TKO PREMIER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Administrator
- Special Education Teacher
Alice has been a special education teacher and administrator for 22 years. Currently she is the Director of Special Education for the Otsego Public Schools and countywide programs for students on the Autism Spectrum. Her daughter has played for MUFC/TKO for 4 years with the '08 Royal team. Besides being a mom, she has dedicated her life to creating opportunities to develop the potential of all kids. Her role on the TKO Board fits perfectly into that mission.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President of the Board of Directors
Andy has been part of the Kalamazoo Community since 1998, and is raising his two daughters in Portage. He has worked locally at Stryker Instruments since 2001 and is currently the Senior Director of Global Quality. Andy's daughters have been in the MUFC / TKO program since their beginnings in organized soccer.
Job Titles:
- HIGH SCHOOL BOYS DIRECTOR
Brian has been with TKO since 2013, Director of Player Development from 2015-2021, and in his current role as High School Boys Director since 2022.
As the Boys High School Director, Brian oversees all the HS age boys teams, supporting coaches in day to day team operations, developing additional training opportunities for players, creating additional events for teams to participate in, and assisting the director of coaching in collective programming implementation. Brian also plays an active role with the TKO Academy program and is the Head Coach for two of our E64 RL teams.
"I love to watch kids enter our club as 3 and 4 year olds and develop into responsible young adults. Using the game of soccer to help teach important lessons in life is really what we pride ourselves on at TKO."
Job Titles:
- Director of Technology
- Member of the Board of Directors
Brian has worked in the IT field in the Kalamazoo area for the last 20 years. He is currently a Software Engineer for Infor. He has been coaching with Midwest United FC/TKO Premier SC since 2005.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Sponsorship Director
Born and Raised in Richland, Casey played TKO under Coach Rich Labadie. He was a Captain of the Gull Lake High School varsity soccer team, as well as a member of the 1993 State Championship Team.
Casey is a Realtor® at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. In addition, he is an enthusiastic member of the community: Trustee of the Ascension Borgess Health Foundation, Board President of the Kalamazoo Covenant Academy, and Co-Chair of the Jim Gilmore Jr. Foundation Golf Outing.
In his free time, Casey enjoys cheering on Chelsea FC and PSV Eindhoven, landscaping in his yard, playing golf, and being on the water.
Job Titles:
- HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS DIRECTOR
Job Titles:
- Technical Trainer
- Director of Youth Development / TKO Academy Program Director
Dustin previously played for TKO Premier SC and returned as a coach in 2013. He has coached all ages and levels within the club from u4 to u18. In his role as Director of Youth Development, Dustin oversees the clubs u8-u10 teams. Since 2017 Dustin has been involved with the TKO Academy Program (previously TKO Juniors) and currently serves as the Program Director.
"My goal is to instill a passion and love of the game in each of our young players. Teaching the fundamentals of the game to provide players with a strong foundation upon which they can build throughout their soccer careers. I believe in fostering a fun, engaging and safe environment where players are able to learn and grow without fear of failure."
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Kristen has worked in Finance since relocating back to Kalamazoo in 2000. She is currently a Finance Manager at Stryker where she has worked for the past 7 years. Her family has been with the club for 10 years now with her youngest starting when he was just five years old.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Registrar
Lea has been part of the Kalamazoo community for almost 30 years, and currently works in Human Resources at Bronson Healthcare Group.
She has enjoyed watching the growth and development of her son during his time with our club, and is excited to support our families in the role of registrar.
Job Titles:
- Marketing Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Marketing & Volunteer Coordinator
Leah grew up around Kalamazoo but soccer was not a part of her life until her boys fell in love with it at the age of 4. She has worked as a Project Manager in Marketing & Advertising for the last 9 years so organization and planning are second nature to her. With two boys in the club, it's a perfect opportunity to share her skills with an organization she loves being a part of.
Job Titles:
- President of the Board
- President of the Board of Directors
Growing up playing soccer in Portage, Matt has known Coach Neil and Coach Rich for over twenty years. What a ride that has been! After moving back to the area from Atlanta five years ago, Matt joined the board in anticipation of his two young sons taking an interest in soccer. That has come to life as both boys are now involved with the club. In his professional career, Matt has a long history in corporate finance. He started his career in investment banking, including mergers and acquisitions, and currently is a North American executive financial lead for a global advertising firm. His goal is to foster an environment for growth and development continuing TKO's long-standing history as a premier club in southwest Michigan.
The role of a Technical Director is to manage and oversee all player and coaching development within the club. In addition, the Technical Director makes sure that all coaches are following the club curriculum, as well as implementing the club philosophy and playing style across the entire club, no matter the age group. Neil also acts as a liaison between the Board of Directors and part time staff. Areas include: Developing and managing the coaching and administrative structure for the club, implementing the club's coaching curriculum and supervising player training/development and delivery and ownership of the club's mission in order to develop every player to their fullest potential.
"I am honored to be in the position to help guide TKO Premier SC's growth into one of the top soccer clubs in Michigan and in the region. Our entire coaching staff is the finest around and our parents are the best ambassadors any club can ask for."
Job Titles:
- Coach
- DIRECTOR of COACHING
Rich has been involved with the club from the onset in 1983 as a player. After college, he returned to the club as a coach and has served on the board as well as his current position as Director of Coaching. This role works directly and closely with the Board of Directors to oversee all aspects of the club, ranging from the coaching staff to administrative staff. Working closely with the Technical Director (Neil Ridgway) and the Director of Player Development (Brian Clements), Rich prides himself on the programming offered to all of the TKO Premier players and the methods used by the coaching staff to deliver player development.
"I am very proud to be part of a club that has given me and my family so much and now I can give back to others. Our club has more of a family feel vs. a business, every player and parent means the most. Teaching life lessons through the beautiful game of soccer is such an opportunity. Watching our young people develop as soccer players and into young men and women is awesome. Seeing former players come back and put their own kids into the program or coach themselves speaks volumes to what we have here in this club."
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
Having grown up playing TKO in the late nineties, Todd counts it as a privilege to serve on the TKO Board as the Secretary. The beautiful game runs deep in Todd's DNA. He has played since the age of four, captaining Portage Northern to a state title and Hope College to an elite eight appearance. With three children playing in the club, Todd is invested in the future success of this top notch, arguably greatest, soccer club in Kalamazoo and surrounding areas. He believes the role of Secretary suits him since he currently teaches ELA at Portage West Middle School.