UMKC Alumna Esther George on Kansas City’s World Cup Moment
We spoke with Esther George (MBA ’00), treasurer of KC2026, on her thoughts about the significance and impact of the World Cup
BY ALYSSA LALLY
Esther George PHOTO / DERRICK BENITZ
Esther George (MBA ’00) has a history of breaking barriers. She was the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, serving as president and CEO until 2023. Now, she’s bringing her leadership and community focus to another historic milestone: Kansas City’s role as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As treasurer of KC2026, George helps guide one of the city’s most transformative events.
Q: How did you become involved with KC2026? George: I retired from the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank in 2023. Once I left, I received an invitation from the organizers to join what would be a nonprofit that would be responsible for delivering on the execution of these games. And my thought was ‘I love serving our community. I'm excited about Kansas City,’ and so I said yes.
Q: Why is having the World Cup so significant for Kansas City? George: We are going to be introducing the world to Kansas City. We certainly will elevate our sports culture here, but there is so much more to our city. We call it Kansas City Magic. We are the smallest host city, but we are punching above our weight when it comes to providing a world-class experience for teams and fans. We want to deliver these games in a way that causes people to say, ‘Wow, look at how they did that,’ and then have the afterglow be pride in our city.
Q: How can local businesses benefit? George: We're going to have six matches that we host, but a visitor will be staying here more than just for a single match, so think about the things you'd be doing when you're not attending a match. Those are the touch points in our city that people will get a chance to experience. As part of our KC Game Plan program, we've been doing workshops with Kansas City business owners in a virtual forum to discuss where the opportunities will be. In collaboration with local chambers of commerce, entrepreneurism support organizations and government and tourism industry partners, we're providing local businesses with the tools and resources they need to prepare and maximize this opportunity.
Q: What is the long-term economic impact of being a host city? George: This is our version of a foreign trade mission. You want those visitors who come here, those people around the world who see us on TV to begin to think ‘This is a place where I could do business’ and ‘Maybe this is a place I just want to come visit and vacation at some point when I see what the opportunities are.’ Hopefully it will also add to the work that happens in our community development areas that attract business to this area. I think the legacy part of this is to really open up for the world to say that Kansas City is a place where you may find opportunities.
Q: Transportation is always a big topic here. How does the World Cup play into that? George: When you compare all the other host cities around the country, they have a very different transportation infrastructure than Kansas City does, so we knew going in transportation would be the thing we would really have to focus on. We don't live in a very concentrated city. We are really part of a broad region. We're used to using our cars to move around and so we have to think a little bit differently about that. We have some good people from both sides of the state line and across all the region's municipalities working on transportation and doing it cooperatively. It’s a great opportunity to see what's possible for our community and imagine how we might do things differently.
Q: Security is another major concern. How are organizers approaching that? George: Safety is really job one here. The key is going to be good coordination and communication, and so that has been a focus. There really there's no other way for us to think about how to deliver these games other than making safety and security a priority.
Q: How can Kansas Citians without tickets be part of the experience? George: Not all of us will get tickets to this event to see it firsthand, but I think it’s important we make sure everybody in the community has a chance to engage. We will be hosting a free FIFA Fan Festival™ at the World War I Memorial, which is an international symbol, a great place to bring people together. In addition to being a place where you could watch the matches on a screen, there'll be other activities and the foods Kansas City is famous for without having to pay the price of a ticket to come in and enjoy both an atmosphere and, again, a sense of the city.
Q: On a personal level, what does this opportunity mean to you? George: It's really an honor to participate in an event that you think will touch so many people in our region and what possibilities could come from that. It's exciting, but at the same time, we're all very serious about what we have left to do. Right now, I just couldn't be more proud of the team.