The ownership group bringing professional soccer back to Oklahoma City announced Tuesday a 33-person “OKC for Soccer” advisory committee composed of civic, business and sports leaders who will help guide the club’s future.
The committee includes prominent names like Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, and Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendent Dr. Jamie Polk. A handful of college athletic administrators are on the committee, as is a Thunder representative.
There are several Hispanic committee members, given Oklahoma City’s large Latino population and the popularity of soccer in that community. They include David Castillo, president and CEO of the Greater OKC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Fred Mendoza, founder and chairman of the Oklahoma Hispanic Institute.
Sean Trauschke, president and CEO of OG&E, and Simple Modern CEO Mike Beckham are also on the committee.
“There’s a mosaic of people on here,” said Court Jeske, president of OKC for Soccer. “What we really endeavored to do was to make sure that we involved all those different groups and then had a focus on minorities and women to be a part of this committee.”
Echo, an Oklahoma City-based investment firm, purchased a majority stake of Energy FC in July. Energy FC, a member of the USL Championship, suspended operations in 2022, but Echo is reviving the franchise and is donating land for a stadium district to be built in lower Bricktown. The stadium, part of MAPS 4, is expected to be completed in spring 2027.
The new ownership group announced in August that a women’s team would be a key component of the club’s rebirth. The group is also undergoing a brand review of the club, which would potentially lead to a new name, logo and color scheme for what was formerly Energy FC.
Jeske, who has a rich resume as a soccer executive, is overseeing the club’s return to the USL, where Jeske most recently worked as chief commercial officer. Jeske grew up in Tulsa and went to OU. Echo founder Christian Kanady hired Jeske to lead the “OKC for Soccer” initiative. Both Kanady and Jeske are on the 33-member advisory committee.
“This is a plan I wanted to put in place after seeing how aligned the city was,” Jeske said, “and after seeing how many people came out saying they wanted to support professional soccer.”
The committee will hold its first meeting this fall with two to four meetings per year moving forward.
“The committee is probably less about soccer and more about the future vision of Oklahoma City,” Jeske said.
And, of course, soccer’s place in that future.
“All of these individuals have different touch points throughout the city and state,” Jeske said. “They’re really important to make sure they can help us reimagine soccer in Oklahoma City the way Oklahoma City needs to be reflected today.”