U.S. Soccer Foundation Appoints Kyra Tirana Barry, Jason Fox, And Cobi Jones to Board Of Directors

Washington, DC – The U.S. Soccer Foundation today announced three new appointments to its Board of Directors: Kyra Tirana Barry, Jason Fox, and Cobi Jones. These three new members join a board comprised of more than 20 leaders and executives from a range of fields who are actively working to use the game of soccer to improve the lives of children living in underserved communities across the U.S.

“We are delighted to welcome Kyra, Jason, and Cobi to our Board of Directors,” said Charles Stimson, Chairman of the Board for the Foundation. “All three of these individuals bring a passion for soccer, dedication to our nation’s youth, and expertise that will continue to help us grow our programs and positively impact children in underserved communities across our nation.”

“Kyra, Jason, and Cobi each bring a wealth of experience that will help advance the Foundation’s mission and help our team engage more children in our programs and create more safe places to play in underserved communities,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “I’m thrilled for them to join our esteemed Board and help the Foundation continue to innovate and grow in the years to come.”

Kyra Tirana Barry is a passionate leader who has spent over a decade promoting sports-based youth development for underserved communities as the President of Beat the Streets New York, which uses the sport of wrestling to teach life-long skills. She is also the founding Chair of Beat the Streets National, which brings together all US Beat the Streets city programs to elevate the mission and expand the reach and is a member of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s New York Leadership Council. Previously, Ms. Barry spent twelve years in public transportation policy and government relations at the US Congress, NYC Mayor’s Office, NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and NJ Department of Transportation. She was Team Leader for the 2016 USA Women’s Wrestling Olympic Team and was USA Wrestling’s Woman of the Year in 2015.

Jason E. Fox is Chief Executive Officer of W. P. Carey Inc. and is a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. W. P. Carey is one of the largest publicly traded diversified net lease REITs that specializes in the acquisition of single-tenant properties in North America and in Europe. Prior to his current position, he served as the company’s President from 2016 to 2017 and Head of Global Investments from 2015 to 2016. Before joining W. P. Carey in 2002, Mr. Fox worked at the Spectrem Group, a consulting and M&A advisory firm in San Francisco. Prior to Spectrem, he spent two years teaching mathematics and physics at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and coaching the boys’ soccer team. A former captain of the Notre Dame soccer team, Jason still enjoys playing soccer in his free time.

Cobi Jones is a Southern California sports legend, maintaining the title of the longest standing member of the LA Galaxy dynasty. Cobi spent 15 seasons with the Galaxy, as both a player and coach from 1996 to 2010. A 2011 US Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, Cobi is a two-time MLS Cup winner (2002, 2005) and a CONCACAF Champions Cup winner (2001), with a storied international career with the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team. Today, Cobi is one of the sport’s preeminent broadcasters working with FOX Sports, where he was part of both the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup broadcast teams, both as a game analyst (2018) and co-hosting World Cup Tonight (2018-2019). Cobi is a proud investor/owner in the National Women’s Soccer League team Angel City FC in Los Angeles, continuing his support for all soccer in the Los Angeles community.

ABOUT U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION
The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Arnold, U.S. Soccer Foundation
jarnold@ussoccerfoundation.org; 202-872-6662