Real Salt Lake Officially Names John Kimball As Club President
Feb 11, 2022, 11:50 AM | Updated: 11:51 am
General view of Rio Tinto Stadium before the Seattle Sounders play Real Salt Lake on March 12, 2016 in Sandy, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake announced John Kimball as the official president of the MLS club after signing him to a multi-year contract.
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RSL shared the news on Friday, February 11.
Kimball had been serving as the club’s interim president during RSL’s sale which resulted in a new ownership group led by David Blizter and Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith.
“We very much want to acknowledge the phenomenal job done over the last year-plus by John Kimball and the entire staff, as this team of people are obviously committed every day to building a world-class organization, winning championships, investing in the growth and success of the sport at all levels.” Blitzer said in a statement.
“John has demonstrated great leadership while running the Club and we’re excited to make his appointment as president official,” Smith added. “RSL is an amazing asset to our community and with a strong team on the pitch and a loyal and passionate fan base, we know the Club is in a great position to continue to thrive.”
Our President.https://t.co/AMuOaTKInf
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 11, 2022
Kimball had been serving in an interim role since September 2020. He was an original employee of RSL after the club was established in 2004.
“It’s such an honor to work with this Club, it’s amazing fans and our new ownership to carry on the incredible legacy of Real Salt Lake,” Kimball said. “When MLS Commissioner Don Garber introduced David Blitzer and Ryan Smith’s Smith Entertainment Group as new RSL ownership, we witnessed the immense amount of pride regarding our place in Utah’s sports landscape. We know we are just scratching the surface of what we can accomplish, how we can motivate, and our place in various local, national and international soccer and corporate communities.”
02.17.22 pic.twitter.com/7YwxPnUVmg
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 10, 2022
Kimball played a vital role with the club throughout the ownership transfer and the team’s success amid a pandemic. RSL sold out each of its home contests during the 2021 season.
Prior to his time with RSL, Kimball had worked in the Salt Lake City market. His previous stops included KSL NewsRadio and KSL TV as well as the Utah Jazz and Vivint Arena.
