It’s an historic day for New Mexico United, as Ron Patel is named the second president in club history. Patel was the first employee ever hired at United, back before the club even had a name, in 2018. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to make New Mexico a better place, and to show the world what New Mexicans are made of.
Our David Wiese-Carl sat down with Patel for his first interview as President of New Mexico United:
David Wiese-Carl: “It’s a big day, Ron! Congratulations on being named just the second president in the history of New Mexico United. Before we get into that announcement, and what it means, let’s rewind a bit. Who is Ron Patel? Who are you?”
Ron Patel: “Who is Ron? Hmmm, I didn’t expect that question. I guess first, I’m a little boy from Liverpool, who has loved football my entire life. I got involved in playing the game at a young age, but never was superb at it. I never expected that I would have the opportunity to work in football. And then, as my career progressed – I worked in retail, in restaurants, in a number of different industries – and somehow made my way into working in soccer. And now, I pinch myself that I get paid to come into work and help bring the professional game to New Mexicans.”
DWC: “I think you’re skipping a few steps. Where does New Mexico fall into this? How did you go from the little boy from Liverpool to where you are now?”
RP: “Liverpool, England isn’t all that different from New Mexico. It’s large families of people that look out for each other. We fight sometimes – we have disagreements – but we all stick up for each other. When someone’s down, they’ll all pick that person up. I think that while Liverpool is a world away, there’s also tons of similarities. I’m from a large family, but because I grew up moving around the world, I was never around those people. I came here more than 20 years ago. And when I married my incredible wife, Isabelle – a New Mexican woman – I had a large family again. This is my home. This is my family. This is it. This is where I want to spend the rest of my days. And so, getting the opportunity to not only be part of starting the New Mexico United, but also to continue to lead the club is, quite frankly, surreal.”
DWC: “But starting United was not your first foray into soccer in New Mexico. Take us through the Albuquerque Sol days, and how those helped shape you.”
RP: “So, that whole journey started with watching YouTube videos of England losing penalty shootouts. I’m an English football fan, which means I’ve experienced my share of misery. We just love to go out of tournaments in the worst conditions and scenarios. So, I’m watching these videos, and my girlfriend – now, wife – asked what I was doing. I said ‘I think I want to start a soccer team.’ She thought that I meant a co-ed team in Bernalillo on the weekends. And I said ‘No, we need high level soccer here.’”
“When I said that, I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t know any leagues. So I started diving into that. I found a league called the PDL, which is now called USL League Two in the fourth division of soccer here in the United States. We started the Albuquerque Sol six months after that. I’d started several businesses before that, but soccer is a very different animal. I started to figure out the intricacies of running a team, and learned so much in those years.”
“Fast forward a few years, and the goal was always to take that team to the professional level. And although that never materialized, it’s a big part of what sparked a professional team coming here. I was introduced to Peter Trevisani through a mutual friend. We talked about the future of the state, and what we both loved about New Mexico. Pete saw that shared passion; he felt it. And then he took it to another level. I assisted a little bit, but Pete really recruited the ownership group and got the funding necessary to start the team. It was a huge risk for our owners. All the spreadsheets told them not to do it. I was the guy saying ‘We need to do this.’ And fortunately, we did it. And as Pete often says ‘we’re doing it’ still today.”
DWC: “You mentioned that you and Pete talked about the things you loved about New Mexico. What were some of those things?”
RP: “It’s truly everything. I’ve been one of those people that moved away and then came back. I was over at Sawmill Market the other day, having breakfast with my wife. We started chatting to this couple that was from Houston, Texas, and they were telling us ‘You know, the people here are so genuine.’ I thought that was great to hear. It’s something that I know, but it’s truly who we are. We’re real people here, and when people come here they recognize it. We’re real. We’re unique. We’re proud of that, too.”
“I think about the actors that come here, thanks to our growing and thriving film industry. In other places, they might get pulled to the side, and get people asking for selfies and autographs. Here, it’s not that people don’t recognize them, but the people here are real. They recognize these folks, but they don’t pester them. They can feel comfortable here. It allows everyone – no matter who you are – to feel like New Mexico is home.”
“Of course, there’s the unbelievable natural beauty. There’s the amazing weather. The food is second-to-none. But truly, when it comes down to it, it’s always been the people. They make this place the most magical place that I’ve ever known. Do we have our own issues here? Of course. Every place does. But through New Mexico United, we’re choosing to focus on growing and sharing what is great about this place, and that starts with the people.”
“So, Pete and I talked about those things a lot. We still do. And we’re so fortunate that he believes so deeply in our state. I’m really grateful that he continues to fight for the mission every single day. And I’m really thrilled to continue to work alongside him. Pete’s not going anywhere, don’t worry! He’s our CEO, and the majority owner of this club. We are continuing to grow as an organization, and we’ll absolutely do so with Pete as a massive, integral piece of what we do everyday.”
DWC: “Are those things that you both love about New Mexico the same things that make you proud of it?”
RP: “There’s definitely a lot of overlap there. I’m really proud that people have embraced this club. They’ve embraced the badge, the colors, and the meaning of it, made it their own and used it to make the best version of themselves. We’ve heard so many stories of fans who have had their lives changed for the better because of this club that we all love so much.
We recently had a multi-day staff summit, and we talked about some of those stories of people who have made New Mexico United their own, and felt these positive outcomes because of the club. And it’s easy to look at a spreadsheet and say ‘Look, the club was successful because we sold this many tickets or sponsorships or pieces of merchandise.’ But that’s not what it’s about. Those things allow us to fight for what really matters: When you see the smiles on peoples’ faces, and the moments that we get to help create for them. That’s really what makes me proud. I guess that doesn’t directly answer the question. But it makes me proud to be New Mexican, and proud to be part of this organization.”
DWC: “What do you hope New Mexico United will achieve during your tenure as president?”
RP: “Hmmm, that’s a good one. What I hope the organization achieves while I’m president is not just to continue on the trajectory we’re on, but to advance that trajectory. There’s not an end, right? That’s part of having a 100-year plan that we often talk about. There’s not really a destination that we’re aiming for. Instead, it’s about the journey. I’m fortunate to be a steward of this organization. This team doesn’t belong to me, or to you, or to any one person, or group of people. It belongs to New Mexico – to New Mexicans. Someday I’ll pass the torch to the next president. Who knows when that will be?”
“But if you ask me what my goals are, it’s ‘How do we grow the positive impact that we have on our state?’ It would be easy for a shareholder to say that they want to increase profits. But, again, that’s not what it’s about. When I speak to our owners the thing that they bring to us is never ‘How much money can we make?’ Instead, it’s ‘What kind of impact are we making?’ They’re bought into the mission. They’re New Mexican. And if we continue to focus on that mission from top to bottom during my time as president, it will be a success.”
DWC: “Talk to me about the fans – the people – and the relationships that you’ve been able to make through New Mexico United.”
RP: “I mean, they’re what I love most about matchday. They’re also what makes it really hard to do my job on matchday, because I love to stop and talk to people that I know have felt what I’ve felt around this team. I try to shake as many hands and give as many hugs as I can, just to say ‘Thank you for being here.’”
“But, there are so many people that I’ve met through the club. So many people on different paths, different journeys. Everyone has their own story. The fact that the club has impacted so many lives really fulfills me. I think of fans who have gone through really tough times – through terrible things like disease and heartache. I think of fans that are no longer with us that wore the shield. One that is near and dear to my heart is a longtime friend of mine who fell in love with the team, and passed away. His family buried him in a New Mexico United jersey, and now he rests with that badge over his heart for eternity. His family chose that because this team meant so much to him.”
“When you hear those stories, it really opens your eyes and reminds you of why you show up to work. It’s not to fulfill a task for your boss. It’s not to grow profits. It’s really to grow a belief in our state and our people.”
“New Mexico United is not a savior. What we hope to be is a magnifying glass on all of the incredible things and incredible people that make our state who we are. The magic has always been here. We’re just trying to do our part in shining that positive light, and providing folks with a sense of fulfillment. I think we give people pride to say ‘I’m New Mexican, and that’s my club.’
“We see these people all the time. We’ll have fans who come into the retail store, and what we noticed early on was that they weren’t necessarily coming in to buy something. They were popping in to just say hello, because they’re part of the family, and they feel comfortable doing that. I don’t think there are a lot of professional sports organizations that can say that fans come in and shoot the breeze with them. We’re proud of that”
DWC: “Last one: Speak directly to the fans here. What’s the message you want to give to them?”
RP: “Thank you. Without you, we’re nothing. I wouldn’t have my career without the fans. None of us would. And more importantly, we wouldn’t have this incredible community that has become a home for so many of us. You make us who we are. I will go to work for you every single day, and I will never take the responsibility that we have for granted. You have my word. Somos Unidos.”