling him, serving as the key architect of Clinton's post-Presidency, and overseeing the 1400 employees and volunteers of the William J. Clinton Foundation. Doug accompanies President Clinton on his travels across America and around the world and manages his post-presidential operation.

Prior to his role as Counselor to President Clinton, Doug served in the White House Counsel's office for four years, becoming a Special Assistant to the President before he was made one of the youngest Deputy Assistants ever to serve a President. Doug concluded his last years in the White House in the Oval Office as the President's Aide.

Doug is a graduate of the University of Florida and while working at the White House for 6 years, Doug simultaneously obtained a masters degree from Georgetown University in Liberal Arts and a Law degree from Georgetown University Law School by attending both programs in the evenings.

In his current role, Doug has traveled to nearly 100 countries, over 2000 cities, and has helped and advised several heads of state transition out of public office into private life. He created and built the Clinton Global Initiative that to date has raised 57 billion dollars for 1700 philanthropic initiatives around the world spanning climate change, global health, citizen service, education and the empowerment of women and girls, which in total impacts over 200 million people in 170 countries.

Doug continues to serve his country in assisting various domestic agencies and advising foreign governments on nation building, infrastructure creation and democratic governance structure. He serves as President Clinton's representative to the White House and other governments, organizations and businesses around the world. Doug serves on the Coca-Cola Company International Advisory Board, as a trustee on the Oklahoma National Memorial Museum, on the board of Vote Vets, on the Advisory Board of Avenue Capital, and as a senior advisor with President Clinton to various private business entities. Most recently, Doug orchestrated and traveled on a diplomatic mission with President Clinton to North Korea to bring home two detained American citizens. He is currently assisting President Clinton and the United Nations on the reconstruction of Haiti in coordination with the United States government, the Haitian government and its people as well as multiple governments, NGO's and corporations around the world.

Doug and his wife Lily live in New York City with their son Max.

Michael Bloomberg

Mayor, New York City

Michael R. Bloomberg is the 108th Mayor of the City of New York. Born on February 14, 1942 in Boston and raised by middle-class parents in Medford, Massachusetts, he was taught at an early age the values of hard work and civic responsibility. He attended Johns Hopkins University, where he paid his tuition by taking loans and working as a parking lot attendant during the summer. After college, he went on to receive an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 1966, he was hired by Salomon Brothers to work on Wall Street.

He quickly rose through the ranks at Salomon, where he eventually oversaw the trading firm's information systems, which enabled him to gain a keen understanding of the importance of technological innovation to a successful business. In 1981, Salomon was acquired, and he was squeezed out by the merger. With a vision of an information company that would use emerging technology to bring transparency and efficiency to the buyers and sellers of financial securities, he began a small start-up company called Bloomberg LP in 1981. Today, Bloomberg LP has over 275,000 subscribers to its financial news and information service. Headquartered in New York City, the company has more than 10,000 employees in 150 cities worldwide.

As his company grew, Michael Bloomberg started directing more of his attention to philanthropy, donating his time and resources to many different causes. He has sat on the boards of numerous charitable, cultural, and educational institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, where, as chairman of the board, he helped build the Bloomberg School of Public Health into one of the world's leading institutions of public health research and training. The New York Times reported that Bloomberg was the leading individual living donor in the US in 2008.

Already deeply involved in civic affairs, he officially entered public life in 2001, when he entered the race for Mayor of the City of New York. His election came just two months after the tragic attacks of 9/11, at a time when many believed that crime would return, businesses would flee, and New York might never recover. Instead, under Mayor Bloomberg's forward-looking leadership, and with his determination to build on the spirit of unity that defined the city after the attacks, New York rebounded faster and stronger than anyone expected.

In his first term, Mayor Bloomberg cut crime 20 percent; created jobs by supporting small businesses; unleashed a building boom of affordable housing; expanded parks and worked to revitalize the waterfront; implemented ambitious public health strategies, including the successful ban on smoking in restaurants and bars; expanded support for community arts organizations; and improved the efficiency of government. In addition, fulfilling a campaign promise, he won control of New York's schools from the broken Board of Education, and began turning around the nation's largest school district by injecting standards into the classroom and holding schools accountable for success. As a result, graduation rates have increased by more than 20 percent, and reading and math scores have both risen to record levels.

In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg was re-elected by a diverse coalition of support that stretched across the political spectrum. In the first half of his second term, while balancing the budget and driving unemployment to a record low, Mayor Bloomberg took on a number of new challenges. He launched an innovative program to combat poverty that encourages work and makes work pay. He began a far-reaching campaign to fight global warming and give New York City the cleanest air of any major U.S. city. And he co-founded a bipartisan coalition 15 mayors - which has grown to more than 350 mayors - to keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals and off city streets.

When the current financial crisis hit and the national economy entered a serious recession, the Mayor launched a Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to bring the City through the downturn as quickly as possible. The Plan is focused on creating jobs for New Yorkers today, implementing a vision for growing the City's economy over the long-term, and building affordable, attractive neighborhoods across all five boroughs.

As Mayor of New York City, Bloomberg has gotten the chance to be involved with sports in multiple ways. In 2002, Bloomberg held a press conference with the NFL commissioner to announce the "NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square" event. In addition, Bloomberg has attended multiple Knicks' games. Bloomberg also announced the launch of the Fiesta Cup, an exhibition match between the national soccer teams of Argentina and Peru, which was held at Giants Stadium.

Drew Carey

Host, Price is Right

Drew Carey is a stand-up comic turned actor and producer who had the distinction of having two hit shows simultaneously: the long-running comedy "The Drew Carey Show," which ran from 1995-2004, and the improv/sketch show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" on which he was host and a producer. The success of that show led to the creation of "Drew Carey's Improv All-Stars," an improv troupe that performs in showrooms across the country. In July 2007, Carey was named the host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT, succeeding longtime host Bob Barker.

While in the Marine Reserves, his military buzz cut and black wide-rim glasses became part of his trademark look. He began his successful career as a comedian in April of 1986 at the Cleveland Comedy Club. One of his first big breaks was competing on "Star Search '88."

In 1991, Carey landed a spot on HBO's "14th Annual Young Comedians Special" and appeared on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson." Carey landed his own television development deal at Disney, which led to an opportunity for Carey to co-star in the series "The Good Life." Carey also had the opportunity to work with Bruce Helford, who was a consulting writer on the series and hired Carey as a staff writer for "The Gaby Hoffman Show." Their experience led the two of them to decide to co-create a series for Carey. Carey went on to star in his own comedy special for Showtime, "Drew Carey: Human Cartoon" and performed in Showtime's "Tenth Anniversary of the Montreal Comedy Festival."

Carey was born in Cleveland, Ohio and currently resides in Los Angeles. His birth date is May 23.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT, which won the 2007 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show, is now in its 36th season and is television's longest-running game show. It is a FremantleMedia North America production. The series is broadcast weekdays (11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET; 10:00-11:00 AM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Oscar De La Hoya

Boxer & Founder Golden Boy Promotions

A superstar whose popularity transcends boxing, Oscar de la Hoya has been considered to be one of the best fighters of this era — “Pound-for-Pound.” He is also the biggest non-heavyweight attraction and moneymaker at the gate, defeating 19 current or former world champions, one twice, in the process.

On May 5, 2007, De La Hoya returned to the ring in one of the most highly anticipated bouts of the last 25 years when he battled Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, and though he lost a hard-fought and close 12 round split decision, ‘The Golden Boy’s status as an elite fighter was untouched, and his box office power was cemented forever as the bout set records for pay-per-view buys and revenue generated in the state of Nevada.

This bout followed a triumphant return to the squared circle by the native of East LA, who showed no signs of ring rust after a 20 month layoff from the ring as he destroyed Ricardo Mayorga in six rounds to win the WBC junior middleweight championship of the world on May 6, 2006. The victory was one of the greatest and most emphatic in the storied career of the ‘Golden Boy’, who has been at the top of the sport ever since turning pro after winning a Gold medal for the United States at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Oscar has been successful at the highest levels of competition, and has beaten current or former world champions Steve Forbes Ricardo Mayorga, Felix Sturm, Fernando Vargas, Pernell Whitaker, Arturo Gatti, Ike Quartey, Julio Cesar Chavez twice, Hector Camacho, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, James Leija, Genaro Hernandez, Rafael Ruelas, John John Molina, Jorge Paez, Javier Francisco Castillejo, Yory Boy Campas, Jimmi Bredahl and Troy Dorsey.

Oscar also fought undisputed world middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins in a title unification bout on September 18, 2004, and after a close battle, Hopkins stopped De La Hoya in the ninth round. Oscar lost no prestige in defeat though, gaining the respect of Hopkins and the boxing community for his continued willingness to fight the best.

Oscar had won the WBO middleweight world title on June 5, 2004 with a 12-round unanimous decision against defending champion Felix Sturm of Germany. His previous fight was a controversial decision loss against Shane Mosley — the vast majority of people who watched the fight, some 75 % according to various internet polls, thought Oscar deserved to win.

Regarding that fight, Oscar said, “When I fought Mosley the first time around, I felt like I lost, that he got me that night. With this fight, I just don’t feel that way. I don’t want to blame anyone or point fingers, but that will be a mystery to me for the rest of my life. I put it in its proper place. I’m moving forward. After talking with my family and my wife, I feel wonderful. I feel like the champ. My body and my mind feel great. I feel fresh. I feel at ease.”

De La Hoya’s road to greatness began on the tough streets of East Los Angeles, California. He once said, “I was a little kid who used to fight a lot on the street and get beat up. But I liked boxing. So my dad took me to the gym.” Oscar started boxing at the age of six and reportedly had 228 amateur fights (223-5)…his father and grandfather were both boxers, but it was clear that the most talented member of the De La Hoya clan was Oscar, who earned a spot on the 1992 US Olympic team.

At the Barcelona games, De La Hoya defeated Marco Rudolph by a 7-2 decision in the finals to become the only U.S. gold medalist in the 1992 games; Oscar had vowed to win at the Olympics for his mother, who died of breast cancer when he was working towards making the Olympic team. Oscar said, “The most important thing I’ve done in my life was winning the Olympic gold medal for my mother. Every time I won, it was like telling my mom, ‘Here is another one for you.’ She was my motivation, my biggest fan.’ ”…

De La Hoya turned pro with much fanfare on November 23, 1992, with a first round knockout of Lamar Williams. By his eighth fight he had stopped tough veteran Troy Dorsey in the first round, and by his 12th he was a world champion, as he stopped Jimmi Bredahl in 10 rounds on March 5, 1994 to win the WBO super featherweight championship.

After defending his title once, De La Hoya moved up to the lightweight division and added another title to his trophy case as he knocked out Jorge Paez in two rounds on July 29, 1994 to win the WBO crown at 135 pounds. Less than a year later, he unified the title with a second round TKO in a highly anticipated local battle with Rafael Ruelas, and went on to stop highly regarded Genaro Hernandez and Jesse James Leija before making another jump in weight to 140 pounds in 1996.

At junior welterweight, De La Hoya continued to be devastating as he halted Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez and Miguel Angel Gonzalez, and he then tested the waters at 147 pounds in impressive fashion by winning the WBC welterweight crown from Pernell Whitaker and defending it seven times before losing a controversial 12 round decision to Felix Trinidad on September 18, 1999.

De La Hoya’s attempt to regain his title in June of 2000 was foiled by Shane Mosley, but a voyage to junior middleweight met with spectacular success as he TKOed local rival Fernando Vargas on September 14, 2002.

Since that bout (and in practically every one before it), every event involving De La Hoya has been a major occurrence. On May 3, 2008, he packed the Home Depot Center’s tennis stadium in Carson, California for his impressive 12 round victory over yet another former world champion, Steve Forbes. The bout set the stage for one of the most highly-anticipated bouts of all-time, a December 6, 2008 showdown against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao. De La Hoya would fall short of victory that night via an eighth round TKO, but his fans’ support never wavered.

De La Hoya’s out of the ring exploits have also been accepted warmly by his legion of fans. In 2000, Oscar recorded a pop music CD that was nominated for a Grammy Award, and in December of 2001, he formed his own boxing promotion company, Golden Boy Promotions, which has quickly risen to its current status as one of the premier promotional companies in the sport today. In June of 2008, he released his autobiography, American Son.

On April 15, 2009, De La Hoya announced his retirement from the ring as an active participant, but he promises to still be involved with the sport as a promoter and ambassador of the game.

In October 2001, De La Hoya married Puerto Rican singer Millie Corretjer in a private ceremony in Puerto Rico; Oscar said, “Ever since I met her, my life has been different. I have what I want. I have my jewel in Millie.” They have two children, Oscar Gabriel de la Hoya and Nina Lauren Ninette de la Hoya.

Landon Donovan

U.S. Men's National Team Player

One of the elite U.S. players and a veteran of two FIFA World Cups, Donovan continues to play an integral role in the fortunes of the U.S. team. Possessing exceptional skills with both feet and great vision, he has a seemingly endless supply of energy and the ability to unhinge defenses with runs through the midfield. In 2008, he twice re-opened the U.S. record books, becoming the top U.S. scorer in history as well as the youngest U.S. player in history to reach 100 caps. On the club side, Donovan enjoyed a record season with the L.A. Galaxy, scoring 20 goals to set a career high while being nominated as finalist for league MVP. In January, he agreed to a three-month loan move to German powerhouse Bayern Munich, which expired just before the beginning of the MLS season.

• Became the all-time leading scorer for the United States when he converted a penalty kick against Sweden for the 35th international goal of his career
• Added four assists in three matches this year, extending his all-time U.S. leading total to 36
• Finished 2008 with five assists, a team high, while earning a nomination as the 2008 U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year
• Earned his 100th cap against Argentina in June, becoming the fastest American to ever accomplish that feat and the fourth fastest player in history to reach the century mark for his country
• Started against Turkey and Brazil in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
• Earned the MLS Golden Boot in 2008 by scoring a career-high 20 goals
• Scored two goals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, including the insurance goal in the 2-0 win against Mexico in the Round of 16
• The only player to ever be named U.S. Soccer's Male Athlete of the Year in consecutive years, earning the honors in 2003 and 2004

Dan Flynn

U.S. Soccer CEO and General Secretary

Dan Flynn learned about winning soccer championships as a product of the famed St. Louis, Mo., soccer scene, eventually becoming a collegiate standout at St. Louis University and helping to guide the Billikens to a 1973 NCAA soccer championship.

As U.S. Soccer's CEO / Secretary General since June 15, 2000, Flynn has taken his lessons learned from the field and applied them administratively at the sports highest level to help spur the United States Soccer Federation's growth into one of the most respected national governing bodies in the country. Through his tireless efforts, Flynn has been responsible for instilling the groundwork for U.S. Soccer's success in the new millennium.

In his eight-plus years as the organization's CEO, Flynn has overhauled U.S. Soccer's business framework, leading to among other things the development and construction of U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., which opened in June 2003. With a renewed focus on National Team and player development, as well as facility development, more and more opportunities are arising for youth players of all ages, highlighted by the addition of a number of Youth National Team programs, an increase to 40 players at the U-17 Men's National Team's residency program in Bradenton, Fla., and the creation of the Development Academy Program.

During the summer of 2003 Flynn served as the Chief Executive Officer of the FIFA Women's World Cup USA 2003, putting his strong business background to work in preparing the framework to help the Local Organizing Committee successfully stage the tournament. With attendance peaking above 350,000 despite just four months to organize the event, the tournament was the most financially profitable Women's World Cup ever.

Flynn's career path has included both sports marketing and management positions at Anheuser-Busch, as well as more than 14 years of experience within the sport of soccer at World Cup 1994, the U.S. Soccer Federation and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

For two years, the 54-year-old Flynn served as Executive Director of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, where he was responsible for the organization's overall management. Prior to joining the Foundation, he played key roles at both World Cup 1994, serving as the Venue Director in Chicago, and at U.S. Soccer, where from 1994 to 1998 he managed the governing body's day-to-day operations at the Federation headquarters in Chicago.

Flynn was a part of the amazing growth of Anheuser-Busch, where he served in numerous capacities both domestically and internationally. He was also directly involved in Anheuser Busch's sponsorship of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, which served as the springboard for their future involvement in the sport on a long term basis.

A graduate from St. Louis University, Flynn was a star defender at SLU from 1973 to 1977, helping the Billikens to an NCAA championship in 1973 and to a runner up finish in 1974. Born January 20, 1955, in St. Louis, Mo., he is married to Cathy and the couple have three daughters (Lauren, Anneliese and Erin).

Ed Foster-Simeon

U.S. Soccer Foundation President

Ed Foster-Simeon was confirmed as President of the United States Soccer Foundation on May 31, 2008. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at USA TODAY, the nation's largest circulation daily newspaper.

Mr. Foster-Simeon brings with him more than two decades of experience at all levels of the soccer industry. He has been an active member of the Foundation's Board of Directors since 2004 where he served on several key committees, including the Executive Committee. At the grassroots level, Mr. Foster-Simeon is a former Vice President of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association and past president of Prince William Soccer, Inc. - a 3,000 player recreational and travel club.

Mr. Foster-Simeon began his career at USA TODAY in 1993 as an Assignment Editor, directing coverage of the White House, Pentagon, State Department and the Justice Department. As Deputy Managing Editor, he was responsible for coverage of Washington, Politics and Foreign news. In that role, he planned and executed the newspaper's coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, he developed and implemented the Journalist Safety Program for staff members working in war zones and other hostile environments.

USA TODAY also tapped Mr. Foster-Simeon to plan and direct the newspaper's coverage of the 1998 World Cup in France.

In 1999, Mr. Foster-Simeon served as chairman of the Page One Task Force whose recommendations led to significant improvements in USA TODAY's content and newsroom organization. He was named USA Today Staffer of the Year as result of that work. As a member of the Gannett Leadership & Diversity Council, he also assisted in shaping corporate policy and direction. Prior to joining USA TODAY, Mr. Foster-Simeon served as Metropolitan Editor at The Washington Times. Under his leadership, the newspaper was consistently recognized for superior local coverage of the nation's capital.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Mr. Foster-Simeon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland University College. He and his wife, Wendy, live in Woodbridge, VA with their four children.

Morgan Freeman

Actor

Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman is one of the most recognizable figures in American cinema. His works are among the most critically and commercially successful films of all time and Freeman himself ranks 10th among worldwide top-grossing actors of all time. His films have earned over $3 billion in cumulative ticket sales. Whether a role requires an air of gravitas; a playful smile, twinkle of the eye or a world-weary, yet insightful soul, Freeman's ability to delve to the core of a character and infuse it with a quiet dignity has resulted in some of the most memorable portrayals ever recorded on film.

Freeman won the Academy Award in 2005 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Million Dollar Baby." In 1990 he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his performance in "Driving Miss Daisy." Freeman also received an Academy Award nomination in 1987 for Best Supporting Actor for "Street Smart" and in 1994 for Best Actor for "The Shawshank Redemption."

In 2000 Freeman was honored with the Hollywood Actor Award from the Hollywood Film Festival. Eight years later he received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor for his distinguished acting.

In 2010 he received an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe nomination and a Broadcast Critics Association nomination for his performance as Nelson Mandela in the acclaimed film "Invictus." He also won the National Board of Review award for Best Actor and was the film's executive producer. The picture was produced by Revelations Entertainment, the company he co-founded in 1996 with a mission to produce films that enlighten, express heart, and glorify the human experience. Other Revelations features include "Levity," "Under Suspicion," "Mutiny," "Bopha!", "Along Came a Spider," "Feast of Love," "10 Items or Less" and "Maiden Heist."

Freeman's film credits include "Glory," "Clean and Sober," "Lean on Me," "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," "Unforgiven," "Se7en," "Kiss the Girls," "Amistad," "Deep Impact," "Nurse Betty," "The Sum of All Fears," "Bruce Almighty," "The Dark Knight," "Nurse Betty," "The Bucket List," "Coriolanus," "Attica," "Brubaker," "Eyewitness," "Death of a Prophet" and "Along Came a Spider." He also narrated two Academy Award documentaries "The Long Way Home" and "The March of The Penguins."

After beginning his acting career on the off-Broadway stage productions of "The Niggerlovers" and the all- African-American production of "Hello Dolly", Freeman segued into television. Many people grew up watching him on the long-running Children's Television Workshop classic "The Electric Company", where he played several recurring characters. Looking for his next challenge, he set his sights on both The Great White Way and silver screen simultaneously and quickly began to fill his resume with memorable performances.

In 1978 Freeman won a Drama Desk Award his role as Zeke in "The Mighty Gents." He also received a Tony Nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor.

His stage work continued to earn him accolades and awards, including Obie Awards in 1980, 1984 and 1987 and a second Drama Desk Nomination in 1987 for the role of Hoke Colburn which he created for the Alfred Uhry play "Driving Miss Daisy" and reprised in the 1989 movie of the same name.

In his spare time, Freeman loves the freedom of both sea and sky; he is a long-time sailor and has earned a private pilot's license. He also has a love for the blues and seeks to keep it in the forefront through his Ground Zero club in Clarksville, Mississippi, the birthplace of the blues. In 1973 he co-founded the Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop, now in its 37th season. The workshop seeks to serve successful playwrights of the new millennium. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Earth Biofuels, a company whose mission is to promote the use of clean-burning fuels. He also supports Artists for a New South Africa and the Campaign for Female Education.

Don Garber

Major League Soccer Commissioner

Don Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and League administration. In 1999, he was named Commissioner of Major League Soccer after spending 16 years with the National Football League.

Since Garber accepted Major League Soccer's top position, his vision and leadership have enabled MLS to build a strong foundation for professional soccer in the United States. Garber has guided MLS through decisions that have solidified the League's core business, guaranteed its long-term viability and positioned it for growth.

During his tenure, the League has added 12 new investors, expanding and diversifying the League's ownership group, including six new expansion teams since 2005. Garber has also led the effort to develop soccer-specific stadiums for MLS teams. Seven stadiums have been build during his tenure, with several more in development.

In 2007, Garber has secured long-term national television agreements for Major League Soccer with four national television partners, including ABC/ESPN, Fox, HDnet and Univision, an unprecedented accomplishment for the sport in the United States. Additionally, he implemented ground-breaking player initiatives such as the MLS Designated Player Rule and created the MLS Youth Development Initiative, positioning the League as the leader of the sport that now totals nearly 18 million participants in the United States.

In 2001, Garber re-structured MLS and spearheaded the formation of Soccer United Marketing (SUM), a company owned by MLS investors that is the preeminent commercial soccer entity in North America. SUM represents several prominent soccer properties, including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Women's Professional Soccer, the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Champions League and the Mexican Soccer Federation. In addition, SUM manages American tours for some of the world's most prestigious soccer clubs, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Chivas de Guadalajara. Most recently, Garber was instrumental in the creation of SuperLiga, an innovative tournament between the best MLS and Mexico's First Division clubs and the Pan-Pacific Championship, featuring MLS and Asian clubs that debuted in 2008. SUM previously owned the English-language television rights for the FIFA Men's World Cup in Germany 2006 and Korea/Japan in 2002 and the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.

In 2007, Garber formed MLS W.O.R.K.S, the League's community outreach initiative, dedicated to addressing important social issues affecting young people throughout America.

Prior to becoming Commissioner of MLS, Garber spent 16 years with the National Football League, finishing his tenure as the senior vice president/managing director of NFL International, where he was responsible for managing all of the NFL's business outside the United States. Garber began his career at NFL Properties in 1984 and became the League's director of marketing in 1988. In 1992, he was appointed the NFL's senior vice president of business development and was responsible for a variety of television, special event and marketing activities.

Garber serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Soccer Federation, The United States Soccer Foundation, and the FC Harlem Youth Soccer Club as well as on the Board of the Hope and Heroes Foundation at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. He is on the Board of Advisors for New York University's Tisch School for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management and the University of Central Florida, DeVos Sports Business Management Program and the World Congress of Sports.

He lives in New Jersey with his wife, their two children and two dogs.

Mia Hamm

U.S. Women's National Team former player

Was named the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year for 2001 and 2002, the first two years in which the world's governing body bestowed the award on a woman ... The most recognized female soccer player in the world, she broke the all time international scoring record, for men and women, on May 16, 1999, against Brazil in Orlando, Fla., with her 108th career goal, and would go on to score 50 more ... Is the world's all-time leading scorer with 158 goals and 144 assists for 460 points ... The second most capped player in the world behind teammate Kristine Lilly ... From 1997 to 1999, she scored 51 goals in her 63 matches ... Named U.S. Soccer's Female Athlete of the Year an unprecedented five years in a row from 1994 1998 ... Because of her amazing assist total, even if she had never scored a goal, she would still be among the top 10 scorers in U.S. history ... A 18 year veteran of the U.S. National Team, at age of 15 she became the youngest woman to ever play with the USA.

Robert Iger

President and CEO, The Walt Disney Company

Robert A. Iger is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. Mr. Iger, the sixth CEO in The Walt Disney Company's 86-year history, was appointed to this post on October 1, 2005 after the company's board of directors elected him to succeed Michael D. Eisner in March, 2005.

Previously, Mr. Iger served as President and Chief Operating Officer of The Walt Disney Company, a position he had held since June, 2000. In this role, he partnered with Mr. Eisner in overseeing all aspects of the company's worldwide operations including its filmed entertainment, theme parks and resorts, media networks and consumer products businesses. Mr. Iger also became a member of Disney's board of directors at this time.

Mr. Iger began his career at ABC in 1974. Throughout his tenure at the company, Mr. Iger has held a series of increasingly responsible senior management positions, including serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of Capital Cities/ABC, where he guided the complex merger of ABC with The Walt Disney Company. During Mr. Iger's years with ABC, he oversaw its broadcast television network and station, cable television, radio and publishing businesses, which includes the market leading brands of ABC, ESPN, Lifetime, A&E and The History Channel.

He officially joined the Disney senior management team in 1996 as Chairman of the Disney- owned ABC Group and in 1999, was given the additional responsibility of President, Walt Disney International.

Mr. Iger is a member of the board of directors for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. He is a trustee of the American Film Institute Board and serves on the Executive Advisory Board of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Henry Kissinger

Former U.S. Secretary of State

Henry Alfred Kissinger was sworn in on September 22, 1973, as the 56th Secretary of State, a position he held until January 20, 1977. He also served as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from January 20, 1969, until November 3, 1975. In July 1983 he was appointed by President Reagan to chair the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America until it ceased operation in January 1985, and from 1984-1990 he served as a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. From 1986-1988 he was a member of the Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy of the National Security Council and Defense Department. He is currently a member of the Defense Policy Board.

At present, Dr. Kissinger is Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm. He is also a member of the International Council of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.; Chairman of the International Advisory Board of American International Group, Inc.; a Counselor to and Trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; an Honorary Governor of the Foreign Policy Association; and an Honor Member of the International Olympic Committee. Among his other activities, Dr. Kissinger is a member of the Board of Directors of ContiGroup Companies, Inc. and an Advisor to the Board of Directors of American Express Company. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Forstmann Little and Co.; a Trustee Emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; a Director Emeritus of Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc.; and a Director of the International Rescue Committee.

Among the awards Dr. Kissinger has received have been the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973; the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation's highest civilian award) in 1977; and the Medal of Liberty (given one time to ten foreign-born American leaders) in 1986.

Dr. Kissinger was born in Fuerth, Germany, came to the United States in 1938 and was naturalized a United States citizen in 1943. He served in the Army from 1943 to 1946. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1950 and received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University in 1952 and 1954.

From 1954 until 1969 he was a member of the faculty of Harvard University, in both the Department of Government and the Center for International Affairs. He was Director of the Harvard International Seminar from 1952 to 1969.

Dr. Kissinger is the author of:

• A World Restored: Castlereagh, Metternich and the Restoration of Peace, 1812-1822 (1957)
• Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy (1957)
• The Necessity for Choice: Prospects of American Foreign Policy (1961)
• The Troubled Partnership: A Reappraisal of the Atlantic Alliance (1965)
• Problems of National Strategy: A Book of Readings (ed.) (1965)
• American Foreign Policy, Three Essays (1969)
• White House Years (1979)
• For the Record: Selected Statements, 1977-1980 (1981)
• Years of Upheaval (1982)
• Observations: Selected Speeches and Essays, 1982-1984 (1985)
• Diplomacy (1994)
• Years of Renewal (1999)
• Does America Need a Foreign Policy?: Toward a Diplomacy for the 21st Century (2001)
• Ending the Vietnam War: A History of America's Involvement in and Extrication from the Vietnam War (2003)
• Crisis: The Anatomy of Two Major Foreign Policy Crises (2003).

He has also published numerous articles on United States foreign policy, international affairs and diplomatic history. His column, syndicated by Tribune Media Services International, appears in leading U.S. newspapers and in over 40 foreign countries.

Dr. Kissinger is married to the former Nancy Maginnes and is the father of two children by a previous marriage.

Robert Kraft

New England Revolution and New England Patriots owner

Robert Kraft is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group, based in Foxborough, Mass. The Kraft Group is the holding company of the Kraft family's many businesses, with interests concentrated in six areas: manufacturing of paper and packaging, international distribution of forest products, sports and entertainment, real estate development, private equity investing and philanthropy.

In the field of sports and entertainment, Kraft is widely recognized as one of the most successful owners in professional sports. As Investor/Operator of the New England Revolution (Major League Soccer), Chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots (National Football League) and owner of Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place, Kraft has created a world-class sports and entertainment environment in New England.

Under Kraft's leadership, the New England Revolution and the New England Patriots have delivered nine conference titles and three league championships in the last decade, while his private-financing of Gillette Stadium has given fans a world-class facility in which to enjoy New England's championship tradition.

Kraft's long-standing support of soccer in the United States dates back to his efforts in the early 1990s to secure Foxborough as one of the nine host venues for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The success of the 1994 World Cup ushered in a new era in New England sports and on June 6, 1995, the Kraft family became the founding Investor/Operator of the Revolution, joining Major League Soccer for its inaugural season in 1996.
Kraft's contributions to MLS also include a two-season tenure as Investor/Operator of the San Jose Earthquakes from 1999-2000.

Additionally, Foxborough has hosted the MLS Cup championship game three times, including the 2002 final between the Eastern Conference Champion Revolution and the Los Angeles Galaxy, which was played in front of the largest crowd in MLS Cup history (61,316).

The United States' Men's and Women's National soccer teams have also enjoyed tremendous support from the Kraft family and soccer fans throughout New England. Since 1990, Foxborough has hosted 25 international matches involving U.S. teams at Foxboro Stadium (1990-2001) and Gillette Stadium (2002-present). The U.S. teams have enjoyed remarkable success in Foxborough, compiling a combined record of 20-1-4 in those games. In addition to hosting games in the 1994 Men's World Cup, Foxborough was a host city for the 1999 Women's World Cup, when more than 50,000 fans watched the U.S. women defeat North Korea, 3-0, and the 2003 Women's World Cup. Gillette Stadium has also hosted the 2003, 2005 and 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup - the North American, Central American and Caribbean regional championship - and several international friendlies between top national teams. In 2007, the Brazil-Mexico showdown drew a record crowd of 67,584 fans, setting a new soccer attendance record for a game played in New England.

Kraft is a lifelong New England sports fan who began attending Boston Patriots games during their infancy in the 1960s. When the franchise moved to Foxborough in 1971, he purchased season tickets for his family, an account he maintained for the next 23 years before purchasing the team in 1994.

The Kraft family has built the Patriots into one of professional sports' model organizations. Since purchasing the team in 1994, the Patriots have won more games (173), including more playoff games (17), more conference championships (5) and more Super Bowl championships (3) than any other team in the NFL. They also own the league's longest consecutive win streaks in the regular season (21), postseason (10) and overall (21).

Kraft began his business career with the Rand-Whitney Group, Inc. of Worcester, Mass., a company that converted paper into packaging for various industries. He later acquired the company. In 1972, he founded International Forest Products, a trader of paper commodities that now does business in more than 80 countries around the world. Together, Rand-Whitney and International Forest Products comprise one of the largest privately-owned paper and packaging companies in the United States. In 1998, he founded The Kraft Group to serve as the holding company for the family's varied business interests, whose holdings include the Rand-Whitney Group, Rand-Whitney Containerboard, International Forest Products, the New England Patriots, the New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium, Patriot Place and a portfolio of more than 30 private equity investments.

A native of Brookline, Mass., Kraft attended public schools before attending Columbia on an academic scholarship. Upon graduation, he received a fellowship to Harvard Business School, where he earned a master's degree in business administration.

Kraft serves on the board of directors for Viacom and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He is also on the executive committee of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he established the Robert K. Kraft Family Blood Donor Center. He is a trustee emeritus at Columbia and is a trustee of Boston College. He has also received honorary degrees from several colleges and universities. In 2006, Kraft was awarded the NCAA's highest honor when he received the Theodore Roosevelt Award, which is presented annually to a distinguished citizen of national reputation and outstanding accomplishments.

For more than three decades, the Kraft family has been one of New England's most philanthropic families, donating tens of millions of dollars in support of local charities and civic affairs. The Krafts recently pledged half a million dollars to the Greater Boston Food Bank to enhance the Kids Café program. The contribution will assure thousands of Boston-area children will receive nutritious meals five days a week. A million dollar donation by the Krafts helped fund the Kraft Family Center at the Foxborough branch of the YMCA. The addition includes an aquatics center, with a lap pool and a family fun pool; a full-sized gymnasium with a suspended multi-lane track; an expanded community wellness center; a kids gym and child watch area; a new teen program center; and state-of-the-art youth and teen wellness center.

Spike Lee

Writer, director, actor, producer & author

Spike Lee is a writer, director, actor, producer and author who revolutionized the role of Black talent in cinema. Widely regarded as a premiere African-American filmmaker, Lee is a forerunner in the 'do it yourself' school of independent film. An avid sports enthusiast, Lee recently completed a one day 18 camera documentary shoot focusing on NBA standout Kobe Bryant. The unique piece, produced for ESPN, is entitled Kobe - Doin Work. Another current project Passing Strange - the critically acclaimed Broadway musical - follows the travels of a young African American musician in search of himself. Passing Strange debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. His most recent theatrical release is "Miracle at St Anna". Set in 1944 it chronicles the story of four black American soldiers who are members of the US Army as part of the all-black 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division, trapped behind enemy lines in Tuscany, Italy during World War II.

This film comes on the heels of "When the Levees Broke", a groundbreaking documentary focusing on the plight of Americans stranded in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Other critical and box office successes have included such films as "Inside Man", "25th Hour", "The Original Kings of Comedy", "Bamboozled" and "Summer of Sam". Lee's films "Girl 6", "Get On the Bus", "Do the Right Thing" and "Clockers" display his ability to showcase a series of outspoken and provocative socio-political critiques that challenge cultural assumptions, not only about race, but class and gender identity as well.

His debut film, the independently produced comedy "She's Gotta Have It", earned him the Prix de Jeunesse Award at the Cannes Film festival in 1986 and set him at the forefront of the Black New Wave in American Cinema. His second feature, the very profitable "School Daze", helped to launch the careers of several young Black actors. Lee's timely 1989 film, "Do the Right Thing", garnered an Academy Award(R) nomination for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film and Director awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Lee's "Jungle Fever", "Mo' Better Blues", "Clockers", and "Crooklyn" were also critically well received. His epic drama "Malcolm X", starring Denzel Washington, received two Academy Award(R) nominations.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Brooklyn, Lee returned south to attend Morehouse College. After graduation, he returned to Brooklyn to continue his education at New York University's Tisch School of Arts in Manhattan, where he received his Master of Fine Arts Degree in film production. He founded 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, based in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, where he has resided since childhood.

In addition to his film achievements, Lee has produced and directed numerous music videos for diverse artists including Chaka Khan, Tracy Chapman, Anita Baker, Public Enemy, Bruce Hornsby and Michael Jackson. His other music videos include work for the late Miles Davis and Phyllis Hyman, Naughty by Nature and Arrested Development.

Lee's commercial work began in 1988 with his Nike Air Jordan campaign. Collaborating with basketball great Michael Jordan on several commercials, Lee resurrected his popular character, Mars Blackmon from "She's Gotta Have It". He has also completed a PSA for UNCF called "Two Michaels," which also features Michael Jordan. Lee is also well known for his Levi's Button-Fly 501, AT&T and ESPN television commercials. His other commercial ventures include TV spots for Philips, Nike, American Express, Snapple and Taco Bell. Lee has also directed several Art Spot Shorts for MTV and a short film featuring Branford Marsalis and Diahnne Abbott for Saturday Night Live.

Lee is also involved in documentaries and sports programs. He completed the Emmy- and Oscar(R)-nominated documentary "4 Little Girls" for HBO and received an Emmy Award for his piece on Georgetown's John Thompson for HBO/Real Sports.

Additionally, Lee has authored six books on the making of his films. The fifth book, "Five For Five", served as a pictorial reflection of his first five features. He then followed up with "Best Seat in the House", authored with Ralph Wiley. Lee co-authored a children's book entitled "Please, Baby Please" with his wife Tonya Lewis Lee, and most recently authored a retrospective book about his film career entitled "That's My Story and I'm Sticking To It".

Ever moving into new areas, Spike Lee has combined his extensive creative experience into yet another venture: partnering with DDB Needham, he created Spike/DDB, a full-service advertising agency.

Timothy Leiweke

President & CEO, AEG

One of today's true leaders in the professional sports and entertainment industry, Timothy J. Leiweke serves as President & CEO of AEG, a collection of companies owned or operated by the organization considered to be one of the world's leading presenters of sports and entertainment programming.

Now in his fourteenth year with AEG, and recently selected by the L.A. Times as one of the 100 most influential people in southern California and by the Sports Business Journal as Sports Executive of the Year, Leiweke has acquired or merged more than 50 divisions and companies whose alliances create a global live entertainment organization capable of developing, producing, promoting, marketing and managing sports and entertainment programming in both facilities owned and operated by AEG as well as other venues. AEG divisions such as AEG Live, devoted to all aspects of creating, producing and promoting live entertainment, AEG Facilities, developers and operators of more than 90 of the world's preeminent venues such as STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), The Home Depot Center (Carson, CA), Sprint Center (Kansas City, MO), The Rose Garden (Portland, OR), Target Center (Minneapolis, MN), WaMu Theater (Seattle, WA), Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, Nokia Theatre Times Square, Acer Arena (Sydney, AU), Wukesong Basketball Arena (Beijing), Color Line Arena (Hamburg), O2 World arena (Berlin) and The O2, a 28-acre development located in the eastern part of London which includes a 20,000 seat arena (deemed the world's number one music venue by Pollstar magazine) and over 650,000sf of leisure and entertainment use; AEG Global Partnerships; AEG Sports; AEG Merchandising; AEG Marketing, AEG Real Estate and AEG Creative all operate under his direction.

As President of STAPLES Center, twice recipient of Pollstar's "Arena of the Year" award, Leiweke was responsible for the overall development of the downtown showplace for major events and performances. Built under his direction in a record 18 months, STAPLES Center is home to four professional sports franchises - the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Sparks - the most prestigious concerts and shows including Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (who played the arena's first ever public event on October 17, 1999), the Eagles, U2, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Prince, Usher, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, The Police and Rod Stewart. Leiweke played a major role in bring events to Los Angeles and STAPLES Center such as the 2000 Democratic National Convention, the 2009 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, the 2002 NHL All-Star Game, the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, ten of the last eleven Annual Grammy Awards shows and recurring events such as the Pac 10 Mens Basketball Championships and the X Games.

Leiweke guided the creation of The Home Depot Center, built on the campus of California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. The $150 million development (the largest-ever private investment in amateur athletics) which has been designated an official U.S. Olympic Training Site, is southern California's home of world-class competition and training faculties. The 85-acre development features a 13,000-seat stadium for tennis, 27,000-seat stadium for soccer and outdoor concerts, a facility for track & field and a 2,400-seat indoor velodrome as well as the David Beckham Academy and (Andre) Agassi's Safe Passage All Stars program.

Leiweke now turns his attention to overseeing the final development and overall management of the new L.A. LIVE, a four million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential and entertainment district adjacent to STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center featuring Club Nokia, a 2,300 capacity live music venue, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, a 7,100-seat live theatre, a 54-story, 1001-room convention "headquarters" destination (featuring The Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott hotels and 224 luxury condominiums - The Ritz Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE - all in a single tower) , Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 theatre, "broadcast" facilities for ESPN along with entertainment, residential, restaurant and office space.

In addition to the Los Angeles Kings and Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, AEG Sports shares ownership of additional professional sports franchises such as the Houston Dynamo (MLS), the Manchester (New Hampshire) Monarchs (AHL), the Reading Royals (ECHL), and two professional ice hockey teams in Europe - the Berlin Eisbarons and Hamburg Freesers in addition to directing the operations of events such as the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race, ING Bay to Breakers foot race (San Francisco). Leiweke also serves on the Los Angeles Lakers Board of Directors representing private ownership shares of the Los Angeles Lakers organization.

Leiweke initiated the formation and direction of the Kings Care Foundation, which was awarded the 1999 Pro Team Community Award given annually to the franchise that demonstrates the most effective humanitarian community program in all of professional sports, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS. In the last ten years, the Kings Care Foundation, STAPLES Center Foundation, The Home Depot Foundation and AEG have provided more than $65 million in support to local foundations, non-profit organizations, community organizations and charitable initiatives.

Leiweke enjoyed an impressive history of success and experience in sports. Before moving to Los Angeles to join the Kings in 1996, he served as president and CEO for U.S. Skiing, after four seasons as President of the Denver Nuggets (1991-95). While in Denver, helped negotiate the relocation of the Quebec Nordiques to Colorado while guiding the initial development and design of the Pepsi Center.

The first employee hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1988, Leiweke served as Vice President for the NBA franchise for four seasons and helped the club to an NBA attendance record by averaging 26,160 per game in their first season. He also handled naming rights, marketing and sales for all events at the Target Center.

A native of St. Louis, Leiweke's career in sports administration began in 1979 as the assistant general manager for the Major Indoor Soccer League's St. Louis Steamers. A year later, he became the youngest (24) general manager in pro sports by assuming that post with the MISL's Baltimore Blast. In 1981-82, he became Vice President and General Manager of the Kansas City Comets, and later became its President in 1986.

Along with his wife, Bernadette, Leiweke has spent an enormous amount of time and effort dedicated to numerous charitable causes within each of the local communities they have resided. As a tribute to his commitment to Los Angeles and charitable organizations, he has been honored by such organizations as City of Hope with the Spirit of Life Award (which raised nearly $9 million in Leiweke's name in January, 2010), Para Los Ninos, the Anti-Defamation League as recipient of their 2007 Humanitarian Award, the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund with their 2003 Children's Choice Award, as Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association, the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce, as a Treasure of Los Angeles by the Central City Association, Special Olympics of Southern California, Los Angeles Conservation Corps, the Sheriff's Youth Foundation with their Champion for Youth Award, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Latin Business Association, the Korean American Federation, the Muscular Dystrophy Association as their Man of the Year, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce as their Distinguished Man of the Year, by the L.A. Headquarters Association with their Spirit of Los Angeles Award and as the recipient of the Los Angeles Conven-tion and Visitor's Bureau's Los Amigos de Los Angeles Award. Leiweke is currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for Para Los Ninos, as a member of the Board of Directors of A Better L.A. and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and has recently been appointed to Chair the Rainbow/PUSH Entertainment Project.

Tim and his wife Bernadette reside in Brentwood, California and have a daughter Francesca.

Brad Pitt

Actor & Producer

Brad Pitt one of today's strongest and most versatile film actors is also a successful film producer, with his company Plan B Entertainment.

He was an Academy Award® nominee for his performance in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Terry Gilliam's "Twelve Monkeys," for which he won a Golden Globe Award. He was also a Golden Globe Award nominee for his performances in Edward Zwick's "Legends of the Fall" and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Babel."

Pitt most recently starred in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds" as Lt. Aldo Raine which had its world premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Prior to Basterds he appeared in Benjamin Button, and Joel and Ethan Coen's comedy thriller "Burn After Reading." In 2007 he was named Best Actor at Venice International Film Festival for his portrayal of Jesse James in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" directed by Andrew Dominik.

Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, he grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and attended the University of Missouri at Columbia where he majored in Journalism. Right before graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to study graphic design, but instead began to pursue an acting career, studying with Roy London.

It was Mr. Pitt's role in Ridley Scott's Academy Award®-winning "Thelma and Louise" that first brought him national attention. He soon went on to star in Robert Redford's Academy Award®-winning "A River Runs Through It," and Dominic Sena's "Kalifornia." He has also starred Tony Scott's "True Romance" and "Spy Games," David Fincher films "Se7en" and "Fight Club," Guy Ritichie's "Snatch," and Doug Liman's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

Pitt's Plan B Entertainment develops and produces both film and television projects. Plan B has thus far produced such films as Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," which won four Academy Awards®, Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart," for which Angelina Jolie received Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, Critics' Choice, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, Rebecca Miller's "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Andrew Dominik's "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford", and the recently released Matthew Vaughn's "Kickass."

The company is currently in post-production on Liz Gilbert's best-selling book "Eat Pray Love," written/directed by Ryan Murphy and starring Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, and James Franco, and Terence Malick's "Tree of Life," starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.

In addition to his acting career, Pitt and Angelina Jolie established a charitable organization, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, to aid humanitarian causes around the world. He is also a co-founder of Not On Our Watch, an organization focused on driving global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world.

Two years after Hurricane Katrina, Pitt met with community groups and families and established the Make It Right Foundation to build 150 green, affordable, high-quality design homes in the neighborhood closest to the levee breach. Since then, 21 local, national and international architects have donated designs for single-family homes and duplexes. Because all of the homes built to date have been certified as LEED platinum for their energy efficiency and sustainability, the Make It Right community is now the "largest, greenest neighborhood of single family homes in America," according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Governor of California

The world knows Arnold Schwarzenegger as a famous bodybuilder and a Hollywood action hero, but he is also a successful businessman, generous philanthropist and California's 38th Governor.

Governor Schwarzenegger's most notable accomplishments in his first five years in office include the nation-leading Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 - a bipartisan agreement to combat global warming by reducing California's greenhouse gas emissions - and overhauling the state's workers' compensation system - cutting costs by more than 35 percent. In addition, Governor Schwarzenegger is the first governor in decades to make major investments in improving California's aging infrastructure through his Strategic Growth Plan, helping to reduce congestion and clean the air. He established the Hydrogen Highway and Million Solar Roofs Plan, continuing his leadership in creating a greener environment.

As Governor, he has been California's most effective marketing tool, traveling across the country and around the world promoting California-grown products, cutting-edge technologies and the state's diverse travel destinations. In addition, using his background as an internationally recognized athlete, Governor Schwarzenegger has made restoring health and fitness a top priority. He signed legislation making the state's school nutrition standards the most progressive in the nation and continues to promote healthy habits by taking harmful trans fats out of California restaurants and ensuring nutritional information is available to diners.

Additionally, since he took office, Governor Schwarzenegger has worked to reform California's fiscal policies, create a better business environment, reduce burdens on employment, boost exports and stimulate job growth.

This world-famous athlete and actor was born in Austria in 1947, and at 20 became the youngest person ever to win the Mr. Universe title. He came to America shortly after, winning an unprecedented 12 more world bodybuilding titles. Challenging both his body and mind, he earned a college degree from the University of Wisconsin and became a U.S. citizen in 1983. Three years later he married broadcast journalist Maria Shriver.

Governor Schwarzenegger's most gratifying accomplishments are rooted in public service - committing his time, energy and personal finances to charitable organizations around the world. He and Maria have remained closely involved in Special Olympics, an organization founded by Maria's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. He was named Special Olympics International Weight Training Coach in 1979 and serves as a Global Ambassador.

Recognizing his passion for helping kids, in 1990 former President George Bush appointed Governor Schwarzenegger Chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, in which capacity he traveled all 50 states and recognized the overwhelming need for more after-school alternatives. He also served as Chair of the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Governor Pete Wilson.

Governor Schwarzenegger has committed himself to promoting physical education and after-school programs. In 2002, his support for Proposition 49, the After-School Education & Safety Act, led it to overwhelming victory. As Governor, he has aggressively worked to increase after-school funding, making California the first state in the nation to significantly invest in a comprehensive after-school program.

His many accomplishments have earned him the praise of numerous organizations, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center's "National Leadership Award" for his support of the organization's Holocaust studies. Schwarzenegger was the only actor to be in both categories of the American Film Institutes Hundred Years of Heroes and Villains. In 2002, Schwarzenegger was given the esteemed honor of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, presented to him by Ali, a longtime friend and sports mentor.

Governor Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver have four children - Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.

Donna Shalala

President of the University of Miami

Donna E. Shalala became Professor of Political Science and President of the University of Miami on June 1, 2001. President Shalala has more than 25 years of experience as an accomplished scholar, teacher, and administrator.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, President Shalala received her A.B. degree in history from Western College for Women. One of the country's first Peace Corp Volunteers, she served in Iran from 1962 to 1964 She earned her Ph.D. degree from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. A leading scholar on the political economy of state and local governments, she also has held tenured professorships at Columbia University, the City University of New York (CUNY), and the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She served as President of Hunter College of the City University of New York from 1980 to 1987 and as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1987 to 1993.

During her tenure, UM has solidified its position among top U.S. research universities and continues to rise in national rankings, including an unprecedented 15-point climb in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges, " moving from 66th in 2001 up to 51st in 2008. Momentum: The Campaign for the University of Miami, the first billion-dollar capital campaign completed in the state of Florida, raised $1.4 billion in private support for the university's endowment, academic and research programs and facilities. UM's Coral Gables campus hosted the first 2004 Presidential Debate and in 2007, in partnership with Univision Network, presented the first-ever Democratic and Republican presidential candidates' forums in Spanish.

In 1993 President Clinton appointed her U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) where she served for eight years, becoming the longest serving HHS Secretary in U.S. history. At the beginning of her tenure, HHS had a budget of nearly $600 billion, which included a wide variety of programs including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Child Care and Head Start, Welfare, the Public Health Service, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As HHS Secretary, she directed the welfare reform process, made health insurance available to an estimated 3.3 million children through the approval of all State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP), raised child immunization rates to the highest levels in history, led major reforms of the FDA's drug approval process and food safety system, revitalized the National Institutes of Health, and directed a major management and policy reform of Medicare. At the end of her tenure as HHS Secretary, The Washington Post described her as "one of the most successful government managers of modern times." As Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she led what was then the nation's largest public research university. She successfully strengthened undergraduate education, the university's research facilities, and spearheaded the largest fundraising drive in Wisconsin's history. In 1992, Business Week named her one of the top five managers in higher education.

She served in the Carter administration from 1977-80 as Assistant Secretary for Public Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 1980, she assumed the presidency of Hunter College of the City University of New York.

She is a Director of Gannett Co., Inc., and the Lennar Corporation. She also serves as a Trustee of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

In 2007, President George W. Bush handpicked Shalala to co-chair with Senator Bob Dole the Commission on Care for Returning Wounded Warriors, to evaluate how wounded service members transition from active duty to civilian society.

President Shalala has more than three dozen honorary degrees and a host of other honors, including the 1992 National Public Service Award, the 1994 Glamour magazine Woman of the Year Award; in 2005 she was named one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News & World Report and the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government; in May 2008 she was selected as an Independent Director of the US Soccer Federation, and in June 2008 she was awarded the Radcliffe Medal by The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. In 2008, she was honored as one of "25 Great Public Servants" by The Council for Excellence in Government which recognized outstanding public servants who have made significant contributions to achieving excellence in government over the past 25 years.

In June 2008, President Bush presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, at a ceremony in the White House. The medal recognizes exceptional meritorious service to individuals who have contributed to national security, world peace, or cultural endeavors. She has been elected to the Council on Foreign Relations; National Academy of Education; the National Academy of Public Administration; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the National Academy of Social Insurance; the American Academy of Political and Social Science; and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

John Skipper

Executive Vice President, Content, ESPN

John Skipper was named to the newly created position of ESPN's Executive Vice President, Content in October 2005. Skipper is responsible for the creation, programming and production of ESPN content across all media platforms, including television, radio, internet, broadband, wireless, publishing, interactive games, home entertainment and consumer products. He had been Executive Vice President of Advertising Sales and ESPN Enterprises since August 2004.

ESPN Enterprises, which he continues to oversee, comprises ESPN Digital Media, ESPN Consumer Products and ESPN Mobile Properties. ESPN Enterprises includes business units and products such as ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPN's licensed wireless applications, ESPN Books and ESPN The Magazine, both domestically and internationally.

Skipper also oversees the group charged with developing and producing new sports-driven content for all ESPN media platforms, ESPN Content Development (formally ESPN Original Entertainment). The unit launched the ESPN Films division in March 2008 to present quality scripted and documentary film projects for television and theatrical release

In 2008, under Skipper's guidance, ESPN launched a high school content initiative, ESPN RISE, a multimedia brand dedicated to growing ESPN's 12- to 17-year-old audience, while providing compelling high school sports content across all of ESPN's platforms.

Skipper served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine from December 2001 to September 2002. Prior to joining ESPN.com as senior vice president and general manager in January 2000, Skipper held the same title at ESPN The Magazine since June 1997, where he oversaw one of the most successful magazine launches of the 1990s. During its inaugural year, the magazine earned more than 20 awards, including "Best New Magazine" honors from both Advertising Age and AdWeek magazines, as well as a 1999 National Magazine Award for design.

Both ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine have continued to receive accolades over the years, reflecting Skipper's impact on the respective industries during his tenure. In 2003 and 2006, ESPN The Magazine was awarded the National Magazine Award for General Excellence - its third overall nomination for the same award. The Magazine was also named to Adweek's Top 10 Hot List of magazines five consecutive years (2001-2005), the only men's magazine to do so in the 25-year history of the list. ESPN.com has twice won Sports Emmy Awards for broadband content, having received four nominations. The site has taken home two prestigious Online Journalism Awards, two Editor & Publisher EPpy Awards, multiple Webby Awards from the Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and was named to the AdWeek Web Site Hot List (2007), the Time magazine 25 Sites We Can't Live Without (2006).

In the Sporting News' 2004 Power 100, Skipper was named No. 1 in the Media Executives category, up from No. 3 in 2003. In 2008, BusinessWeek's "The Power 100" ranking of the 100 most powerful people in sports for 2008 had him at No. 30, up from 36 in 2007. He also was listed in Sports Business Journal's list of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports for a third straight year, at #26, up from #36.

Before joining ESPN The Magazine, Skipper served two years as senior vice president of The Disney Publishing Group where he was in charge of all Disney's magazine, book and licensed publishing operations in the United States. Since 1990, Skipper was vice president of Disney Magazine publishing, overseeing Disney Adventures, Discover, FamilyFun and Family PC.

Prior to joining The Disney Publishing Group, Skipper held the title of president and publishing director at Spin magazine. Earlier he spent 10 years with Straight Arrow Publishing including eight years with Rolling Stone. At Straight Arrow, he rose to publisher of US magazine.

Skipper holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English Literature from the University of North Carolina and Columbia University, respectively.

Joe Uva

Univision CEO

Joe Uva serves as Chief Executive Officer of Univision Communications Inc., the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States.

Since he joined the Company in April 2007, Univision has achieved consistent growth through the successes of its three television networks - Univision, TeleFutura and Galavisión - and its radio and online operations.

Prior to Univision, Mr. Uva served as President and CEO of OMD Worldwide, an Omnicom Group Company, from January 2002 until March 2007. He oversaw all of OMD's global operations. During his tenure, OMD was twice recognized as Global Media Agency of the Year by industry leading publications and was consistently ranked as the most awarded media agency in the world by The Gunn Report.

Before OMD, Mr. Uva was President of Turner Entertainment Group Sales and Marketing for Turner Broadcasting Sales, Inc. (TBSI). He handled all domestic sales and marketing for TBS Superstation, TNT, Cartoon Network, Turner South and Turner Sports. Additionally, he worked with corporate marketers in the area of licensing and promotion in the development of integrated marketing programs and oversaw the company's barter/trade operations.

Mr. Uva joined TBSI in 1984 as an advertising sales account executive with CNN, later serving as Executive Vice President for CNN Sales worldwide.

Mr. Uva is a member of the Board of Directors of TiVo, Inc., the Ad Council and Imaginova Corp. He served on the Board of Trustees of The Valerie Fund, a NJ/NY not-for-profit organization which provides comprehensive care for children with cancer and blood disorders, from 1998-2006 and was Chairman from 2000-2001. He is also on the Board of the International Radio & Television Society Foundation and has been a member of the Forum on Public Responsibility for Public Education.

He has been honored by Young Audiences New York and The Valerie Fund for his commitment to children, and has received numerous awards from the media and advertising industries for his professional achievements. He was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in October 2007.

Mr. Uva holds a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric & Communications from the State University of New York at Albany.

Casey Wasserman

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer - Wasserman Media Group

Since founding Wasserman Media Group in 1998, Casey Wasserman has built the company into a powerhouse in the world of sports and entertainment through category leading management, marketing and content businesses.

Dedicated to philanthropy, Wasserman is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Wasserman Foundation, his family's private charitable organization. Additionally, he serves on the boards of New York University, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library Foundation, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Earlier in his career, Wasserman purchased the Los Angeles Avengers, then part of the Arena Football League. The team had a successful decade long run until the Avengers left the AFL in 2009. During that time, Wasserman, who was the youngest owner of professional sports team, was elected league chairman and sat on the AFL executive committee.

Wasserman holds a BA in political science from UCLA.

Katharine Weymouth

The Washington Post, Publisher and Washington Post Media CEO

Katharine Weymouth is chief executive officer of Washington Post Media, a unit of The Washington Post Company that includes The Washington Post, Express and El Tiempo Latino, and publisher of The Washington Post across all platforms. She was named to both positions in February 2008. She had been vice president of advertising for The Washington Post since January 2005.

Weymouth joined The Post in 1996 as assistant counsel. After two years, she moved to Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive (WPNI), the former online publishing subsidiary of The Washington Post Company, as associate counsel. In 2000, Weymouth returned to the newspaper, where she served as the advertising department's liaison between The Post and WPNI. She became director of the advertising department's jobs unit in 2002 and was named director of advertising sales in April 2004.

She earned a BA magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1988 and a JD from Stanford Law School in 1992. Following law school, she clerked on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for one year. She practiced law at Williams & Connolly in Washington, DC, from 1993-1996.

Weymouth lives in Washington, DC, with her three young children, Madeleine, Beckett and Bridget.

David Downs

Executive Director Bid Committee

David Downs has been at the forefront of televised soccer in the United States, serving more than 30 years in the broadcast industry as an executive with both ABC and Univision Communications Inc. During his time at both networks, Downs participated in successful negotiations with international governing body FIFA to acquire the U.S. television rights to every FIFA World Cup beginning with USA ‘94, including the 2010 and 2014 tournaments.

Since 2001, Downs has served as the President of Univision Sports at Univision Communications Inc., the fifth largest television network in the United States and by far the country's leading Spanish-language television broadcast company.

In his role, he was instrumental in providing and developing winning sports programming for three networks - Univision, TeleFutura and Galavision. Overall, Univision televises between 300-400 live soccer matches each year across the three networks, including U.S. National Team, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Major League Soccer, SuperLiga, Mexican Primera Division and CONCACAF Champions League.

Downs oversaw Univision's coverage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, which earned an estimated 50 million viewers - including 29 million Hispanics and 21 million non-Hispanics - their highest ratings ever for a World Cup. Univision's average audience during the 2006 World Cup was higher than English language telecasts across key demographics (adults 18-49, 25-49 and 25-54). The final between Italy and France in 2006 far out-delivered the finals in 2002 and 1998.

In addition to the FIFA World Cup, Downs secured the exclusive Spanish-language broadcast rights on behalf of Univision to other FIFA soccer events, including the 2003, 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women's World Cups, the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the FIFA Under-20 and Under-17 World Cups. He also played an instrumental role in obtaining the exclusive North American broadcast rights to Copa America, one of the world's most prestigious soccer events, for the 2001, 2004 and 2007 tournaments.

Along with solidifying Univision's position as the leader in soccer coverage in the United States, Downs was responsible for launching "Solo Boxeo," which quickly became the most popular boxing program on English or Spanish-language network television, and "Contacto Deportivo," a nightly sports newscast on the TeleFutura Network.

Prior to his role at Univision, Downs worked at ABC Television Network for 21 years. Starting in 1978 as the researcher for ABC Sports' coverage of the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, Downs steadily moved up the ranks at ABC Sports to lead that department's programming planning and rights acquisition area for a decade. Downs also served as Senior Vice President, Network Operations and Development, his last position at the network from 1998-99. In that position, he was responsible for managing and supervising day-to-day network operations as well as building new business.

During his rise at the network, Downs held the position as an Associate Producer on the planning unit for the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games before moving into the programming area, where he eventually was named the Senior Vice President. During his time in the department, he brought ABC to its prominent position in soccer coverage among English-language networks by securing rights to the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups, as well as Major League Soccer from 1996 to the present.

Born in Leiden, Netherlands, to a Dutch mother and an American father, Downs' family moved to the United States when he was a young child. He attended Amherst College, playing soccer for the Lord Jeffs, before graduating in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in history.

An avid soccer fan since he was a kid, he looked up to his grandfather who played for first division Dutch club HVV (Haagse Voetbal Vereniging) in the late 1910s-early 1920s. Downs attended his first professional match in the early 1970s when his uncle took him to an Arsenal match at Highbury, making him a fan of the Gunners for life.

Along with playing and watching the game, Downs has been involved in almost every level of U.S. youth soccer as a coach, referee and parent. He and his wife, Alexis, live in Westchester County, New York, and have two children, Ashley and Taylor.

John Kristick

Managing Director Bid Planning and Operations

Kristick, 43, is a veteran sports business executive who most recently acted as Executive Director for Infront Sports & Media AG, the Swiss sports marketing company that distributed the worldwide media rights for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and also acted as host broadcaster for the tournament. Prior to that, he worked for both Prisma Sports & Media AG and ISL Worldwide AG. Kristick began his career in sports marketing with ISM Soccer, a subsidiary of ISL Worldwide that serviced clients sponsoring the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. 

Jurgen Mainka

Director of Marketing and Communications

Mainka, 38, has extensive experience in sports media relations and marketing. He joins the USA Bid Committee from Octagon Worldwide, where he acted as an account director focusing on MasterCard's Latin American soccer strategy. Educated in both Mexico and the United States, Mainka began his sports business career as Director of Media Relations for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer and later served as the Senior Director of Communications and International Business for the Colorado Rapids. 

Young-Sook Lee

Director of International Relations

Young-Sook Lee brings more than 7 years of experience in the worlds of sports and international relations to her role as Director of International Relations at the USA Bid Committee.

Lee has worked extensively with New York and Tokyo in their bids to host the Olympic Games. She's also worked as a consultant and international relations advisor for the Korean Olympic Committee. Prior to the New York bid, she also worked in the television industry, in both programming and advertising sales divisions.

Lee's international experience began at birth, as the daughter of a Korean diplomat she was born in England. She has lived in Uruguay, Chile, Japan, Germany, Korea, Guatemala, Italy and Hong Kong. Her life abroad afforded her the opportunity to become fluent in many languages, including Spanish, Korean and Japanese. She attended Georgetown University in the United States for her baccalaureate and later earned an MA in Communications from New York University.

Young-Sook currently lives in New York City.

Colin Barclay

Manager of Operations

Colin Barclay has several years of experience in finance and business operations. Prior to joining the USA Bid Committee, Barclay worked at Insight Venture Partners, a $3 billion private equity and venture capital firm focused on software and Internet businesses. While at Insight, he led a multi-million dollar investment in a European software business. Barclay has also worked for General Catalyst Partners, a venture capital firm based in Cambridge, MA. He holds an A.B. in Psychology and a Citation in Spanish from Harvard University, where he played on the varsity soccer team.

Charlotte Brooks

Executive Assistant & Project Administrator

Charlotte Brooks is an experienced project manager and administrator. She has extensive experience managing executive-level offices, from the Executive Offices at Goldman Sachs to high-level diplomatic offices at the Delegation of the European Commission to the United Nations and British Consulate-General. She has experience working as a content developer and coordinator of museum exhibits, including "New York Comes Back: Mayor Ed Koch and the City" for the Museum of the City of New York, and "Liberation" for the U.S. Army Center of Military History that opened within the U.S. Congress. Educated in both England and the United States, Charlotte holds a MSc. from the London School of Economics and Political Science in International History and a B.A. (Hons) from the University of Connecticut in Philosophy and Political Science.

Rachel Sweeney

Project Coordinator

Rachel Sweeney was brought on board the Bid Committee after completing an internship in Sport Communications with Major League Soccer where she helped with the coordination and execution of the MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup 2009. Her career in sports media relations first began with an internship with MLS club D.C. United in 2007. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and a Spanish minor from Stetson University, where she played on the varsity soccer team for four years.