Board of Directors

BIOGRAPHIES

United for D.C. is headed by Stephen Zack, D.C. United's Senior Vice President and United for D.C.'s President of the Board. In his current capacity with D.C. United, Zack oversees all business operations of the team, from ticketing to marketing to media relations to community relations to operations. Zack has been with D.C. United since its inception, assisting Kevin Payne with the creation of D.C. United's identity and brand. Prior to coming to D.C. United, Zack was Senior Manager at Soccer USA Partners, the marketing agent for the United States Soccer Federation. As President of the Board, Zack oversees the short and long-term planning for United for D.C. Zack also sits on the Board of Directors for DC SCORES, a local non-profit organization that combines creative writing and soccer in 21 D.C. public elementary schools.

Dave Tyahla, Director of Government Relations for the U.S. Soccer Foundation, enters his fourth year as a member of the Board for United for D.C. and his third as Vice President of the Board. In his current capacity with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Tyahla is the primary liaison working to educate governmental and other non-profit organizations about the interests of the soccer community. Tyahla's work includes coalition building and establishing public-private partnerships that are aimed at leveraging the Foundation's resources to better serve the sport of soccer at the grassroots level. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill and then as a registered lobbyist specializing in international trade and investment.

Michael Williamson, D.C. United's Chief Financial Officer, oversees all accounting, financial, cash management, budgetary and reporting aspects of the organization, as well as reporting this information to the Team department heads and the Team owners. Prior to his work at D.C. United, Michael worked at the U.S. Soccer Federation Foundation first as the Director of Finance and subsequently as their Chief Financial Officer. Michael graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and received his CPA certification from the Virginia Board of Accountancy. Michael is a member of the American Institute of CPA's, the Finance and Administration Roundtable, and holds a seat on the Finance and Business Operations Section Council of the American Society of Association Executives. In addition, he serves as Treasurer and Board Member for the Joy of Sports Foundation.

Kevin Bertram is the CEO of Distributive Networks. Before entering the mobile space, Kevin Bertram held positions as the CEO of a successful e-commerce company, as the Director of New Media with the Information Technology Association of America, and as the Senior Editor and Publisher of a Gen-X webzine. Kevin is an occasional lecturer at the Culture, Communication and Technology graduate program at Georgetown University and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities at the University of Maryland. He has also appeared on regional and national television programs, such as "Politically Incorrect" with Bill Maher. Currently, Kevin is an active member of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), a global organization focused on the growth of mobile marketing and its related technologies. Kevin attended the University of Arizona and drives day to day operations and strategy at Distributive Networks. He is an avid fan of D.C. United.

Doug Hicks, D.C. United's Vice President of Communications, serves as a member of the Board for his fifth year. In his current capacity with D.C. United, Hicks oversees the team's media and public relations endeavors as well as managing the dcunited.com website. Hicks also heads up the team's broadcasting initiatives. Prior to joining D.C. United in 2001, Hicks was Director of Public Relations for the Washington Capitals (NHL).

Peter Loge currently serves as the Principal at Milo Public Affair LLC. In its first year Milo Public Affairs worked with a number of clients including Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation, American Farmland Trust, Vin Di Bona Productions, the Caucus for Television Producers Writers & Directors, the ACLU of Illinois, the Innocence Project, and others. Prior to launching Milo Public Affairs LLC in 2007 Peter was a Senior Vice President M+R Strategic Services, a national public affairs and political consulting firm. At M+R Peter directed the Media Relations team and provided strategic counsel to a wide array of clients including the Save Darfur Coalition, Human Rights First, American Farmland Trust, and many others. Peter's wide-ranging career includes: serving a term as the President of the Emerson College Alumni Association; serving as director of forensics at Clemson University; being an award-winning artist; appearing as a political satirist on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" and the BBC World Service; serving as board chair of DC SCORES; helping found and serve on the board of NEXT PAC; serving on the board of Good Works PAC; working as a Regional Field Director at the Concord Coalition; and working as a reporter at The Business Journal in Phoenix, AZ.

Ben Olsen, D.C. United's all-star midfielder since 1998, enters his third year as a member of the United for D.C. Board of Directors. Joining in March 2004, Olsen has been involved with the charity and its initiatives since its creation in January 2002. A tireless worker on the field, Olsen has also been recognized for his efforts off the pitch. Olsen has been honored as D.C. United's Humanitarian of the Year each year since 2002 and won League honors in 2003 for his work with area charities such as Coaches Against Gun Violence, Pennies for Patients, DC SCORES and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Ben is a nine-year United player and has become a role model and mentor to the youth of the Washington, D.C. area. Olsen also volunteers as an assistant coach for the American University Men's Soccer Team.

Kevin Payne, D.C. United's President and Chief Executive Officer, serves as a Director of the Board for United for D.C. In his current capacity with D.C. United, Payne oversees all activities of the team with a particular emphasis on a stadium development project. Prior to re-joining D.C. United, Payne worked for the team's parent company, AEG, as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of AEG Soccer, overseeing the activities of as many as six Major League Soccer teams. Prior to this, Payne served as D.C. United's President and General Manager from 1996 through 2001, assisting Zack with the creation of D.C. United's identity and brand. As Director of the Board, Payne assists with the overall mission of United for D.C.

Neil Tyra enters his second year as a member of the Board of Directors for United for D.C. Tyra is an attorney with the Washington, D.C. firm of Simeone & Miller, which focuses primarily on personal injury law, including automobile accidents, premises liability and medical malpractice. Prior to joining Simeone & Miller, Tyra worked at the State Attorney's Office of Montgomery County, MD. Before graduating from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America, Tyra used his University of Maryland undergraduate degree in Information Systems Management while working at some of the area's largest technology firms, including Computer Sciences Corporation. Tyra is a long time supporter of soccer in the Washington, D.C. area. He was an original investor in Major League Soccer and sat on the Board of Directors for D.C. United for the first four years of the team's existence. In addition, he is a former member of the Board of Directors for both Soccer '94 and DC SCORES (the predecessor of America Scores). Tyra is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, and the Montgomery County Bar Association.