NATURALS ANNOUNCE SEVERAL INTERNAL PROMOTIONS AND FRONT OFFICE HIRES

SPRINGDALE, Ark. – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are pleased to announce several internal promotions and new front office hires prior to the upcoming season that will allow the organization to continue to provide great customer service to their fans and partners.

The Naturals are excited to announce the internal promotion of Morgan Helmer to Senior Director of Retail, Licensing, and Event Experience, Dustin Dethlefs to Senior Director of Marketing, and Amber McCarthy to Account Executive/Event Coordinator. In addition to those promotions, the club has welcomed several new front office members to the organization, Account Executive/Gameday Coordinator, Joy Clingan, Marketing Coordinator, Jake Bay, Assistant Groundskeeper, Lee Anderson, and Radio Broadcaster, Shawn Murnin.

“As we get ever closer to our 2023 season, I am pleased to have longtime associates being rewarded for their continued excellence, while also adding new associates to our front office team,” said Justin Cole, Naturals General Manager. “Everyone is working hard to make 2023 our best season yet at Arvest Ballpark!”

Helmer was promoted to Senior Director of Retail, Licensing, and Event Experience in January of 2023. A Bentonville native and a 2007 graduate of the University of Arkansas, she joined the Naturals in May of 2007 and served as Account Executive/Merchandise Coordinator for the 2008 season before taking over as Business Manager in February 2009. She was then named Director, Business Department in October of 2016. Morgan oversees everything involved in the Naturals team store/online store, financial items, as well as overseeing the gameday staff budgets and recruiting/onboarding of those associates along with a variety of other items.

Dethlefs was promoted to Senior Director of Marketing in January of 2023. A Waterloo, Iowa native, Dustin began working for the Naturals in November of 2007. He was named Director of Marketing & Public Relations in October of 2016 after serving as the team's Marketing & Public Relations Manager since May of 2013. Prior to that, he served as an Account Executive as well as a Senior Account Executive for the team, while also handling group coordination at Arvest Ballpark. Currently, he oversees everything involved in the Marketing department including the advertising/marketing plan, media/public relations, website/social media, promotions/theme nights and a variety of other items.

McCarthy was promoted to Event Coordinator in 2023 in addition to her role as an Account Executive. Amber joined the Naturals as a Ticket Sales Seasonal in 2020 and returned in that same role for the 2021 season. After the Naturals captured the league championship in 2021, she was hired full-time as an Account Executive before being promoted to her current role.

Clingan joined the Naturals in 2022 as a Ticket Sales and Service seasonal before being hired full time in October 2022 as an Account Executive/Gameday Coordinator. She was raised in Dallas, Texas and moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2019 to attend the University of Arkansas, where she graduated in May of 2022 with a degree in Recreation and Sports Management.

Bay joined the Naturals in 2022 as a Marketing & Promotions Intern, before becoming the Marketing Coordinator following the season. He grew up in Webb City, Missouri before moving to Fayetteville. He received his BSBA in Marketing from University of Arkansas in May of 2022.

Anderson became Assistant Groundskeeper in February of 2023. Before joining the club, he worked seven years of turf management at various levels of the Minor League, Major League, and Collegiate Baseball. He also served as a seasonal employee for the Naturals in 2019.

Murnin joined the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in 2023 as the fourth broadcaster in team history. Prior to joining the Naturals, he served as the Voice of the Bowling Green Hot Rods (2019-2023) and Hagerstown Suns (2018). Shawn has worked in baseball for 10 years, including every level of full season in the minors as an intern, assistant, manager, and director. Murnin is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and Lackawanna College.

The Naturals still have opportunities at Arvest Ballpark for hard-working and dedicated individuals looking to start or continue their careers in baseball. For more information on available part-time, Gameday positions for the 2023 season, visit NWANaturals.com.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals return to action on Thursday, April 6th at 7:05 p.m. when they host the Midland RockHounds (Double-A Oakland A’s) on Opening Night at Arvest Ballpark.