According to press release, veteran sports professional Raven Jemison has been appointed to serve as team president for the city’s Kansas City Current, its women’s soccer team.
Moreover, Jemison will succeed the team’s first president Allison Howard, making her the first Black person to hold the position.
“I am so excited to come to Kansas City to work with Angie and Chris and this club,” Jemison said in an official statement. “They have a vision and desire to make this the best women’s football club in the world, and they are willing to invest what it takes to make that happen. I am so excited by the opportunity to utilize my experiences to build this club at a time when both it and the league are already on the rise.”
Founded in December 2020, the Kansas City Current is led by an ownership group that consists of NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes; his wife, Brittany Mahomes; and co-founders and co-owners Chris and Angie Long.
The team currently competes in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Before joining the organization, Jemison worked as the executive vice president of business operations for the NBA by way of the Milwaukee Bucks. During her three-year tenure, the team won their division every single year, including walking away with the NBA Championship title in 2021.
“We are fortunate to have some amazing people work for the Current and Raven is no exception,” Chris Long said. “She has incredible experience and brings a depth of perspective, having worked in the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB. We believe Raven is a critical ingredient as we look to grow the Current’s business and maximize its operation.”
Under Jemison’s leadership, the team will play in the previously announced “first stadium purpose-built for a professional women’s soccer team.”
The CPKC Stadium at Berkley Riverfront Park in Kansas City, MO, is expected to be completed in time for the Current’s first season with Jemison in 2024.
