Chesser named GM for River Bandits

The Quad Cities River Bandits are promoting a key front office member to lead the Midwest League club, as the team announced that two-year Assistant General Manager Andrew Chesser is the Midwest League club's new General Manager at a press conference with River Bandits co-owner Dave Heller Thursday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park.

The River Bandits have continuity with Chesser, who has 10 years of experience in Minor League Baseball and has been the River Bandits' assistant general manager the past two seasons. Among the highlights the past two seasons were the club's highest single-season attendance since 1995, the franchise's sixth Midwest League Championship, a Golden Bobblehead Award for the Best Charity Promotion or Event in Minor League Baseball, and the selection of the team's home, Modern Woodmen Park as the "Best Minor League Ballpark" in a nationwide vote by readers of 10Best.com and USA TODAY.

"Andrew Chesser is the ideal person to continue the unprecedented growth of the River Bandits," Heller said. "He is incredibly smart, diligent, thorough and hard-working, and, most importantly, he is completely committed to providing outstanding customer service to the best fans in the country. With a new Ferris wheel, a carousel, zip line, and some fun new rides coming, the River Bandits have a chance to make this our best season ever. Under Andrew's leadership, I am confident we will get there."

Chesser joined the River Bandits in the winter of 2012 after eight seasons of diverse baseball experience with the Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats, the advanced Class-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves in the Carolina League. Chesser began as a stadium operations intern with the Hillcats in 2004 and became the full-time stadium operations director the next season. He later became the director of information technology and creative services, and he was the director of group sales and creative services his last five seasons in Lynchburg.

Chesser is a native of New Milford, Conn., and graduate of Lynchburg (Va.) College with a major in history and minors in French and sports management. He and his wife, Susan, live in Davenport.

"I am extremely excited about taking on the role of General Manager of the River Bandits," Chesser said. "This organization has already established that it has the best team in the league, the best ballpark in America, and what I believe is the best community in the country."