OTTERS NAME JESS WELZ COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

The Evansville Otters have hired Jess Welz as their new Community Relations Manager.

Welz, 33, joined the Otters front office in February. Prior to becoming part of the Otters organization, Jess worked for five seasons with the ECHL’s Evansville IceMen as Ticket Sales Coordinator, Ticket Operations Manager, and Director of Community Relations. She graduated from Carthage College, in Kenosha, Wisconsin with a BA in Sports and Exercise Science. This avid hockey fan has worked in sports at various levels for over 15 years and is eager to add baseball to her résumé.

Jess has already made her mark on the Otters organization as an integral part of the Clean Up the Ballpark event this past Saturday at Bosse Field. “It was exciting to see the support of the Evansville community at our first clean-up day! We had approximately 75 volunteers help with painting, landscaping, and general cleaning of the ballpark. I am looking forward to increasing our community involvement not only during the season, but in the offseason as well”, said Welz.

Community Relations became important to Welz when, during an internship, she saw how being in the community helped connect the Chicago Blackhawks with their fans off the ice. “I love watching connections and relationships created outside of the game. Children may remember a play during the game, but they will always remember meeting and interacting with their favorite player. One of my aspirations in my position is to make sure the Otters are visible in the community during the off season. We are already at the forefront of people’s minds during the summer and I want to make sure that continues throughout the year.”

Jess is a native of Joliet, Illinois and her favorite sports teams include the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bears, Wisconsin Badgers, and Chicago Cubs. Outside the office she likes spending time with family, being outdoors, and traveling.

The Otters open the 2016 season at home against the Schaumburg Boomers on Friday, May 13, at 6:35 p.m. Tickets are on sale now by calling (812) 435-8686.

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