WPS CEO Anne-Marie Eileraas "is stepping down" from the women's soccer league, effective Sept. 18, according to Steven Goff of the WASHINGTON POST. WPS, which confirmed Eileraas' resignation in a statement last night, is “planning to hire a replacement in the coming weeks.” Eileraas, who cited family reasons for her decision, joined WPS as General Counsel in January '10, and assumed the role of CEO after Commissioner Tonya Antonucci's departure last October (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/31). Eileraas said that WPS “far exceeded its goals for the season, and that she felt comfortable handing over the reins in a smooth transition after one year as CEO.” Eileraas: "I know they've had a search process under way. They've identified one or two very capable candidates. They expect to have an announcement certainly before my last day and hopefully sooner than that." Atlanta Beat Owner and WPS BOD Chair T. Fitz Johnson said the league is "very close to having a successor named." He added, "It's a difficult job to recruit for. You need a leader, a salesperson, someone that has business acumen to run an office and has a sports background." Eileraas is “returning to the legal field to work for the technology firm Avanade” (ESPNW.com, 8/31). In Rochester, Jeff Di Veronica reported there was at least one WPS team owner who thought Eileraas "had to go” (DEMOCRATANDCHRONICLE.com, 8/31).
