Meet Our New Staff. Most years the Chiefs front office…
By: Nathan Baliva
Tags: Minors, Peoria, Baseball, Milb

Most years the Chiefs front office experiences a little turnover with full-time employees, especially with the one-year Inside Sales program installed in 2015 by current General Manager Jason Mott when he took over after using a similar program in Memphis. This season fans will see some new faces around the ballpark with the addition of a couple positions that had either never been in existence at Dozer Park or had been dormant. In today’s blog we’re going to introduce you to nine of our new employees with some fun Q&A.

Director of Corporate Partnerships — Ben Garrod.

Ben joins the Chiefs with sports experience in hockey (4 years) and NASCAR (2 years), most recently at the Michigan International Speedway in his home state.

Favorite hockey player: Pavel Datsyuk. Favorite NASCAR driver: Was Mark Martin, now retired. Now Michigan guys Brad Keselowski & Erik Jones. Favorite baseball player growing up: Derek Jeter.

Wolverines or Spartans: Go Green! (football over basketball)

What are you most looking forward to on the Chiefs 2020 schedule: Construction Night, I really like the looks of everything.

Ben and Austin have worked hard to bring Knockerball back to Dozer Park this season as an in-game promotion….so…Who wins a staff Knockerball Rumble Royal: Me. no doubt. Against Cody (broadcast intern) in the finals. I’ve played knockerball on ice and no one could take me down.

Who on staff could you beat in a footrace: (After 20 seconds of laughing) Not many. But I’d be close against you (Nathan).

Who on our staff would you most want at the plate if you were standing at 3rd base in the 9th inning as the tying run? Nolan. He’ll get me home.

Manager of Game Entertainment & Merchandise — Austin Shone.

Austin has a fantastic back ground for a recent Bradley graduate with experience at the Pyongyang Olympics (2018), with sports radio in Los Angeles and Dallas plus work experience with the LA Dodgers and Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

What was the most fun promotion you implemented last year in Myrtle Beach? Deaf Awareness Night part II with Matt the Hammer Hamill, a deaf UFC fighter. We screened his movie and he did a Q&A with sign language and had ASL translators throughout the park.

What are you most looking forward to on the Chiefs 2020 schedule: Olympic Night with events throughout the park. Also June 20 with the Tommy Edman bobblehead and the Remedy Drive concert for Faith & Family Night

Who wins a staff Knockerball Rumble Royal: We have a lot of bruisers on the staff, big guys. Low man wins in Knockerball so I’ll go with Brandon Cook.

What’s your go-to ballpark food item: Lemon Chill

What percentage of debates over the last 5 years have you won with Cody? 25%. He wears you down and talks louder.

Who wins a decathlon between your interns? Rod, no doubt.

Food & Beverage Director Cullen Munz

I’ve already dubbed Cullen the most interesting man in Peoria. And maybe in Chiefs history. He has a law degree. He’s a referee. He worked in the MLS and for the Kansas City Chiefs. He worked five years in D-1 football for five different head coaches (Michigan & Oregon). He has been on the staff for two Championship MiLB teams (Eugene & Amarillo) in four total MiLB seasons with Diamond Concessions. He worked in the defunct Alliance of American Football. And he is a lifelong Houston Asterisks fan as a Houston native.

Favorite place you’ve lived that isn’t Houston or Peoria: Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Favorite places so far in Peoria: Mack’s, Kelleher’s, Old Chicago, Ulrich’s.

Go-to food: I’m a sucker for good pizza. And good pizza never has pineapple on it.

Is a hot dog a sandwich: Absolutely.

What are you most looking forward to this season: Just getting started. Getting games here and settling into a routine.

Who on staff can you beat in a footrace: You, Jason, Ben, Allison, Patrick, Brandon. Probably anyone except Austin and Nolan.

Stadium Maintenance Manager — Brandon Cook.

A Georgia native who has lived in Peoria for four years, this is Brandon’s first year in sports. A former CAT employee, he owns Galactic Gears Customs, a woodworking/motorcycle shop.

Favorite thing about the job so far: The people, and my office.

Coolest thing you’ve found in your office so far: A Cardinals signed baseball.

Coolest Place you’ve ever been: Morocco.

First baseball memory: Braves v. White Sox when I was six years old.

Who on staff could you get a base-hit against? Ben.

Who on our staff would you most want at the plate if you were standing at 3rd base in the 9th inning as the tying run? Alex Bridgewater, my intern.

How much coffee do you drink on a normal day: Six pots. (he’s not kidding)

Account Executive Matt Champeau

Matt has worked in baseball with Green Bay Bullfrogs, Madison Mallards and Kenosha Kingfish in the Northwoods League.

A Wisconsin native, Matt is a White Sox fan. Who is your favorite player: Jose Abreu now. Ken Griffey Jr growing up.

Favre or Rodgers: #12. He won’t turn the ball over.

Promotion most looking forward to this season: COPA nights with En El Rio. Love the logo and branding and it will be cool to see the fans with that color scheme.

Tie game, no time on clock, who on our staff do you want at the FT line? Cody. It may not look pretty but he’s gonna give you everything he’s gone.

Knockerball battle, who do you most want to face and least want to face: Most — you (Nathan) (bring it Matt, I fight dirty). Least — Ben.

Inside Sales Rep Kenton Smith

Kenton has worked one season each with the Lake Shore Chinooks (Northwoods League) and Joliet Slammers (Frontier) and last year interned with the Tampa Bay Rays.

What was your must fun promotion with the Rays: The kids loved the DJ Kitty Night with mascot heads of DJ Kitty that the kids kept wearing back to future games.

What’s your favorite place in Peoria: I’m a big coffee guy so I have to go with Zion across the street.

Which of our promotions are you most looking forward to: Super Hero night gets a ton of love on the phones in talking to customers. And I want pictures with the Super Heroes.

Who wins a staff Knockerball Rumble Royal: Cody.

Who on our staff would you most want at the plate if you were standing at 3rd base in the 9th inning as the tying run? I’d say Nolan cause he played college baseball, but he told me his batting average so…

Account Executive Eric Naegel.

Eric joined the Chiefs earlier in 2020 after three seasons with the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

What is your favorite baseball memory: Catching a home run ball at old Cinergy Field hit by Ken Griffey Jr.

Football or basketball: Hoops, ready for March Madness.

Who on our staff can you beat in a footrace: Everyone.

Who on our staff would you most want at the plate if you were standing at 3rd base in the 9th inning as the tying run? Nolan if he drops down a squeeze. Otherwise Cody.

Go-to ball park food: Funnel cake or a hot dog.

Account Executive Nolan Ard

An Illinois native this is Nolan’s first job in sports after working at GateHouse Media. He played college baseball at Carl Sandburg and Western Illinois.

Favorite Baseball Memory: Playing at Arkansas my senior year and getting heckled by fans while playing left field. They yelled “Hey Willie Wonka called and he wants his Oompa Loompa back!” it was brutal but funny.

Who on our staff would you most want at the plate if you were standing at 3rd base in the 9th inning as the tying run? Eric.

What Olympic sport would you like to try? Snowmobiling up the ramps (Editors note: that is not an Olympic sport)

Go-to Karaoke song: F You by C-Lo Green.

Who would you least like to face in Knockerball: Jason. He has no mercy. He’ll put my head in the ground.

Inside Sales Rep Brandon Gilden.

Brandon worked with the Chiefs last year as a game day employee running camera and trackman. He also has sports experience in the Bradley Athletic Dept.

You’re a California guy and a Padres fan, favorite players: Current is Fernando Tatis Jr. All-time is Will Venable.

Who on our staff would you most want at the plate if you were standing at 3rd base in the 9th inning as the tying run? Nolan, he will bunt me home.

Pro or college hoops: College.

Who would you least like to face in Knockerball: Eric.

What Olympic sport would you like to try? Biathlon