Louisville Business First on Monday named Louisville City FC president Amanda Duffy to its list of “Forty Under 40” nominees, a group of young professionals “making important contributions in our business community” and whose “charitable efforts also make Louisville a better place to live.”
Duffy, the only female president in the 29-team USL, earned a spot after Business First considered more than 500 nominees. Past Forty Under 40 winners Heather Howell, Jason L. Meriwether, Mark M. Prussian and Mary Ellen Wiederwohl judged.
Duffy joined LouCity before its inaugural season originally as vice president of operations. She was promoted to general manager and then in November named president after the club finished second in the Eastern Conference standings and second overall in the league in average attendance.
“It is truly an honor to be selected to the 2016 Forty under 40 list,” Duffy said. “I’m most appreciative to the ownership for the opportunity they’ve given me and our staff, partners, fans and many others who have made this team a success. It has been a profoundly rewarding experience to be a part of the growth of Louisville City FC from the club’s infancy and make the impact we have on the Louisville community.”
So far in 2016, numbers are trending ahead of the club’s inaugural season, and on the field coach James O’Connor has LouCity in first place with a 9-1-4 record.
“It’s a great honor and much-deserved recognition for her,” said Wayne Estopinal, Louisville City’s operating manager. “Amanda is very highly regarded in the league and both in the national associations related to the sport. She’s great at networking and certainly has an in-depth knowledge of the game and the business.
“Being where we are today with our standings, our attendance and a growing community engagement is directly related to her efforts.”
A North Carolina native, Duffy attended and played soccer at East Carolina University. Before joining LouCity, she worked as director of USL operations and later as senior director of its women’s pro-am division.
Duffy has aims of making LouCity an “unparalleled standard-bearer in USL” with the goal of moving to Major League Soccer.
