Lassiter named CAR Executive of the Year

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Winston-Salem Dash president Geoff Lassiter has earned the 2016 Calvin Falwell Executive of the Year Award in the Carolina League, the league office announced Tuesday. Lassiter, who joined the Dash's front office team in 2010, is a first-time recipient of the Calvin Falwell Award and the second honoree in Winston-Salem's franchise history.

Lassiter guided the Dash to an outstanding 2016 season, during which the club set an all-time high in sponsorship revenue and experienced a five-percent growth in ticket revenue. Both overall and average attendance at BB&T Ballpark increased from 2015 to 2016.

Off the field, Lassiter has spearheaded an impressive slate of more than 250 non-Dash events at BB&T Ballpark, which will have welcomed more than 100,000 additional people to the stadium by the end of the year.

The Dash have made it a priority to give back to the community under Lassiter's direction. The Elkin native led the Dash to the most charitable year in team history, which included a visit from NBA All-Star and former Wake Forest All-American Chris Paul to benefit the Chris Paul Family Foundation.

Beyond his outreach through the Dash, Lassiter is a board member for several community-based organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Creative Corridors, the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership and the Senior Services Foundation.

"I am humbled and honored to receive this award on behalf of the Winston-Salem Dash," Lassiter said. "However, every member of our team -- from our ownership group to the front office staff to our loyal fan base -- contributed to this recognition. I am blessed to work with the best staff in Minor League Baseball and for the best fans in Minor League Baseball. Without their support, none of our accomplishments would be possible."

In 2006, the Carolina League's Executive of the Year Award was named after Calvin Falwell in recognition of his service to the league. For four decades, Falwell was the president of the Lynchburg franchise, which joined the Carolina League in 1966. Falwell died at the age of 90 on Aug. 20, 2011.

"Geoff has been an invaluable member of the league for seven years," said Carolina League president John Hopkins. "His intelligence, enthusiasm and leadership have propelled the Dash to incredible heights. Winston-Salem should be proud that he is an important piece of its community. Geoff is a deserving winner of this year's Calvin Falwell Award."

The 2016 season marked Lassiter's seventh with the Winston-Salem Dash franchise. Prior to this successful stint with the club, Lassiter spent eight years with Wake Forest University's athletics department, with whom he held several roles. A 1999 graduate of Greensboro College, Lassiter and his wife Kiera have three childre: Porter, Mary Elizabeth and Wilson.

Lassiter's honor is one of several that the Dash organization has collected this season. BB&T Ballpark was named the best stadium in Class A Advanced baseball through a fan vote on Ballpark Digest's website. The Dash also took home a pair of Readers Choice Awards from the Winston-Salem Journal: "Best Family Entertainment" and "Favorite Local Sports Team."

Thanks to this honor, Lassiter joins vice president of baseball operations Ryan Manuel as the two Winston-Salem winners of the Calvin Falwell Award. Manuel claimed the 2010 edition after successfully opening BB&T Ballpark that year.

The Dash's 2017 home schedule will begin on Thursday, April 13, and season-ticket packages are on sale now. For more information, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.