United Shore Professional Baseball League Names Front Office Dream Team
January 29th, 2016
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Jan. 11, 2016 – The United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) announced it has completed the hiring of its front office management staff. Andy Appleby, chairman, CEO and founder of the USPBL, as well as its Rochester, Michigan-based parent company, General Sports and Entertainment LLC (GSE), has assembled an “A” team of seasoned professionals to help realize a dream of bringing the first independent professional baseball league to Metro Detroit. The league also announced group ticket packages and season tickets for its inaugural season, set to begin this Memorial Day 2016, are now available for purchase by calling 248-601-2400.
Appleby brings more than 30 years of sports management experience to the endeavor, along with a proven track record of successfully owning, operating and managing professional sports teams. Since founding GSE in 1998, he has led the effort to develop all of its operational divisions, subsidiaries and affiliated entities.
GSE successfully completed the acquisition of the Fort Wayne Wizards Minor League Baseball team (Class A Affiliate of the San Diego Padres) in May 1999. Under the ownership of GSE, the Wizards were named “Team of the Year” in the Midwest League in 2003 and 2004, and the team experienced attendance increases each year. GSE sold the Wizards franchise in 2006. In 2008, GSE acquired, the Derby County Football Club of the English Football League Championship.
“With the help of the highly qualified team we’ve assembled for this league, it will be abundantly clear opening day that this league is the real deal,” said Appleby. “Our goal is to make the USPBL the finest professional independent league in the nation, providing our community with exciting, top caliber, professional baseball and family friendly entertainment—all in a beautiful and thoughtfully planned out, state-of-the-art ballpark featuring teams fans will be proud to cheer on.”
Completing the USPBL management staff is:
Dana L. Schmitt
Chief Operating Officer
Dana L. Schmitt, COO of the USPBL, is a talented executive and attorney with more than 20 years of experience operating entrepreneurial business ventures and in the practice of law. In her role as COO, Dana will help to oversee all league, ballpark and team operations.
Schmitt previously served as COO and general counsel of GSE. In this capacity, Schmitt worked directly with Andy Appleby to oversee the development and operation of all GSE business divisions, subsidiaries and affiliated entities, while handling legal matters for each.
Dana received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1992, and she received her Juris Doctor degree in 1995 from the University of Michigan Law School. Dana is licensed to practice law in Michigan and Illinois and was selected as one of Detroit’s “40 Under 40” by Crain’s Detroit Business in 2005.
Schmitt resides in Rochester Hills, Mich. with her husband Todd.
Brian Berryman
Executive Director of Baseball Operations
Berryman joined the USPBL in October 2015 to oversee baseball operations. He is responsible for hiring the coaching staff, player procurement, scheduling, enforcing the player code of conduct, the host family program, maintaining and developing relationships with MLB personnel and all other baseball related items.
Prior to joining the USPBL, Berryman spent 13 years providing risk management services to businesses in Michigan and Chicago. The past six years were spent with The Huttenlocher Group where he partnered with corporations and helped them take control of their insurance costs through proprietary Risk Management programs.
In 1995 Berryman was selected to play in MHSAA’s East / West All Star game and was drafted by the Houston Astros. He chose to accept a baseball scholarship to the University of Michigan. During his time at Michigan the team won the Big Ten Title in ’97 and a preseason ranking of 9th in the country to start the ’98 season. Berryman’s junior year he earned Michigan’s Geoff Zahn Most Valuable Pitcher award and was drafted in the 7th round of the MLB draft by the San Diego Padres. After an injury cut his career short he returned to Michigan to complete his degree in 2002.
Berryman currently resides in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. with his wife, Susan, and three children, Parker, Brooks and Reese.
Matthew J. Schul
Vice President of Corporate Partnerships
Matthew Schul, vice president of corporate partnerships for USPBL, joined the management team with a well-established track record exceeding 15 years. Schul is responsible for developing strategic client-specific solutions and long-term relationships for local and national sponsors.
Prior to joining USPBL, Schul was executive of corporate sponsorship with the Detroit Lions, where he identified and developed partnerships for new and existing sponsors. He served as a direct liaison between Detroit Lions’ players and staff for all assigned corporate sponsor constituents, receiving the NFL Team Recipient Award for revenue generation in 2012 & 2013.
Schul currently resides in Rochester, Mich.
Rod Emmons
Vice President of Tickets, Groups and Premium Sales
Rod Emmons, vice president of tickets, groups and premium sales for USPBL, is responsible for premium hospitality and ticket opportunities for individuals, season ticket holders and groups. He brings more than 9 years of experience with professional sports, including the Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Cowboys, Phoenix Coyotes and San Diego Chargers.
Prior to joining USPBL, Emmons was senior manager of premium partnership sales at Palace Sports & Entertainment, where he developed premium hospitality opportunities for The Detroit Pistons, The Palace, DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadowbrook Music Festival.
Emmons is a new resident of Huntington Woods, Mich.
Theresa Doan
Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations
Theresa Doan, vice president of marketing and public relations for USPBL, is a proven marketing veteran with more than 20 years experience in corporate marketing, sponsorships and promotion activation.
Prior to joining USPBL, Doan was manager of corporate development at Palace Sports & Entertainment, where she directed sponsorship and other partnering initiatives for The Detroit Pistons, The Palace, DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadowbrook Music Festival for more than eight years. Doan previously served as retail ad manager and director of corporate development for 21st Century Newspapers, including with the Oakland Press and Macomb Daily.
Doan currently resides in Ortonville, Mich.Lak
Tim Dameron
Director of Promotions
Tim Dameron is director of promotions for USPBL and will oversee game presentation and promotions. With more than 15 years of hands-on experience, Dameron began his career at The Palace of Auburn Hills handling game presentation and floor management for The Detroit Pistons, Detroit Shock, AFL Detroit Fury and IHL Detroit Vipers. His experience includes game presentation for the 2004 NBA Championship and 2003, 2006, 2008 WNBA Championships.
Prior to joining USPBL, Dameron held the position of assistant athletic director with Oakland University, where he received the 2012 Outstanding AP Award. Dameron’s responsibilities included overseeing sponsorship sales and game presentation for 18 varsity sports for both men and women.
Dameron currently resides in Waterford, Mich.
Josh Hartman
Senior Account Manager, Corporate Partnerships
Josh Hartman is senior account manager for corporate partnerships for the USPBL. Hartman has been with the General Sports and Entertainment organization, the parent company for the USPBL, since 2008. Hartman is responsible for overseeing all corporate partnership fulfillment activities for the USPBL, as well as participating in corporate partnership sales activities. Hartman was an integral member of the General Sports team that launched the USPBL in 2015.
Prior to joining GSE, Hartman worked for the Detroit Lions of the NFL in the Premium Sales department. He assisted in coordinating game day events and promotions and was responsible for managing marketing spots for the media and corporate partners. He also served previously with the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League in the Corporate and Ticket Sales departments, assisting with the planning, coordination and implementation of client-sponsored game day promotions and events.
Hartman currently resides in Lake Orion, Mich.
About United Shore Professional Baseball League
During the summer of 2015, General Sports and Entertainment announced the creation of the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL), an independent professional baseball league in Metro Detroit. The league, based in a brand new state-of-the-art $12 million stadium named Jimmy John’s Field, will be located in downtown Utica, Mich. First of its kind for Metro Detroit, USPBL will provide a fun and exciting family atmosphere while showcasing top baseball talent to fans of all ages. The inaugural season, which begins this Memorial Day 2016, will feature three teams—Utica Unicorns, Eastside Diamond Hoppers and Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers. Additional teams and ballparks will be forthcoming each year.