Garth Lagerwey to take leave of absence after cancer diagnosis
Atlanta United announced today that club president and CEO, Garth Lagerwey, will be taking a leave of absence as he undergoes treatment for cancer. Per a press release from the club, there is no timetable for his return. Additionally, the club states that “the prognosis of a complete recovery is encouraging.
“I have made the difficult decision to step back from Atlanta United to tackle my cancer treatment head-on,” Lagerwey said in the release. “I would like to express my profound gratitude to Arthur Blank for not only his support, but by doing everything in his power to make this process as painless as possible for me and my family. I could not possibly work for a better organization than AMBSE.
“Atlanta United has a high-performing leadership team in place on the business and soccer sides of the club. Chris, Skate and Dimitrios are experienced and talented leaders, and I have full confidence in their abilities to lead our club in my absence. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing our fans again soon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I shall return.”
Current Atlanta United front office members will maintain day-to-day operations at the club. Sporting director Chris Henderson, vice president of strategy Dimitrios Efstathiou and chief business officer Skate Noftsinger will report to the CEO of Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment, Rich McKay.
“On behalf of myself, Atlanta United, and the entire Blank Family of Businesses, we stand fully behind Garth and his family as they navigate this difficult challenge,” Arthur M. Blank, Owner and Chairman of Atlanta United said in the release. “Garth’s resilience and optimism are part of what makes him such an exceptional leader, and I know he’ll carry those strengths in the days ahead. I have complete confidence in our leadership team and players as we navigate this transition together. We all look forward to welcoming Garth back in the future and will be praying for him and his family’s continued strength, and a smooth recovery.”
On a personal note, Garth has shown me extreme kindness since I arrived in Atlanta. Joe and Rob would say the same. We wish him the absolute best as he begins treatment.