Burlington Royals Add Ervin to Staff
Burlington, NC - The Burlington Royals are proud to announce the hiring of Miranda Ervin as the team's new assistant general manager. Ervin joins the Royals after serving as the Director of Membership, Marketing and Communications for Croasdaile Country Club in Durham, NC. Prior to her time at Croasdaile, Ervin, 30, served as the head softball coach at Drexel University and Queens University of Charlotte. A native of Huntersville, NC she graduated with a Bachelors in Communications in May 2007 from North Carolina State. During her time at North Carolina State, she was a star softball player and eventually went on to play professionally overseas in Italy. Following her softball career, she received her Master's in Sport Management from Drexel University.
Ervin joins General Manager Ryan Keur and Director of Operations Mikie Morrison on staff as the full- time employees of the Burlington Royals. Morrison, 23 began working with the Burlington Royals as an intern in the summer of 2013. Following his graduation from Methodist University, he became the Director of Operations for the Augusta Greenjackets in 2014. Morrison returned to the Royals staff in May of 2015 when he was appointed the team's Director of Operations. Morrison will oversee all stadium operations including the team's food and beverage, souvenirs, outside events and overall stadium appearance.
Over the past two seasons with Keur at the helm, attendance has reached an all-time high for the Burlington Royals. The 46,063 fans that walked through Burlington Athletic Stadium in 2015 were the most since becoming a Royals affiliate and the largest total attendance since 1997. Ervin stated that she was "excited for the opportunity to work for Ryan and this great organization. Burlington Baseball has been a staple in Burlington for many years and I am anxious to be a part of creating experiences for our fans, partners and surrounding community. 2016 will be a fun year!" The added focus on fan experience, overall ballpark atmosphere and increased community support has led to the increased attendance over the past several years. Ervin says that fans and partners can expect "new energy from me that is focused on creating family fun for all Royals fans. When people think about what they want to do for entertainment, I want them to think Royals first because of the atmosphere we have created. It will be special and memorable. I cannot wait to see all of our fans and partners at games with a smile on their face." Ervin's responsibilities will include enhancing the Burlington Royals brand within the market, helping oversee the daily business operation, working closely with Keur on corporate partnership efforts and leading the Royals staff on group ticket packages and individual season tickets.
Last month at the Baseball Winter Meetings, Keur received the Appalachian League Executive of the Year award for the second consecutive season. The Royals open the season on Tuesday, June 21st for an exhibition game against the Kernserville Bulldogs at 7 pm.