Mayor Yemi Mobolade today presented Ed Ragain with a Spirit of Colorado Springs Award in recognition of Ragain’s impactful leadership and community spirit. Ragain is the founder and former owner of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
“Ed Ragain’s visionary leadership and civic pride have transformed the sports landscape of our city and breathed new life into Olympic City USA’s sports culture,” said Mayor Yemi. “The Switchbacks are a source of pride for Colorado Springs, and Ed’s leadership reflects the spirit of collaboration and excellence that we celebrate with the Spirit of Colorado Springs Award.”
Ragain, an accomplished engineer and businessman, is the founder of ME Engineers, a Colorado-based firm that has grown into an international leader in engineering design. Under his leadership, ME Engineers has developed broadcast lighting design guidelines for major sports organizations, including FIFA, MLS, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and the Olympic Broadcast Systems. Ragain’s substantial contributions to the field of sports engineering have set the industry standard. Ragain then transitioned into entrepreneurship within the sports arena, establishing the Switchbacks FC franchise. Under Ragain’s ownership, the team qualified for playoffs in six out of 10 seasons and secured both a Western Conference Championship and USL Championship Title in 2024.
The Mayor’s Office welcomes the opportunity to recognize exceptional individuals within the City of Colorado Springs whose leadership inspires others with an Inspirational Leader Spirit of the Springs Award. These awards are presented to recipients by the mayor or an official designee to honor them for their influence.
For more information, visit ColoradoSprings.gov/SpiritofColoradoSprings.