ATLANTA — Atlanta United today won a league-high five awards at Major League Soccer’s year-end Club Executive Awards ceremony that recognizes individuals and clubs for outstanding contributions off the playing field. The ceremony was highlighted by President Darren Eales being recognized as the Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year.
Under Eales’ leadership, Atlanta United had one of the most successful expansion club launches in professional sports history. The club broke multiple league records including single-season average attendance (49,257), season tickets sales (36,000-plus), single-game attendance (71,874) and total home attendance (819,404). The club also set numerous records on the field including goals scored by an expansion team in its first season (70) and goal differential (+30), fourth best in MLS history.
Also at the Club Executive Award ceremony, Don Rovak, Vice President of Sales and Service for AMB Sports and Entertainment was named Ticket Sales Executive of the Year as the club broke virtually every single attendance record in MLS history. Additionally, Atlanta United was named Marketing Team of the Year, while Senior Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement, Skate Noftsinger was named Marketing Executive of the Year, marking the first time in league history a team won both the Marketing Team of the Year and Marketing Executive of the Year. Finally, Manny Tejeda was named Team Administrator of the Year. Atlanta United led all MLS clubs with five total awards on the evening followed by several clubs winning two awards: Chicago Fire, New York Red Bulls, Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. A full rundown of the Club Executive Awards can be found below.
Also, on Wednesday night, Atlanta United dominated the League Ticketing Awards by taking home 23 total awards as a team, including the Commissioner’s Club Award for top team in season tickets sold and top team in group tickets sold. Accepting the awards on behalf of the organization were Jordan Otto, Senior Manager of Ticket Revenue and Strategy, and Keith Roberts, Manager of Ticket Sales. Individually, Atlanta United had each of the top five season ticket reps in MLS, led by Katie Ottolin with Joe Jackson, Brock Wright, Marco Patrie and Jess Rojas rounding out the top five. Fellow season ticket staff members Tim Van Duyne and Dillon Jemmott finished in the top 15. Atlanta also had eight of the top 11 representatives in new season ticket sales, including each of the top six. In group sales, Atlanta had three of the four representatives with Kacey Sims finishing in second place, with Orlando Ruiz and Tim Jameson rounding out the top four. However, those three led all new group ticket buyers.
