The Jacksonville Suns announced their latest front office staffing update, naming four new staff members and three returning staff in new roles. The club is preparing for the 2016 season – its debut under the new ownership of Ken Babby.
New to the Suns front office team are Merchandise Manager Brennan Earley, Promotions Manager Devin Jones, Media and Public Relations Manager Marco LaNave and Account Executive Peter Ercey. Returning in new positions are Box Office Manager Theresa Viets, Food and Beverage Manager Tina Gray-Young, and Front Office Coordinator Lorie Tipton.
“We are excited to welcome staff with broad experiences from across the country to our front office, while teaming them with talented individuals familiar with the Jacksonville market,” said Suns General Manager Harold Craw. “Their combination of diverse sports backgrounds and connections with this community will be vital to us bringing the best affordable family fun to Northeast Florida.”
Brennan Earley joins the Suns as Merchandise Manager, after he worked the past year as the Assistant Manager of Merchandising for the Double-A Jackson (Tenn.) Generals of the Southern League. A native of Jonesville, Va., he was a Baseball Operations Intern for the Johnson City (Tenn.) Cardinals of the Rookie-Level Appalachian League in 2011.
Devin Jones will be the Suns Promotions Manager after working as a Promotions and Fan Development Assistant for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL since September. A native of Ellenboro, W. Va., he was a Front Office Intern with the West Virginia Power (Charleston, W. Va.) of the Class-A South Atlantic League in 2014 and a Marketing and Promotions Trainee for the Gwinnett (Ga.) Braves of the Triple-A International League in 2015.
Marco LaNave joins the Suns as Media and Public Relations Manager. He had been the head of media relations for the Quad Cities River Bandits (Davenport, Iowa) of the Class-A Midwest League since the beginning of the 2012 season. A St. Cloud, Minn., native, he worked as a production assistant for Minnesota Twins radio broadcasts in 2011.
Peter Ercey, a Coconut Creek, Fla., native, and a sports management graduate from the University of North Florida, is a new Account Executive with the Suns. He worked as Promotions Coordinator for the Inland Empire 66ers (San Bernardino, Calif.) of the Class-A Advanced California League in 2015.
Three returning Suns front office members – all Jacksonville natives – have new roles with the team.
Theresa Viets remains with the Suns for a 10th season, this year as the Box Office Manager, a role she held from 2011 to 2014. Most recently, she was the Director of Community Relations during the 2015 season, and she was also the Executive Assistant and Receptionist from 2007 to 2011.
Tina Gray-Young enters her eighth season with the Suns, becoming the team’s Food and Beverage Manager. She began with the team in 2009 as a bartender, became a bar manager, and had most recently been the team’s receptionist since April.
Lorie Tipton enters her seventh season with the Suns, taking a new role as Front Office Coordinator. She has worked on the game day staff for the team since 2010.