Chris Economides is the Senior Director of the a USL First Division

USL First Division

The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....

 part of the United Soccer Leagues

United Soccer Leagues

The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...

. Prior to joining USL in October 2008, Economides served as the Chief Operating officer for the Rochester Rhinos before going on to found former USL First Division team Carolina Railhawks.

Prior to founding the Carolina Railhawks, Chris Economides was instrumental in forming the Rochester Raging Rhinos

Rochester Raging Rhinos

The Rochester Rhinos are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having self-relegated from the USSF D2 Pro League...

, a team in the same USL-1 division that has sprung to national prominence on the soccer scene. In his role as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President/General Manager, Economides was responsible for the soccer business of the club. From off-season player scouting, signing of players to representing the team in league matters, he keeps busy year-round helping to assemble one of professional soccer’s premier organizations.

Economides, along with partners Steve Donner

Steve Donner

Steve Donner is an American sports promoter, team owner, and manager. He was an owner of the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League. He is currently the CEO of USL Pro soccer team, Orlando City S.C..-Career:Donner helped...

 and Frank DuRoss

Frank DuRoss

Frank DuRoss is the owner of multiple professional sports franchises in the United States. His most recent acquisition is Carolina RailHawks F.C., USL First Division soccer team located in Cary, North Carolina....

, formed the Rhinos in the fall of 1995. They founded the team in the then independent A-League

A-League (1995–2004)

The A-League was a professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. The A-League emerged out of the restructured American Professional Soccer League in 1995 and operated until 2004, after which it was re-branded the USL First Division...

 and quickly turned the franchise into a juggernaut in the minor league sports industry. The club was a league-leader in attendance from 1996–2004 and was named one of the Top Five Minor League Sports Franchises by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal. Their success at the gate is matched by the teams’ three league titles (1998, 2000 and 2001) and the 1999 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title, in which they defeated three MLS teams en route to the historic championship. The Rhinos ownership trio was inducted into the USL Hall of Fame in 2005 as builders.

In addition to his soccer duties, Chris also stayed busy during the summer by assuming the same role for the Rochester Rattlers

Rochester Rattlers

The Rochester Rattlers are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Rochester, New York. They are a charter member of the MLL. From their inaugural season in 2001 to 2005, they were in the National Division. From 2006 to 2008, they were a member of the Eastern...

 of Major League Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...

. Prior to his role with the Rhinos, Economides previously co-owned the Kansas City Attack

Kansas City Attack

The Kansas City Attack, previously the Atlanta Attack and later known as the Kansas City Comets, were an indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City, Missouri. In its various incarnations the franchise played in the National Professional Soccer League from 1989–2001 and the...

 of the NPSL from 1991-1993. The Attack captured the NPSL championship in 1992-93, finishing a successful season
by defeating the Cleveland Crunch 3-2 in the finals in front of 12,000 fans at Kansas City’s Kemper Arena

Kemper Arena

Kemper Arena is a 19,500 seat indoor arena, in Kansas City, Missouri.It is named for R. Crosby Kemper Sr., a member of the powerful Kemper financial clan and who donated $3.2 million, from his estate for the arena...

.

A native of Rochester, NY Economides graduated from Monroe Community College

Monroe Community College

Monroe Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York, located in Monroe County, New York. The college has two campuses, one in the town of Brighton and another, the Damon City Campus, in the City of Rochester...

 and Eastridge High School

Eastridge High School

Eastridge High School is an American public secondary school located in Irondequoit, New York. Its current principal is Mary Grow. The School is an IB world school...

. He has also owned a variety of restaurants in the Rochester area. He has two sons, Steven and Alex, and is very active in youth soccer, hockey, and baseball.