We have personnel news, including a league honor for Staten Island Yankees (Short Season A; NY-Penn League) General Manager Jane Rogers and new hires by the Charleston RiverDogs (Low A; Sally League).
Staten Island Yankees General Manager Jane Rogers has been named the 2018 New York-Penn League Executive of the Year. Rogers will be presented with the award at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada during the Opening Session on Monday, December 10. Rogers becomes the first Executive to earn the award in franchise history, and the first woman to win the award in the history of the New York-Penn League.
Since 1999 Jane Rogers has been a crucial piece to the success of the Staten Island Yankees. She was the organization’s first hire and is the longest-tenured employee. Rogers worked her way up from Office Manager, to Assistant General Manager, and ultimately to her current role as General Manager.
Rogers plays a key role in the success of the team, business and even our players’ development. She is responsible for planning, organizing and managing the Staten Island Yankees game schedule, player travel, and all necessary accommodations for visiting teams and umpires. Not only does she contribute to the players’ development on the field she tries to help them develop into bright young men. She’s been a big influence on players such as Brett Gardner, Chien-Ming Wang, and Gary Sanchez. She is also the main point of contact between New York Yankees and the rest of the Staten Island Yankees’ front office.
“During her 20 years of service, Jane has established herself not only as a key member of the Yankee organization but as a vital member of the Staten Island community,” said Staten Island Yankees President Will Smith. “Jane’s selection for this award is well deserved and is a testament to her ongoing dedication, leadership and commitment to the Staten Island Yankees and the New York-Penn League.”
Outside of baseball, Rogers has been a big contributor to the borough. She heads the organization’s community relations department. Rogers has been recognized for her hard work across Staten Island, receiving numerous awards including the Wounded Warrior Community award, the Business Leader Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the Influential Women Business Leadership Award, and more. Rogers also sits on many boards, including the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, SIEDC Business Council and MiLB’s Baseball Chapel Advisory Board. She was honored with the NY-Penn League’s nomination for the Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year Award in 2003, 2006, 2007 & 2008.
In 2018, Rogers was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the news, she remained engaged with the Staten Island Yankees all year and wanted to create an opportunity to give back and also raise awareness of breast cancer. During the season the Staten Island Yankees created pink “99 Rogers” shirts and also wore pink jerseys for one game on August, 29th. Rogers directly helped the Staten Island Yankees raise over $8,000 for a charity of her choosing – New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, one she has supported in different ways for years.
Jane was born in Brooklyn and is a long-time resident of Staten Island, where she lives with her husband, Mike Rogers. She is the proud mother of two children, Julie and Matthew, and a proud grandmother of her two grandchildren, Vincent and Daniella.
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In Charleston, the RiverDogs have announced two new additions to the front office staff, naming Claudia Davis as a new sales representative and Courtney Lewis as the marketing & creative services manager.
Davis joins the RiverDogs after most recently working with the Miami Marlins as an inside sales representative and 2019 will mark her third consecutive season in baseball after serving as the box office manager for the St. Lucie Mets (High A; Florida State League) in 2017. The Orlando native is a graduate of the University of Florida’s Sport Management program.
“We are excited to welcome Claudia to the RiverDogs team,” said RiverDogs President and General Manager Dave Echols. “Her track record in baseball sales gives us confidence that she will hit the ground running in Charleston as we aim for another record-breaking season at the gates.”
Lewis heads South after three seasons in Massachusetts with the RiverDogs’ sister club, the Pittsfield Suns (summer collegiate; Futures Collegiate Baseball League). While under the Goldklang Group umbrella, she worked as the Director of Marketing and Ticket Sales, spearheading the club’s 2018 promotional calendar, enhancing the fan experience, and creating all sponsorship and marketing creative for the club. The University of Albany graduate started out in baseball having previously worked with the Hudson Valley Renegades (Short Season A; NY-Penn League), one of the Goldklang Group’s other clubs, during the 2015 season.
“Courtney will make another great addition to our growing staff as we’re familiar with her tremendous work ethic and creativity from within our ownership group,” said Echols. “Our fans will enjoy the RiverDogs’ increasing social media presence along with the creative content online and at the ballpark this season.”