Grafton, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks announced the promotions of three of their employees, Shawn Kison, Eric Snodgrass and Jacob Nelson to new positions. Shawn Kison was elevated to the position of General Manager, Eric Snodgrass was promoted to Assistant General Manager, and Jacob Nelson was given the title of Director of Corporate Partnerships and Sales.
“We are happy to promote all three individuals into new positions along with giving them added responsibilities. Each one of them has shown a remarkable ability to connect with the community and move forward the mission and vision of the Lakeshore Chinooks in our market,” commented team President, Jim Kacmarcik. “It is always rewarding when promotions come from within an organization and certainly these three gentlemen have proven their value to the team.”
Shawn Kison joined the team in the fall of 2015 after serving for nine years as the Events Services Manager at the Wisconsin Center District. Prior to that he was the Director of Stadium Operations for the Durham Bulls, the Triple A Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. Kison, is a local product who graduated from Cedarburg High School where he was a standout soccer player and then went on to get his degree at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In 2016, he served as the team’s Assistant General Manager in his first season. “Shawn brings a wealth of operations expertise as well as tremendous local ties to the Chinooks. That along with his experience at the Triple A level helps our franchise as we work to provide a big league experience in every way at Kapco Park,” according to Vice President, Dean Rennicke.
Eric Snodgrass was one of the original Lakeshore Chinooks employees when the team launched on November 1, 2011. Eric graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with a degree in Sports Management. Eric served as an intern at Kapco, Inc. while a group of local investors worked to secure an affiliation in the Northwoods League. Once the team was formally announced and began operations he was immediately put in charge of ticket sales and his duties continued to grow as the team moved forward. “Eric has been an extremely valuable asset to our team. His passion for the product, his attention to detail and his tireless work at customer service with our fans and sponsors has helped us to grow as an organization,” commented Rennicke. In addition to his ticket duties, Snodgrass also oversees the Chinooks social media and website presence and promotions along with running the very strong internship program established when the team took the field.
Jacob Nelson served as an intern with the team in its inaugural season of 2012. In 2014 Nelson became a full time employee with the Chinooks as the Assistant Manager of Sales. He received a degree in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Management from the University of Illinois and as well as receiving his Masters Degree from Illinois. “Jacob’s growth with our organization has been tremendous. From the time he began as an intern it was apparent his drive and ability were such that we had to find a spot within our franchise for him. His determination along with his ability to create strategic partnerships with our corporate partners has allowed him to excel,” said Rennicke. Nelson will take on additional sales duties as well as overseeing the relationships with some of the team’s major sponsors and corporate ticket groups. He also handles reporting and market research for the team.
Rennicke added, “We are fortunate that we have an entire staff that is talented and committed to making the experience for everyone that attends a Chinooks game one they will treasure. These three gentlemen along with the rest of our front office work tirelessly to bring a first class product to the area.”
The Chinooks begin their sixth season in the Northwoods League on May 30th with a road game against Battle Creek. The team’s home opener is on Saturday, June 3rd at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University of Wisconsin. The team has made the playoffs in three of their five seasons and won the league title in 2014 while also being named the number one Collegiate Summer Baseball Team in the country that year. The Chinooks provide opportunities for some of the nation’s top collegiate baseball players as well as young students who have aspirations to work in sports as a career. Season and Group tickets are available now and single game tickets will go on sale beginning May 1st.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Chinooks as your favorite team.