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KC2026 hired four new directors to help with planning and communications for Kansas City's duties as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The team getting Kansas City geared up to be a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues to build its roster of executives.
KC2026 is the nonprofit leading planning for and managing the World Cup games and events. CEO Pam Kramer has been adding to her staff, recently filling four key leadership positions: director of integrated operations, director of fan festival and events, director of marketing, and social media and content manager.
Here are the new hires:
Lindsey Douglas is director of integrated operations. Douglas is a former project manager at Burns & McDonnell and was deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation from 2019 to 2022. She will work with leaders of various groups to set strategies and priorities and measure key performance indicators on projects. She also is the go-between with government agencies and shared work projects, managing funding, reporting and procurement.
Mallory Cage is director of fan festival and events. Cage spent the past four years as an account director at Augeo, helping clients with strategic event planning and experience creation. She also has experience as national events planner for the Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation and working as assistant director of WIN for KC. She is responsible for executing the official FIFA Fan Festival and other official events leading up to the World Cup.
Matt Smith is director of marketing. Smith has 14 years of marketing experience, spending the past 3.5 years as marketing director of Dimensional Innovations. He is responsible for planning, developing and implementing marketing strategies for KC2026, FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns and community-driven initiatives, and communication efforts.
Kateri Hartman is social media and content manager. Hartman spent the past 1.5 years as assistant athletic director of marketing and promotions for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She is responsible for developing and executing social and digital strategies to engage, inform and communicate with target audiences.
Kansas City is one of 15 host cities for the 2026 World Cup. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will host four games during the tournament’s group stage on June 16, 20, 25 and 27. It will host one match in the knockout round on July 3. Arrowhead also will have a coveted World Cup quarterfinal match on July 11. FIFA estimates that the metro area will host about 650,000 visitors during the World Cup.
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