Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium have named Lou DePaoli president of business operations. According to the club, the hire puts the soccer club and its Pawtucket stadium under one president for the first time.
The club's Oct. 26 announcement says the combined role will focus on growing the organization's presence across the region and developing the stadium's sports and entertainment business.
DePaoli joins after five years as president of General Sports Worldwide. His earlier jobs include executive vice president overseeing business and ballpark operations for the New York Mets and Citi Field, and executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He was also executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Atlanta Spirit, the holding company for the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Thrashers and State Farm Arena. Earlier, he was a vice president and original member of the NBA's Team Marketing and Business Operations department. He also helped launch the Worcester IceCats hockey franchise in 1994, according to the announcement.
DePaoli is a University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate who attended Danbury High School in Connecticut and spent 10 years in the Blackstone Valley, the club said.