What to know about Ron Patel, who takes over as NM United president


Jan. 17—Serving as New Mexico United’s CEO, majority owner and president became one hat too many for Peter Trevisani.

The presidential top hat is being passed to Ron Patel.

United announced Patel’s move from chief revenue officer to club president along with two other staff changes on Wednesday. Clint Gray and David Wiese-Carl were named vice presidents — Gray as VP of business development, Wiese-Carl of media and impact. Trevisani will remain involved as CEO and majority owner.

The role as club president is not entirely new for Patel, a longtime Albuquerque resident who was the first employee officially hired by NMU in 2018. Patel previously was president and cofounder of the USL League Two-level Albuquerque Sol. He also served as president of the USL Championship Rio Grande Valley Toros from 2020-21 before returning to New Mexico United.

Patel has since been a fixture at home matches, helping to organize pregame activities and match operations at Isotopes Park.

“It’s an unbelievable honor and a privilege to be able to lead the club of my heart into the next chapter,” Patel said in a club release.

Patel will handle most of the club’s day-to-day operations, Wiese-Carl said. Trevisani will remain involved in decision-making but will be more focused on planning and construction of United’s new stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park. The project was recently approved by Albuquerque’s city council, and the club hopes to have the stadium ready for use by 2026.

Securing a stadium deal has been a longtime priority for Trevisani and it will give New Mexico United stability moving forward. The USL Championship has mandated that its clubs have soccer-specific stadiums in place by 2026, when the U.S. is set to co-host the FIFA World Cup.

New Mexico has ranked among the USLC attendance leaders every season except the COVID year of 2020, when New Mexico health regulations did not allow NMU to play home matches. Wiese-Carl said Wednesday’s staff changes are a testament to the club’s success.

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“It’s a really positive thing because we keep growing,” he said. “New Mexico United started in 2018 with three or four employees. When you include players, coaches, staff and everyone, we’re up to around 50 now.

“(Trevisani) has basically been doing three jobs and those jobs keep expanding. With Ron taking over as president, now he’ll only have two.”

Patel, who was born in Liverpool, England, is a lifelong soccer fan. After founding the Albuquerque Sol, he worked with Trevisani to organize a bid for a USLC franchise in New Mexico. Despite having worked as chief revenue officer, Patel says his primary goal as president is not to increase profits.

“When I speak to our owners, the thing they bring to us is never, ‘How much money can we make?’ ” Patel said in an interview released by NMU. “Instead it’s, ‘What kind of impact are we making?’ They’re bought into the mission. They’re New Mexican. If we continue to focus on that mission during my time as president, it will be a success.”



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