RiverDogs Ring in New Year with Front Office Promotions

The calendar has flipped to 2022 and the Charleston RiverDogs have kicked their preparations for the upcoming season into high gear. As part of that process, the team’s President and General Manager, Dave Echols, announced the promotion of five staff members. Ben Abzug has been elevated to Senior Vice President, Garret Randle takes over as Assistant General Manager, Ryan Perry is now the organization’s Director of Marketing and Entertainment, Cynthia Linhart transitions to Director of Merchandise and Brandon Dunnam is now Director of Operations.

"I am excited to announce these well-deserved promotions for a group of talented individuals who have made incredible contributions within our front office," Echols said. "Each of them took on added responsibilities during a very challenging time within our industry last year."

Abzug moves to Senior Vice President, having served as the RiverDogs Assistant General Manager since joining the organization in 2013. He has been heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the ballclub and management of the staff, while also playing an integral role in the RiverDogs corporate and ticket sales departments. In addition, Abzug was the driving force behind the team’s marketing efforts during the season and for the Segra Club at Riley Park. His focus will remain on developing and executing meaningful relationships with the ballclub's corporate partners. The native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa spent four seasons with the Burlington Royals of the Appalachian League prior to his time in Charleston and began his career in baseball with two years as an intern for the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League.

Randle transitions to Assistant General Manager after four years as the team’s Director of Ticket Sales. In 2021, despite capacity restrictions early in the season and a reduced staff, the RiverDogs averaged 3,660 fans at home games under Randle’s leadership. That total was the second-highest among the 30 Low-A organizations in Minor League Baseball. He will continue to lead the RiverDogs ticket efforts in his new role while also becoming involved in the day-to-day operations of the team and staff members. Randle joined the RiverDogs after spending time as a Business Development and Account Executive with the Houston Dynamo Soccer Club and four years in various positions for the Frisco Roughriders of the Texas League.

Perry takes on added responsibilities, initially joining the RiverDogs as Director of Video Production in 2019. During the 2021 campaign, the California native was responsible for the video content produced by the club both inside and outside the ballpark. He also took on the added challenge of managing the RiverDogs renowned promotions calendar, introducing ideas such as the highly publicized Toilet Paper Night, Anime Night and Viral Trends Night. In his new role, Perry will oversee the creative department, direct the promotions team and be responsible for the team’s marketing efforts. Prior to his arrival in the The Holy City, Perry was an intern in the video department of the Cincinnati Reds.

Linhart joined the RiverDogs staff as Office Manager in 2018 and served in the same role until the 2021 season. In her former role, the Charleston native was the first point of contact for visitors to the team offices and played a key role in the orientation of new staff members. As the Director of Merchandise, Linhart will manage all aspects of the RiverDogs Team Store including ordering merchandise, operating the store's website and fulfilling online orders. She is a licensed real estate broker and has over two decades of experience in residential and commercial real estate.

Dunnam, in his role as Operations Manager, supervised the day-to-day operations at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park including cleaning and sanitizing the stadium, ballpark security and managing the team's gameday employees. Those responsibilities will continue to be the focus of his position. Dunnam joined the RiverDogs in 2021 with a wealth of professional sports experience. His time in Minor League Baseball included previous stints in the operations departments of the South Bend Cubs, Carolina Mudcats, Tennessee Smokies, Helena Brewers and Mobile BayBears. Hailing from Saraland, Alabama, he also served as Public Safety Manager's Assistant at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and Public Safety Lead for the Nashville Predators.

The RiverDogs will open the 2022 season at home against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Friday, April 8. Season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). The Segra Club is also open for events year-round. Visit segraclub.com for more information.