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Personnel news in Winston-Salem, Corvallis

Winston-Salem DashWe have personnel news today from the Winston-Salem Dash (High Class A; Carolina League) and the Corvallis Knights (summer collegiate; West Coast League).

The Dash announce a pair of promotions within their Corporate Partnerships department and a handful of new additions to their front-office team in advance of the sixth season at BB&T Ballpark.

Two key parts of the Dash’s front office team over the last several years, Corey Bugno and Darren Hill have new roles within the organization. Bugno is now the club’s Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, while Hill takes over as the Director of Corporate Partnerships.

Bugno joined the Dash in advance of the 2010 season as the Director of Stadium Operations. From there, he was elevated to Senior Director of Operations before joining the Corporate Partnerships department a year ago. The Duquesne University graduate has worked in Minor League Baseball since 2006, a career that includes stops with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Lehigh Valley franchises.

Prior to his promotion, Hill had been an integral part of the Dash’s ticket sales efforts since 2010, most recently as the team’s Director of Business Development. Born and raised in Albemarle, he is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining the Dash, Hill worked with the Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina Panthers and UNC’s Football Recruiting Office.

Four others have joined the Dash’s front office team—Paul Johnson as the Head Groundskeeper, Whitley Shannon as a Ticket Sales and Service Representative, Annie Stoltenberg as the Director of Entertainment and Community Relations and Paul Williams as the Box Office Supervisor.

Johnson boasts a wealth of experience in the groundskeeping field. Before joining the Dash, he was the Superintendent at Meadowlands Golf Club in Winston-Salem since 1992. He also logged seven years as the Assistant Superintendent at Bermuda Run Country Club. He has also contributed to the success of the Dash’s sister company, Rhino Sports & Entertainment Services.

Shannon joins the Dash after logging time with Wake Forest University athletics, where she assisted with production, operations and promotions for Demon Deacons games and events. She also boasts Minor League Baseball experience with the Lexington Legends (Low Class A; Sally League) as a member of their promotions team.

Stoltenberg was the Community Relations Manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (short-season A; NY-Penn League) before becoming a member of the Dash. She also was an integral part of the marketing department at Texas A&M University, her alma mater. She completed three Minor League internships while in college.

Williams was an important part of the Ticket Office at the University of Florida, his alma mater, as a Ticket Operations Specialist. He most recently worked as a Customer Service Associate at Sports Authority.

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Former West Coast League Executive of the Year and minor-league management veteran Holly Jones is joining the Knights front office as Senior Vice-President of Operations, responsible for event operations, marketing, ticketing, analytics and food and beverage service.

“I’m ecstatic to be back with the Knights’ baseball family and to be back in the great Willamette Valley,” said Jones, who earned the WCL’s top executive honors in 2013 as the general manager of the Victoria HarbourCats in their inaugural season. “I’m so proud of how much this organization has grown. I’m honored to be part of the next growth phase of this very special team.”

Jones originally worked with the Knights in 2005-06 at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham as an intern. She returned in 2007 and helped facilitate the team’s relocation to Corvallis as an assistant to President Dan Segel.

After graduation, Jones worked in Global Marketing Partnerships with the National Basketball Association in New York City. She then joined JetBlue in NYC in that airline’s Loyalty Marketing program, working with the airline’s key relationship with American Express.

Segel said Jones will be a key component of the team’s larger rebranding strategy for the 2015 season, its ninth in Corvallis since the franchise moved south in the WCL’s third season.

“Holly will be responsible for transforming the guest experience at Goss Stadium and further connecting our partners and fans with the hometown team,” Segel said. “We’re thrilled to team her with [general manager] Bre Miller to move forward with arguably the most impactful female leadership tandem in Northwest sports.

“I’m eager to see what is possible with the addition of Holly. I think the community and our fans will benefit greatly from this key hire.”

Miller, the WCL’s first female GM, said Jones will be an “energizing” addition to the Knights’ management team.

“She brings great experience and product knowledge to the organization,” Miller said. “She’s going to make us better.

“Holly is well-versed in the baseball business and is in tune with our vision and culture. There will be no ramping-up for her. We’re going to hit the ground running and do our best to deliver even better experiences for our fans, partners and players in 2015.”

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