Ed Foster-Simeon

A champion of soccer as a vehicle for youth development and social change, Ed Foster-Simeon was named President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation in May 2008. He has more than three decades of experience at the local, state, and national level of the game and has been an active member of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2004.

Under his leadership, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has become a nationally recognized leader in sports-based youth development. The organization places a special emphasis on programs that improve health and social outcomes among children in underserved communities. The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s work was recognized with the 2010 Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy which is presented by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans. The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s work also earned a prestigious Social Innovation Fund award, in the Healthy Futures portfolio, multiple Justice Department Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Multi-State Mentoring awards, and the Role Model Award by Football is More, a global non-profit.

A recognized expert in sports-based youth development, Foster-Simeon often speaks on the power of soccer as a vehicle for youth development and social change. His published work includes articles for Fast Company, where he has written about the societal opportunities surrounding major sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup and USA Today where he wrote about utilizing youth sport coaches as a solution to helping improve youth mental health. He has also authored pieces for Savoy Magazine, including his article “Soccer as a Vehicle for Social Change,” which explores the sport’s potential to drive community impact and corporate responsibility.

Prior to joining the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Foster-Simeon served as Deputy Managing Editor at USA TODAY where he was responsible for Washington, Political and Foreign news operations. At the grassroots volunteer level, he 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 in Northern Virginia. In 2011, Foster-Simeon was awarded a Community Leadership Award from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN), in 2017 he was inducted into the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame, and in 2020 was received United Soccer Coaches Honorary All-America Award.

Foster-Simeon serves on the Board of Directors of the Campaign to End Obesity and is a Trustee of the NAACP Foundation. A U.S. Navy veteran, Foster-Simeon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland University College. He is a native of Brooklyn, NY.