NEW YORK — Howard Webb has been named the general manager of the Professional Referee Organization, replacing Peter Walton, the group announced Thursday.

As the leader of PRO since inception in 2014, Walton has cultivated the structural framework and provided resources through support staff, training, education and welfare.

Manager of assistant referees Greg Barkey will continue his current role while taking on additional responsibilities as manager of senior assistant referees and video review operations.

“Developing PRO into the organization that it is today has been a tremendous honor,” Walton said in a statement. “Our officials have more resources than ever before, and their world-class training has been rewarded with opportunities at the highest levels both in the CONCACAF region and globally. I have incredible faith that Howard Webb will continue to lead this organization with referees reaching even higher standards and realizing many more groundbreaking achievements.”

Since Webb joined the organization last March, PRO and MLS implemented video review into 154 MLS games with Video Assistant Referee becoming the fifth member of officiating crews. PRO referee Mark Geiger was named VAR for the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.