The President of the Houston Dynamo FC & Dash
“To work in sports is a dream that’s been fulfilled for me.”
John Walker is the President of the Houston Dynamo FC in Major League Soccer. Since
graduating from college, Walker has worked in ticket managerial roles for the University
of Pittsburgh and the University of Oklahoma, he’s worked for the Kansas City Royals,
Phoenix Suns, and Memphis Grizzlies in the MLB and NBA, and he was the president
of tickets.com for four years. Before all of that, Walker was a student at West
Virginia University.
A native of Morgantown, Walker was, in some ways, destined to attend WVU. “The Gold
and Blue have been in my blood since I was born,” says Walker. “It was almost a
non-starter to think of going anywhere else.”
Walker found an early affinity for sports at WVU, regularly attending athletic events
and quickly changing his major from accounting to sports management. “Those guys
were my heroes,” he says, referring to the athletes who inspired him to get an
early internship with the WVU ticket office.
After a small role as a teller at the First National Bank on High Street, Walker
went on to travel around the country, working a variety of jobs that would eventually
see him become the President of the Houston Dynamo FC. Over the years, Walker has
seen the ticketing industry digitally evolve and take on complex marketing strategies,
but his commitment to effective leadership has allowed him to adapt. “To get the
most out of people, they have to feel good about what it is they’re doing,” says
Walker, underscoring his own professional passion.
Walker has also found satisfaction in his line of work through his ability to give
back to his community. “It’s fun, it’s entertainment—but there’s a lot more to
it behind the scenes,” says Walker. On top of promoting general health and wellness,
the Houston Dynamo FC is partnered with the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Walker is proud of his alma mater and praises the sensibility and practicality in
the average West Virginian, two traits he feels have allowed him the opportunity
to giveback. “To be able to share experiences, I think, is very important,” says
Walker, stressing that students shouldn’t be afraid to do hard work early on if
they want to achieve their goals.
Written by Tristan Moore, WVU '20
*This WVU Alumni Spotlight was filmed in October of 2019.