The Lakeshore Chinooks swept the year-end Northwoods League awards, snaring Organization of the Year honors, with VP/GM Dean Rennicke named Executive of the Year.
Rennicke recently completed his third year with the Chinooks, culminating in a Summer Collegiate World Series Championship. He played baseball at Homestead High School, then received a scholarship to play at UW-Madison. After his junior year at Wisconsin, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he spent seven years as a pitcher and coach in their minor league system. After two arm surgeries and needing a third, Rennicke retired and came back to Milwaukee.
He then joined the Milwaukee Brewers front office and spent 15 seasons there in various capacities including their Vice President of Corporate and Ticket Sales. He then joined the Journal Broadcast Group’s radio networks selling the Packers and Brewers Radio Broadcasts. Currently he serves as Vice President of Marketing for Kapco, Inc. which included organizing the startup of the Chinooks.
“I am humbled and blessed to have been given The Executive of the Year Award,” Rennicke said. “This award however is more of a reflection on the many quality individuals that we have within the Chinooks family that work tirelessly to make the Lakeshore Chinooks the type of organization that we are. Certainly it is not so much one individual that wins this award but it is an award shared by all those within our organization who care about providing a first class experience for this area.”
The Lakeshore Chinooks were honored with the Organization of the Year award after hosting the 2014 Northwoods League All-Star game this summer, which featured MLB Commissioner Bud Selig as the guest speaker at the All-Star banquet. On the field the Chinooks were the first and second half champions in the South Division and went on to win the Northwoods League Summer Collegiate World Series for the first time.
“It has been our simple goal as an organization from our inception three years ago to have a positive impact on the community, the league and with those whose lives we touch,” Rennicke said. “To win the Organization of the Year Award in the Northwoods League is an incredible honor as there are so many well run affiliates within this league. It is the culmination of many people, the ownership group, our staff, the fans, the interns and certainly the coaches and players working hard to fulfill our mission.”