Alex Kantor joined the Stumptown AC front office for the fall 2021 season, and as Club President oversees all departments within the club, focused on growing the organization off the field while helping to provide the resources needed to compete for championships on the pitch.
After an undergraduate career competing at the Division III level for Skidmore College (N.Y.) in both soccer and alpine ski racing, Alex started his career in sports as an SID for Amherst College in Massachusetts. At the time of his hire, he was one of the youngest full-time sports information directors across all three divisions of the NCAA.
Upon completing his Masters of Sport Management degree at UMass-Amherst, Alex moved into the professional soccer world working on the communications team for the New England Revolution in 2011. While working in pro soccer filled a childhood dream for his hometown club, Alex stepped away from the sporting world for ten years to gain experience in business-to-business sales, coaching and consulting, building an organization of five sales teams across the East Coast.
After a decade away from the game, Alex saw an amazing opportunity to make an immediate impact with Stumptown AC and build a community-based club here in his hometown of Matthews, NC. Alex and his wife Eva live locally and are expecting their first child in the middle of an exciting run to the top of the table this season.
Mike Squire joined the Stumptown AC front office for the NISA Fall 2021 season. As General Manager he brings a wealth of experience working for both Club and Country having been Director of Operations for the Chicago Fire of MLS and as Manager of Event Operations for both the men’s and women’s US National Teams. Squire is a certified CONCACAF General Coordinator and a FIFA Match Commissioner for World Cup Qualifiers.
After graduating from the University of Dayton with a BA in Communication Management, Squire worked in the film and television business in the Chicago area eventually transitioning into professional sports and higher education. He spent six years as Director of Community Development at North Central College in Naperville, IL where he oversaw their Camps, Conference Services and Community Education departments. While working at NCC he earned his master’s degree in Leadership Studies with a concentration in Sports Management.
Squire is married to his wife Anne and has been fortunate enough to help coach their two children’s youth soccer teams. He looks forward to building a quality, professional, family experience for the Matthews and South Charlotte community.
Drew Yates has been a core figure in the Stumptown AC soccer family both in the playing line up and now as an Assistant Coach on the sideline. Originally from Bowie, Maryland, Yates played for a trio of different high schools in Maryland while rising through the ranks to the U-17 National Team as a junior.
Collegiately, Yates played four seasons for the storied program at the University of Maryland, graduating with a history degree in 2010 before being selected 29th overall in the MLS Superdraft by the Chicago Fire. Yates played seven seasons of professional soccer on the field, including a stint with Stumptown in 2019-20 before retiring to the sidelines.
His playing career aside, Yates also has coached youth teams in Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and here in North Carolina. He coaches with the Charlotte Eagles club locally as well, with roles varying from Director of Camps to USL-2 Assistant Coach.
Yates and his wife Maria moved from Annapolis, Maryland a few years ago and have three daughters, Evelyn, Eden and Hannah, all under the age of five. In his free time, Yates enjoys traveling, getting outside with his family and is an avid reader.
Sitting in the first assistant chair for the Stumps is Chris Nugent, who brings a wealth of soccer knowledge not just on the pitch technically, but also off the field in the world of analytics. Chris holds his USSF-A, UEFA-B and NSCAA Premier licenses, and utilizes a proprietary expected goals model based on key performance indicators for both team and individual players that he developed in 2014.
Prior to joining Rod Underwood’s staff at Stumptown, Chris served as Technical Director and Performance Analyst for NC Fusion, coaching their USL2 and ECNL to the Southern Conference title and a National Runner-Up result. He has spent time locally with Queen City Mutiny, as their Assistant Academy Director and Head Coach.
Away from his coaching duties, Chris runs a performance analysis company, providing research, breakdowns, evidence-based coaching, KPIs and has presented his work to clubs in MLS, English Premier League, USL, NCAA, US Developmental Academies, ECNL and individual players.
Chris spends his time between Winston-Salem, NC and Charlotte, and has been married to his wife Stephanie, an ICU nurse, since 2013. The couple are usually found with their loyal dog, Hershey.
Kaily Ransom joined the Stumptown AC front office for the inaugural spring 2021 season and serves as Director of Marketing and Community Engagement. Kaily leads Stumptown’s branding on social media platforms for the club as well as networking within the local community to build a strong connection with the Matthews and south Charlotte population.
Kaily completed her undergraduate work at Michigan State University, earing a B.S. in Genomics and Molecular Genetics. Shortly after graduating college, she made nearby Fort Mill, SC her home.
After the birth of her first child, Kaily moved into the digital marketing, website design, and social media spaces. In coming to Stumptown AC as a consultant, she focuses on telling player stories and connecting the club with the community one event at a time. She truly believes that sports and community go hand-in-hand and our club will make a local difference for generations to come.
Kaily and her husband Sean live just outside Matthews and currently have a three year old daughter Marie.
Hunter Nelson joined the Stumptown staff as the Director of Operations for the NISA Fall 2021 season, solidifying the sideline staff and managing all training responsibilities, traveling with the team, and managing all team kits and equipment.
Hunter is a 2021 graduate of Coastal Carolina, where he received his undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. After a competitive run as captain of his high school’s track and field and cross-country teams, Hunter gained experience working in the Athletic Department at Coastal Carolina while in school.
From nearby Fort Mill, South Carolina, Hunter is one of the club’s first full-time hires from the surrounding community and part of Stumptown’s commitment to building bridges to the local neighborhoods of Matthews. In his free time, Hunter is an avid gamer and has helped his family buy, renovate and sell a number of homes in their neighborhood.
