Steve Kalafer
Chairman
Steve is the Chairman of the Flemington Car and Truck
Country Family of Dealership with showrooms and service centers in eight
locations and 17 franchises. He serves as the Chairman of the Somerset Medical
Center Foundation and as a trustee on the board of New Jersey Manufacturers
Insurance, Somerset Medical Center, The Actors Fund of America, and the Joe
Torre Safe At Home Foundation. Steve and his wife Suzanne have two sons,
Jonathan and Josh, and five grandson, Zachary, Broden, Caleb, Tristan, and
Elliot.
Chief Financial Officer
Jack is a certified public accountant and is a partner in the firm of Wiss & Company, LLP. He is the Founder and Chairman of HealthQuest and Founding Director of Team Capital Bank. Jack, together with his son Jack Jr. (a veteran of Major League Baseball) co-founded Diamond Nation, the largest baseball tournament and training facility in the country. Jack is involved in various civic and philanthropic initiatives and has served as a Board Member on various banks, financial, and non-profit organizations.
Josh Kalafer
Vice Chairman
Josh is the Owner of Princeton Automobile Company – a
private group of dealerships, which includes Princeton Audi, Princeton
Volkswagen and Land Rover Princeton, all located on Route 206, North of
Downtown Princeton. Josh is also the co-owner, along with his brother Jonathan,
of Clinton Honda on Route 22 in Clinton, NJ, and is a Principal of The
Flemington Car & Truck Country Family of Dealerships in Flemington, NJ.
Additionally Josh is actively involved in various family real estate
investments as well as other ventures. He is on the board of
various private companies and civic organizations. Josh resides in Somerset
County with his wife and children.
Jonathan Kalafer
Vice Chairman
Senior Vice President
Byron is the President of the Flemington Car and Truck Country Family of Dealership with showrooms and service centers in eight locations and 17 franchises. Byron has been active in the Buick Motor Division Dealer and GMC Truck Division Dealer Councils, as well as the Buick Advertising Council. He and his wife Dena reside in Hunterdon County. They have two children, Byron and Jennifer, and three grandchildren, Madeline Ann, Byron T. Brisby III, and Jack Brisby.
Don Miller
Treasurer
Don serves as the controller for the Flemington Car and Truck Country Family of Dealerships. An avid baseball fan, Don is pleased to be part of the Patriots organization.
Patrick McVerry
President/General Manager
pmcverry@somersetpatriots.com
Patrick has been with the Somerset Patriots since 1998. He began as the Director of Marketing and was promoted to Assistant General Manager in 2000. Patrick took over the position of General Manager during the 2002 season. Prior to joining the Patriots, he worked for the New Jersey Nets. Patrick was raised in Stroudsburg, PA, received his undergraduate degree at Penn State University, and earned his Masters of Education degree from East Stroudsburg University. He is responsible for the daily operation of the organization and oversees all baseball and business operations, sales, and administration.
Dave Marek
Senior Vice President Of Marketing dmarek@somersetpatriots.com
Dave was born in Yokohama, Japan; however, grew up in Houston, TX. Upon receiving a degree in Sport Management from Texas A&M, he has worked for Fox Sports and Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, before moving to New Jersey to work for the Patriots since the 2000 season. As Senior Vice President of Marketing, Dave is responsible for Advertising sales, and marketing the Patriots in the community. He has a wife named Susan and two sons named Sean and Justin. They live in Greenwich, NJ along with their three cats: Algebra, Lola and Blanket and a Pug named Pudge.
Rob Lukachyk
Assistant General Manager/ Vice President of Operations
rlukachyk@somersetpatriots.com
Rob has been with the Somerset Patriots, originally as a player, since the 1998 season. He played fouen seasons in professional baseball, including time with the Montreal Expos at the Major League level. He ended his career with the Somerset Patriots and then moved into a position as the Director of Operations in the Front Office. He was born in Jersey City and currently resides in Woodbridge with his wife Arlene and sons Brett, Drew, and Nicholas. Rob is responsible for all ballpark operations and seasonal employment.
Marc Russinoff
Vice President of Public Relations
mrussinoff@somersetpatriots.com
Marc is a graduate of Cook College and the School of Communication of Rutgers University, where he received a Bachelor's degree in Communication. He is responsible for all communication for the Somerset Patriots, media and community relations, and the daily operation of the Press Box. Marc has been with the team since the 1999 season. He is a resident of South Bound Brook, NJ.
Bryan Iwicki
Vice President of Ticketing
biwicki@somersetpatriots.com
Bryan has been with the Patriots since January of 2000. Bryan was born and raised in Flemington, NJ where he worked at Sneakers Plus for eight years during High School and College. Bryan graduated college with an Associates Degree in Business Administration from Raritan Valley Community College and a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from The College of New Jersey. Bryan is responsible for all aspects of ticketing at the ballpark including the box office, Season Tickets, and group tickets. Bryan is also the Internship Coordinator for the Somerset Patriots and he also handles some of the daily HR responsibilities throughout the year. Bryan currently resides in Whitehouse with his wife Ann Marie and dog Yogi.
Matt Kopas
Senior Director of Group Sales
mkopas@somersetpatriots.com
Matt is in charge of the Group Sales Department with the Somerset Patriots. He is responsible for booking all types of group outings at TD Bank Ballpark. Matt graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in 2003 with a degree in Sports Management and a Minor in Marketing. He began working for the Patriots during the 2003 season. Matt began his baseball career in 2002 when he interned for the New Jersey Cardinals.
Brian Cahill
Director of Community Relations
bcahill@somersetpatriots.com
Brian graduated from Rutgers University at the end of 2008 with a B.S. in Exercise Science and Sports Studies. Prior to joining the Somerset Patriots during the 2008 season, Brian worked for Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals and the Gazelle Group. He is responsible for Community Relations efforts and sales. Brian oversees donations for the team. Brian grew up in Montgomery, NJ.
Robert Crossman
Director of Merchandise rcrossman@somersetpatriots.com
Robert graduated from Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania with a degree in Sports & Exercise Science in 1998. He worked with New York Life Investment Management for three years. Robert graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a Masters Degree in Sport Management. He was an intern with the FOX Sports Media Relations Department in 2005. Robert currently lives in Easton, PA with wife Jenny-Lyn and their sons Drew and Kurtis. Robert's responsibilities include running the Patriots Team Store, corporate partnerships, group sales, and Season Ticket sales.
Tom McCartney
Group Sales Manager tmccartney@somersetpatriots.com
Tom graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in Marketing in June 2011. He joined the Patriots shortly after the 2011 season as a Group Sales Manager. He is responsible for group sales, season ticket package sales, and marketing partnerships with the Patriots. Tom resides in Branchburg, N.J. and is a 2007 graduate of nearby Somerville High School.
Kevin Fleming
Corporate Sales Manager
kfleming@somersetpatriots.com
Kevin graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 2009 with a B.S. in Sport Management. He has previously worked for the New York Jets as an Inside Sales Representative where he was responsible for selling PSLs and Club Seats for the opening of MetLife Stadium. Prior to joining the Somerset Patriots in 2011, Kevin was an Account Director for Phoenicia Sport & Entertainment handling sponsorships for the IZOD IndyCar Series. As a Corporate Sales Manager, Kevin is responsible for sponsorship sales, suite sales, and season & group ticket sales. Kevin is from Washington, NJ.
Deanna Liotard
Account Executive
dliotard@somersetpatriots.com
Deanna is a 2010 graduate of York College of Pennsylvania with a dual degree in Sports Management and Business Administration. She joined the Patriots as a Marketing / Promotions Intern in May of 2010. Since then, she has been hired as a full time employee of the Somerset Patriots in the Group Sales Department. Her primary responsibilities are handling Birthday Parties at the ballpark, mascot appearances and organizing the Kids Club. Deanna grew up in Cranford, NJ but currently resides in Gillette, NJ.
Joshua Malakoff
Account Executive/Operations Manager
jmalakoff@somersetpatriots.com
Joshua graduated from Rutgers University in 2012 with a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies with a focus in Sport Management. Prior to joining the Somerset Patriots as a full time employee, Joshua interned with the club in the operations, merchandise, and public relations departments. His responsibilities include group sales, season ticket sales, sponsorship sales as well as ballpark operations. Joshua is from Marlboro, NJ.
Joe Rafanelli
Ticket Sales Manager
jrafanelli@somersetpatriots.com
Joe is originally from Exeter, Rhode Island and attended Arcadia University just outside of Philadelphia, PA. At Arcadia, Joe played four years of baseball for the university and graduated with a BA in Business Administration with a Marketing emphasis. He spent the 2011 season working in the marketing department for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Joe is currently attending Seton Hall University, working towards his MBA in Sport Management and now resides in Morristown, NJ.
Michele DaCosta
Executive Assistant To The GM mdacosta@somersetpatriots.com
Michele is responsible for the organization of the office and the team at home and on the road. She coordinates the travel arrangements and establishes office policies. She has been with the team since 1998.
Ron Schulz
Controller
rschulz@somersetpatriots.com
Ron joined the Somerset Patriots as its Controller in December 2007. His prior experience includes many years directing financial operations for several companies and being the Controller at his previous employer. Ron received his undergraduate accounting degree from Wagner College followed by an MBA earned at Rutgers in 1983. A New Jersey native, he was raised in Belleville and now resides in Long Valley with his wife Barbara and sons, Brian and Mark.
Stephanie Diez
Accountant
sdiez@somersetpatriots.com
Stephanie attended Rutgers University and was an accountant for Penske. She has been with the Somerset Patriots since 2000. She handles all aspects of accounts receivable in the Accounting Department. Stephanie was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives in Bound Brook.
Lorraine Ott
Receptionist
lott@somersetpatriots.com
Lorraine is the first voice that people hear when they call the Somerset Patriots. Instead of referring to herself as the receptionist she prefers “first impression director”. A lifelong resident of Manville, Lorraine worked in the ticket office during the inaugural season. During her spare time Lorraine enjoys spending her time with her grandchildren Brian, Kate and Thomas Brandell of Bridgewater.
Dan Purner
Head Groundskeeper
dpurner@somersetpatriots.com
Dan is responsible for maintaining the ballpark playing field and grounds throughout the year. He is a graduate of both the County College of Morris, where he studied Landscape Management & Design and Rutgers University, where he received a degree in Turfgrass Science.
Mike McDermott
General Manager of Centerplate
michael.mcdermott@centerplate.com
Mike is in charge of all concessions at the ballpark including the stands, portables, luxury suite, picnic area, and Executive Party Deck. He learned his trade working for the Akron Aeros, Wilmington Blue Rocks, and Arkansas Travelers. Mike also works at other venues throughout the country. He has been with the Somerset Patriots since the ballpark opened in 1999.
Stanley Wilkins
Assistant General Manager of Centerplate stanley.wilkins@centerplate.com
Stanley has been with the Somerset Patriots since 2007. He began as the Catering Manager and was promoted to Assistant General Manager in 2010. Prior to joining the Patriots, he worked as the Bar Operations Manager for the New Jersey Devils. Stanley received his Bachelor's degree in Political Science with a minor in Business Management at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He is responsible for the daily operation of all food and beverages.
