John Bollinger is the Owner and CEO of the Bismarck Larks, Minot Hot Tots, Minot Honeybees and Funatix Events. John’s driving passion is using FUN to make a difference in the lives of fans, businesses, players, employees and communities he serves.
Under John’s direction, the Bismarck Larks were named Northwoods League Organization of the Year in 2017 and 2018 and were named one of Front Office Sports Top Employers in Sports in 2021. Bollinger was named the 2017 Northwoods League Executive of the Year and in 2020 was named the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year for his and his team’s safe and innovative approach to playing baseball during the pandemic. The Bismarck Larks celebrated the completion of their 7th season in 2023 selling out 97% of all tickets available and have sold out the vast majority of their games since the team’s inception in 2017. In 2019, John started Funatix Events which works with local events such as the Bismarck Marathon, Mandan Rodeo Days, and Dakotah Speedway to maximize the experience for their customers, sponsors, and community. In addition, Funatix Events is an all-inclusive event company helping plan large-scale company picnics, catering events, and custom events like Mac & Cheese Festival.
Before Bismarck, John served as the General Manager of the Kalamazoo Growlers for three seasons. Before the Northwoods League, John worked two years as the Assistant General Manager of the Southern Ohio Copperheads while also attending Ohio University where he received his MBA and Masters in Sports Administration. Previous to that, he worked in ticket sales for the Springfield Cardinals, the AA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals while he was finishing his undergraduate degree in Entertainment Management at Missouri State University.
Bollinger is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, but now calls Bismarck home with his his wife Marcie, daughters Teddi and Alina, and their two dogs Lillian and Walt. He currently serves on the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF) Board, Mandan Progress Organization (MPO) Board, and Bismarck Marathon Board.
