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Tom Fox to Become San Jose Earthquakes President

There is a leadership change on tap for the San Jose Earthquakes, who are preparing to introduce Tom Fox as their new president. 

Fox, a former Arsenal and Aston Villa executive, is expected to be formally introduced by the club next week as its new president. In assuming that post, Fox will be taking over for Dave Kaval.

Kaval has served as the Quakes president since 2010, overseeing a notable period in franchise history that included the opening of Avaya Stadium in 2015. However, the change will allow Kaval to focus solely on his role as president of Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s.

Kaval and the A’s are actively engaged in an ongoing search for a new ballpark in the Oakland area, and shifting his focus to baseball on a full-time basis should allow that pursuit to move forward. As his replacement, Fox offers a background that club officials believe can help make the organization competitive on the field over the long run. More from The San Jose Mercury News:

“Everybody believes there is still growth for San Jose,” Fox said Wednesday in an interview from London. “The charge is to find ways to continue to put San Jose in a competitive place. To do that by finding good players locally and finding good players in the U.S. and abroad and to grow our commercials.”

The latest front-office change signals owners John Fisher and Lew Wolff are committed to the long-term health of the team as Major League Soccer becomes increasingly more aggressive in signing top foreign players.

The change comes a half a year after Kaval was promoted to run the A’s with a charge to build a new ballpark in Oakland. Kaval continued to serve as Quakes president, a title he had held since 2010.

“For us, it was all about finding the right person,” he said Wednesday. “For the long-term, it was the best” to have duo roles. “But it pulled me very thin in two locations.”

Fox is expected to be introduced by the Quakes on Tuesday. Kaval will continue to be involved in the organization as a board member.

Photo courtesy San Jose Earthquakes.

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