Meet The Council

Mint City Collective Officers

Below are your 2026 Mint City Collective officers that were elected by all of our members. Each Officer runs a one year term and elections happen after the end of the season.

President - Brandon Lewis

Born and raised in Gastonia and moved to Charlotte over a decade ago. I've been in and around the soccer world since playing as a 3 year old at the local Y. Prior to CLTFC, I had been actively involved with the Independence. When MLS was announced, I was ready. I joined MCC back in 2019 and the past 5-6 years has been a whirlwind. At the beginning of the inaugural season, I got the chance to lead the Tifo team and.. well.. you know how that went. I was amazed by the comradery of the local fanbase to come together to put out amazing tifos. Stepping away from 3 years of leading that effort, I wanted to focus on MCC. Hoping to see where we can take this and welcome all to this great collective.

Vice President - Raphy Tehandon

Communications - Jamie Ferro

I am originally from Chicago, if you’ve talked to me for more than 20 seconds, then you probably have heard it. I moved to Charlotte for work in 2019, found my home during the pandemic, across the street from these sweet people that were flying a ‘Mint City Collective’ flag. I had no idea what that was, then started dating a guy that was obsessed with soccer, and happened to be an inaugural member of the group too. The rest is history! I’ve been roped into the sport, the supporter's section, the chants, the away days, the tailgates and now get to communicate with all of you!

Away Days - Thomas Hughes

The Away Days Coordinator role is new but I wanted to make it a focus to make them as fun and accessible as possible for everyone. I have had some of the best times traveling and exploring new cities while also seeing Charlotte FC bring home 3 points. I've been involved with MCC since year 2 and met some longtime friends on my first away trip to Columbus even though the result on the field wasn't what we wanted. Feel free to reach out to me with any suggestions you might have for away days travel guides and I hope to see everyone at home and on the road this season.

Community & Outreach - Diana Debski

I've been a Charlotte FC fan since before the team even existed! And I've been in Mint City for 2 years now - 2026 will be my third. Volunteering in our community is my second favorite way to spend my time - not far behind game day, of course! In 2025, I was able to volunteer over 30 times. I'd like to repeat the same in 2026. Lets be the most supportive supporter's group there is - to the team and our community!!

Gameday - James Pruett

I grew up in South Carolina and moved to Charlotte in 2016. Before the inaugural season started, a friend told me to buy season tickets for Charlotte FC, I trusted him—and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’ve been involved with the supporters’ group since year two and became more actively involved through volunteering in year three. This is how I was able to meet some great people and has now led to me serving on Council as Gameday Lead. As Gameday Lead, I help pre-stage the stadium with banners, flags, and other elements that bring our matchday atmosphere to life. I’m passionate about supporter culture, creating an electric matchday environment, and making sure everyone feels welcome at the tailgate, in the stands, and within our community.

Gameday - Meredith Barringer

Living in Charlotte for over 30 years, I didn’t attended my first Charlotte FC match until 2022 but it was life changing! The energy, unity, and sense of belonging in the stands got me hooked! I love how the beautiful game brings people together, and I believe the world could always use more of that. As a member of the Mint City Collective Council, I’m passionate about fostering community, creating meaningful connections, and helping grow the culture that makes supporting Charlotte FC so special. CrownsUP!

Watch Parties / Events - Traci Williams

I grew up in Texas and spent five years in Napa, California before moving to Mooresville, NC in 2020. I attend my first CLTFC game (and first soccer game ever) in 2022, and the incredible atmosphere at the tailgate and in the supporter section had me hooked immediately. I joined Mint City Collective in 2023 and have met some of the most wonderful people through it. Serving in the Watch Party & Events role pushes me out of my comfort zone and gives me the chance to connect with people I probably wouldn’t cross paths with otherwise. MCC has truly become like a second family, and I’m excited for another season supporting CLTFC. Cheers!

Tailgate - Landon Minton

IT Director - Tom Cipolla

As a long time Liverpool fan, I have always enjoyed watching soccer, so when CLT FC was announced, I couldn't wait to jump on board. I put the reserve on 2 SS tickets and when I told Ellen about the requirements in the SS (stand, sing, cheer, and drink), she said "have fun with your friends, cuz I'm not doing that". But, after attending the inaugral match, she and I rarely missed a match together and it has become "our thing". We were hooked from that moment!

Ellen and I moved to Charlotte from Boston in 1998, but it wasn't until we joined Mint City Collective in 2021 that we really considered Charlotte as our home. We have met so many amazing people and developed close friendships through MCC, and we are forever grateful. As IT Director, I get to give just a little bit back to this club we love.

Merchandise - Ellen Cipolla

Since my other half got me hooked (see above!), I decided to step up, since working the merch tent is my favorite part of gameday! I enjoy getting to meet our members and create connections. After spending a few hours with our friends, we get to go cheer on the team. It's a great way to spend a day!

Mint City Collective Board Members

Ashley Rosales

Chris Harmon

Twitter Handle : @KeepPounding84

I was born and raised in Charlotte, but have been living in Mooresville for the last 14 years. I loved throwing tailgate parties and away trips for you all last season so I'm honored I was voted in to run it back. I'm a big fan of all Charlotte and North Carolina pro-sports, evidenced by the 3 Charlotte pro-teams as a permanent part of my right arm. In addition to Mint City Collective, I'm a long time Roaring Riot (Carolina Panthers supporters group) member and leader of the Lake Norman Chapter. Looking forward to continue creating an awesome tailgating experience.

Jay Landskroener

Jay is one of the Mint City Collective founding members. A passionate fan of soccer culture and sport, he has been involved in supporting local communities and clubs since the late 1990’s. Jay continues to guide MCC while supporting efforts to make Charlotte’s supporter culture elite in the league. He also represents MCC on a larger scale on the Independent Supporters Council. To learn more about ISC and its mission, follow the link here. Cultural passions include chants, flags, tifos, pyro, and stickers. Raising kids into the next generation of supporters for Charlotte, Jay has a son and stepson who regularly attend with him and his wife Samantha to games. As a member of the board Jay helps to keep the Collective as inclusive as possible while encouraging engagement with the club and supporting the players with passion and loyalty to the Crown.

Kelsey Wiese

If you had asked Kelsey five years ago if she was going to be on the board of a soccer supporter group, she would have laughed. What’s a supporter group anyway? But over the course of Charlotte FC’s history, and her involvement with Mint City Collective, her passion for the sport and community have led her to a leadership position. A lover of all things Glory Days Apparel and Alani Nu, you can find Kelsey at the MCC tailgates, or the cozy air conditioning of club level seats in the heat of July.

Richard Clark

Seth Wiese

I was born and raised in Monroe, NC. My love of soccer started when my mom signed me up for a rec league when I was in kindergarten and I played throughout high school. While playing in elementary school, I started following the USMNT, which led me to follow Manchester United since Tim Howard played there at the time. I didn’t start following MLS until CLTFC was announced and put down a deposit for PSLs the day they were available. Before joining Mint City Collective, I didn’t know what the concept of a supporters group was. The topic came up while talking to a friend about the team signing a fellow Niner and they suggested joining Mint City Collective. I signed up that night and have been involved ever since.