BRETT M. JOHNSON, chairman of Fortuitus Partners and co-founder of Rhode Island FC, was recently named the 2025 Person of the Year by the Pawtucket Foundation. The award, which recognizes those who contribute to improving the quality of life within the city of Pawtucket, was presented during the foundation’s May 8 celebration at Centreville Bank Stadium. Johnson’s United Soccer League Championship club advanced to the league championship final in its inaugural season last year and is now playing its first season at the new 10,500-seat stadium along the Seekonk River.
What does being named Person of the Year by the Pawtucket Foundation mean to you? It’s an exceptional honor, one that I am extremely proud to be the recipient of. I take great pride in the relationship that we have with the city of Pawtucket and with the Pawtucket Foundation.
Has the opening of Centreville Bank Stadium exceeded your expectations up to this point? I’m blown away. I was completely stunned with the quality of the stadium. I’m really proud of the fact that anyone who goes through our gates and experiences the quality of the experience – whether it’s from the sight lines, the atmosphere, the premium offerings, the food and beverage, to the overall logistical experience with parking – it’s blowing away my very, very high expectations.
Beyond Rhode Island FC and the new stadium, what other ways/work have you contributed to the city community in Pawtucket? I’m very proud of the fact that we have taken a fallow and previously contaminated real estate on the riverfront right off the highway, and we are revitalizing a critical corridor of the city. Speaking of the Pawtucket Foundation, we are now a very important part of their overall vision to reimagine all of the city center of Pawtucket, everything from the new Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority commuter rail station all the way down to our stadium. I look forward to seeing continued progress, revitalizing all of it through a host of different asset classes, including our focus on addressing critical housing needs for the city.
What new community initiatives is Rhode Island FC planning to spearhead within the next 12 months? We are focusing on building authentic relationships with the community at large in several key areas, including kids and education, multicultural groups, LGBTQIA+, and the military. We recently launched our TerRIFC Kids Read & Play initiative, partnering with the Community Libraries of Providence and Providence Children’s Museum to encourage summer reading. We have donated thousands of tickets to local youth and veterans organizations to provide unique opportunities to experience an RIFC gameday. As we move forward, our goal is to deepen our outreach and prioritize connections with the multitude of diverse cultural groups (e.g., Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Colombian) in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts through partnerships, club visits and gameday experiences.
