Meet Our Corporate Team
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Diana Beyrer,
Controller Ms. Beyrer is the Controller. She is a graduate of Dominican University with a B.A. in Accounting. She has over 20 years of experience focusing on financial statement preparation, financial controls and budgeting. She has also served in the capacity of treasurer for various youth sports organizations in Illinois. Rob Dragonette,
Chief Financial Officer Rob Dragonette is the Chief Financial Officer. Dragonette is a graduate of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Dragonette has 20 years experience as a CFO in several industries and the roles of President and General Manager. Rob is a life-long Washington Capitals fan and was pleased to witness the Caps' Cup Championship in 2018. Murry Gunty,
Founder & Chief Executive Officer Murry Gunty is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. Gunty is also CEO and founder of Blackstreet Capital Holdings, LLC and Blackstreet Capital Management. Previously, Gunty was a General Partner at Jacobson Partners, LP, and was a partner at Lazard Freres Real Estate, LLC. He also worked at the Blackstone Group, where he was an Analyst. Gunty graduated from Harvard College, where he received an A.B. in Economics, and Harvard Business School, where he received an M.B.A. A lifelong hockey fan, Mr. Gunty grew up in Portland, Maine, where he spent countless hours playing hockey and watching the former Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League. He has coached and managed his sons' AA and AAA hockey teams from Mite through Bantam and is passionate about growing the game. His vision for Black Bear was to combine his turnaround experience with his passion for the sport to bring professional management to the rink industry, turning around poorly run facilities and investing badly-needed capital in 20-30 year old rinks thereby saving them for their respective communities. Susan Saarnio,
Director of Human Resources Ms. Saarnio is the Vice President, Human Resources. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a B.S. in Human Resources Management and is certified with a Senior Professional in Human Resources with both SPHR and APHR-CR certifications. She has over 20 years of Human Resources experiences supporting multi-unit/multi-state organizations. Ryan Scott,
Vice President Ryan Scott is a Vice President of Black Bear focused on acquisitions, real estate and equipment financing and facility operations. He previously held positions of Associate and Vice President for Blackstreet Capital Management and Blackstreet Capital Holdings where he focused on M&A and leveraged buyouts of distressed companies. Mr. Scott graduated from Williams College with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree in Political Science and Leadership Studies and captained the Varsity hockey team as a defenseman. Mr. Scott grew up skating on the outdoor ice rinks of Montana and competed at the high school, Junior "A" and NCAA levels and won a National Championship with the USHL's Omaha Lancers in 2008. In his free time, Mr. Scott enjoys staying on the ice coaching youth hockey and playing in adult leagues in Maryland and Virginia. Dave Wandell,
Director of I/T Dave Wandell joined Black Bear Sports Group in December 2021 as the Director of Information Technologies. Wandell brings a diverse background in IT, starting in the late 90s as a Network Administrator for two rapidly growing Biotech companies. Prior to signing on with Black Bear, Dave owned Blue Crab Networks, a successful Managed Services company, and was also co-founder of New Market Enterprises, a consumer electronics marketing company. Born and raised in a Maryland suburb of DC, Dave grew up a life-long Washington Capitals fan. In his free time, he chauffeurs his son to Montgomery Blue Devil travel hockey practices and games. Spenser grew up outside of Boston, MA and was graduated from Providence College with a degree in Finance. He captained the Men's Ice Hockey Team and appeared in three NCAA tournaments and a Frozen Four. Prior to joining Black Bear, he spent two years playing with the Milwaukee Admirals and Texas Stars organizations. |
Scott Branovan,
Senior Director of Sales and Marketing Scott Branovan is well versed in consumer marketing and employing sound business knowledge in sales including profit/loss center management. Branovan, a 25-year consumer products executive, spent 13 years with the world-class company, Nestles USA. His experience in sports marketing, brand development, market strategy and execution involve such national brands as: Quaker Oats, Gatorade, Campbell's, General Mills, Perrier Group of America, Tropicana, Very Fine, Clorox and Nestle USA. Prior to leading the sponsorship and marketing as well as overseeing the operations for the facilities in Western PA for Black Bear Sports Group, Branovan has been serving privately owned participatory sports facilities for consulting as well as management oversight for over 12 years. Branovan received his B.A. in Business Administration from Lakeland College in Sheboygan, WI in 1982 where he was an outstanding athlete. He has since been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame and for his participation in both Tennis and Football. He is also a graduate of St. John's Northwestern Academy, Delafield, WI where he was the Athlete of the Year and was later elected to the Athletic Hall of Fame, having participated in Football, Basketball and Tennis. Branovan was also named to the top 100 athletes of the century at St. John's Northwestern Academy, and served on the Board of Trustees leading the strategic planning committee for five years. Julia Duncan,
Marketing Manager, Teams and Leagues Julia Duncan just joined Black Bear as the Marketing Manager for the teams and leagues. She specializes in social media, photography, and graphic design. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s in both Sports Management and Advertising. While in school, Julia managed UGA Hockey’s social media, where she grew her passion for the sport. She is excited to have a NHL hockey team to cheer for in DC (RIP Atlanta Thrashers). Jerre Lieberman,
Marketing Director Jerre Lieberman is the Marketing Director for the Northeast Region for Black Bear Sports Group. In this role, Jerre will be overseeing all marketing initiatives for each of the Black Bear facilities in the northeast region. Jerre will be supporting local rink personnel to create standardization of marketing elements across all locations and identify marketing best practices across our network of facilities. Jerre has spent the previous five years executing successful marketing initiatives for Flyers Skate Zone, creating unique promotions and digital marketing initiatives to increase followers and engagement to increase new customers and revenue at each facility. Between Comcast Spectacor and the Lancaster Barnstormers professional baseball team, Jerre has over a decade of sports marketing experience. Jerre has a master’s degree in sport management from Drexel University along with a bachelor’s degree in business management from Lehigh University. A huge Philadelphia sports fan, Jerre is likely watching or talking about the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers or Sixers in his spare time, or he is slicing drives on the golf course or relaxing on the beach. CJ McDermott,
Marketing Manager, Northeast/NJ/MD Region CJ McDermott is the Marketing Manager for the Northeast Region for Black Bear Sports Group. CJ oversees multiple Black Bear facilities, and also coordinates social media for the NCDC Mercer Chiefs and EHL Team Maryland. She grew up in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, with her family being heavily involved in the youth hockey world. CJ graduated from Coastal Carolina University with two bachelor degrees in Sport Communication and Recreation Sport Management, along with a minor in Journalism. In her time at Coastal she worked as a full time intern with CCU Athletics Media Relations Department, and also held the position of Social Content Creator with the Department of Communication, Media, and Culture. She is currently pursuing her master's degree from Temple University in Sport Business with a concentration in Marketing and Promotions. When she is not working, you can find her at Lincoln Financial Field as the Temple University Diamond Girl Feature Twirler, competing in the Miss America Scholarship Organization, advocating for legislation to benefit patients with Multiple Sclerosis, and cheering on the Buffalo Bills. Kayla McKelvey, Marketing Manager, Western PA
Kayla McKelvey is the Marketing Manager for the Western Pennsylvania Region for Black Bear Sports Group. In this role, Kayla oversees all marketing initiatives for each of the Black Bear facilities in the Western PA region. Kayla will be supporting local rink personnel to create standardization of marketing elements, campaigns, dashboards across the locations and identify the best marketing practices across our network of facilities. Kayla has spent the past 10 years at Printscape Arena in Canonsburg, PA. She is now overseeing more facilities creating unique branding, promotions and digital marketing initiatives to increase followers and engagement of new customers and revenue at each facility. Kayla has a Bachelor's degree in Sports Management from Slippery Rock University along with a minor in Coaching. Kayla is likely watching Men's College Hoops, but more specifically the North Carolina Tar Heels in her spare time, or she is spending time with her spouse and two children. Patrick O'Connor is the Marketing Manager serving the Connecticut region of Black Bear facilities. Patrick grew up playing youth hockey at the Bolton Ice Palace and high school hockey at Champions Skating Center for East Catholic High School where he now serves as the Assistant Ice Hockey Coach. Patrick was graduated from Endicott College with a degree in Sports Management. In the position, his goal is to grow programming across the Connecticut facilities. When Patrick is not working, you can find him adventuring with his wife to different restaurants, playing golf, on their boat or playing with their dog- Mosa. Patrick is also a life-long Washington Capitals fan. Jim Padgitt,
Marketing Manager, Chicago Region Jim Padgitt brings over 20 years of Sports Marketing and Broadcast experience to Black Bear Sports Group's operations team. Most recently, Jim led technology implementation projects for Major League Baseball's Broadcast Products & Services division. Prior to MLB, Jim served as Manager of Broadcasting for the NFL's Chicago Bears, where he earned 3 Emmy Awards for Sports Production excellence. In addition to guiding Black Bear Sports Group's Marketing and Program efforts in the Chicago Region, Jim also spearheads multimedia initiatives for the Atlantic Hockey Federation and other vertically integrated Black Bear Sports Group properties. Jim received a B.A. in Communications from the University of Illinois-Chicago and has long supported the Illinois Youth Hockey community through several volunteer leadership positions. Mary Kate is the Sponsorship Sales Coordinator for all Black Bear Sports Group facilities. Assisting the Senior Director of Sales and Marketing, Mary Kate manages contract fulfillment and the activation of Black Bear's corporate partnerships for it's 30 ice rinks. Prior to joining Black Bear she fulfilled roles in event management, ticket sales and ticket operations with various organizations including the Liacouras Center, Temple University Athletics, Trenton Thunder, and Philadelphia Soul. A Philadelphia native, Mary Kate has a bachelors of science in Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management from Temple University. Lexi Zoldan,
Marketing Manager, Central PA/MI/Northeast Region Lexi Zoldan joined the Black Bear team in the Summer of 2020. Graduating from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's in International Business and minor in Entrepreneurship; Lexi loves being a part of such a fast growing company. Lexi oversees day to day marketing operations for the Black Bear Sports Group corporate account, the Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation, along with several rinks/youth hockey clubs initiatives. |
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Patrick Choules,
Director of Youth Hockey Patrick grew up in Beaconsfield, Quebec, a suburb west of Montreal. Growing up, Patrick played multiple sports through his high school years. After graduating high school, Patrick played two years of Junior A hockey in Canada before heading to play DIII NCAA for SUNY Potsdam where he was an alternate captain his junior season. Patrick graduated from Potsdam in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Accounting. Patrick began working for Black Bear in 2019 as the General Manager of Skylands Ice World and the Skylands Kings Hockey Club. Prior to that, Patrick spent 5 years as the Hockey Director for the rink and the Kings travel program. Before coming to Skylands, Patrick worked at Ontario Hockey Academy where he taught high school Economics & Business while serving as Head Coach at the U16AAA level. Andrew Goldman,
Director of Junior Hockey Andrew brings his love for the game of hockey and a wealth of business experience and leadership to the Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation. As a lifelong Washington Capitals fan and now a youth hockey coach and parent, Mr. Goldman's passion for hockey developed at a young age and has blossomed while coaching and then supporting his son Ethan, a 2003 birth year hockey player. In his professional career, Mr. Goldman currently serves as President of the Youngstown Phantoms, a member of the United States Hockey League, the world's top junior hockey league in terms of NCAA scholarships and NHL draft picks. Aside from developing tomorrow's hockey superstars, Mr. Goldman focuses on community engagement, relationships with NHL organizations, youth hockey partnerships, and expanding the in-game fan experience with cutting edge promotions, entertainment and family-friendly opportunities. Prior to joining the Phantoms, Mr. Goldman served as the Managing Director of Cormony Development, a Maryland-based real estate development form, developing self storage facilities, office, mixed use properties and most recently, the Hercules Development Project, and adaptive reuse project in Canton, Ohio, that added 125,000 square feet of mult-family residential to the city. Ryan Patrick,
Director of Adult Hockey Ryan is the Director of Adult Hockey for Black Bear Sports Group. He is an innovative hockey professional with over 30 years combined coaching and playing experience. Ryan played college hockey at Penn State University while earning a degree in Recreation Management. After graduation he turned to professional hockey working with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Hockey Operations department and their minor league affiliate the Wheeling Nailers as an Assistant Coach and Assistant Director of Hockey Operations. From there, Ryan was involved in youth hockey coaching in Pittsburgh as the Head Coach at the Sewickley Academy. He also served as the State Vice President for the Mid-American District of USA Hockey as well as an evaluator and coach for district select camps. For the last 8 years, he was the Hockey Director at Penn State University. He utilizes his organizational and time management techniques to develop and implement impactful programs while earning the respect of players, parents, and colleagues. His core skills include program development and design, player development, budget management, video analysis and player/parent education. Keith Primeau,
President of Hockey Operations, Youngstown Phantoms Keith Primeau is President of Hockey Operations for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. Keith is a former NHL player who spent 15 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers. Drafted 3rd overall in 1990, Keith played in two All-Star games and finished his career as captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. |
Jeremy Dallow,
Commissioner NGHL Jeremy is the Founder and President of SuperSeries AAA which is one of the largest operators of elite hockey tournaments and showcases for 8 to 18 year-olds in North America. NHL players such as Clayton Keller, Matthew Tkachuk, Logan Brown and Victor Mete have all participated in SuperSeries events as well as countless players playing NCAA hockey and players currently in the USHL and NAHL. Additionally, Jeremy operates DHI Hockey, a subsidiary of SuperSeries which operates Elite Spring teams that travel to the top tournaments in North America and Europe. Jeremy is also the Vice President of the Black Bears’ USHL affiliate, the Youngstown Phantoms, and most recently was named Interim Commissioner of the National Girls Hockey League (NGHL) , a national girls hockey league dedicated to the growth and promotion of girls ice hockey. Brent Gough,
Deputy Commissioner THF Brent was born and raised in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. Brent played 3 years of Junior A hockey for the St. Albert Saints before receiving a scholarship to NCAA D1 Merrimack College in North Andover Massachusetts; a member of the Hockey East Conference. Brent served as captain for 2 years with Merrimack Warriors and has recently been named to Merrimack’s All-Decade Team. After completing 4 successful years with the Warriors and graduating with his BA in Business Administration and a concentration in Organizational Behavior he signed a contract to play professionally in the UK. Brent retired in 2010 and began his coaching career with the Junior A West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. He spent 5 seasons with the West Kelowna Warriors as the Associate Head Coach and Assistant General Manager. Following West Kelowna, Brent and his family moved to Arizona to join the Arizona Bobcat Program. In his time with the Bobcats he has coached U18, U16, and U14 AAA Teams. In the 2021-22 Season his team won the U 18 Tier 2 National Championship. Cindy Irving, Director of Operations, Defender Tournaments
Cindy has strong analytical and administrative skills. She worked 20 years for Alamo Rent a Car in Fort Lauderdale as Senior Assistant Director in charge of utilization and yield management for over 60 airport car rental locations before transferring to the Philadelphia location as City Controller and Assistant Facility Manager. She over all has spent 22 years. She has operated several businesses to include a Day Care Center, and currently runs an in home bakery business. In 2003 she took a position with the Pond Ice Arena (which is now the Patriot Ice Arena) and has been with the arena for 19 years. She began as a Special Events Coordinator and then took on the role as General Manager/Tournament Director from 2005-2017. She currently handles the administrative side to the Patriot Ice Arena and is the Director of Tournament Operations for Defender Hockey, handling the tournament registrations and scheduling for all Defender tournaments throughout the Defender territory. She has been putting tournaments together since 2000 where she was a volunteer with the Delaware Ducks and booking in their Flight on Ice Tournament, and from there tournaments have grown at The Patriot Ice Arena to 11 tournaments a year. Matt Kiernan,
Director of Scheduling for the AHF and THF Matt oversees all aspects of scheduling for the AHF and THF. Matt is the co-founder and co-owner of the New Jersey 87's, a member of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) where he serves as an Executive Committee member and is also on the league's Board of Directors. He has held various coaching titles including Associate Head Coach of the EHL and EHLP teams and Head Coach at the U18 AAA level. Matt is a graduate of the University of Scranton. Prior to shifting his career to youth and junior hockey, Matt was an equity derivatives trader for 20+ years. Blake MacNicol,
Director of Leagues and Tournaments & Deputy Commissioner of the AHF. Blake MacNicol served as the Director of Hockey Operations for the North American Hockey League since 2017. He also served as Commissioner of the North American 3 Hockey League for multiple seasons. In these rolls he oversaw all aspects of league operations as well as overseeing youth hockey events. He also served as a member of the USA Hockey Junior Council for 3 seasons. Prior to these positions he served in other roles with the North American Hockey League as well as Associate Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League. MacNicol attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He appeared in two NCAA tournaments for the men’s ice hockey team as well as earning an all CHA tournament team selection. He graduated with a degree in Sports Management and Business from Ohio University. Nikki Miller,
Commissioner AGHF, Director of Administration AHF Nikki Miller is the Commissioner of the AGHF, Director of Administration for the Federations and Business Development for Defender. In addition to being a scheduler for the Princeton Tiger Lilies organization, Nikki is in her ninth year as team manager for the New Jersey Stars organization. Nikki also is in her fifth year as the Director and Tournament Coordinator for the VSK Wings Spring Hockey program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Stockton University. Jodie Penn,
Director of Operations For The AHF, AGHF, THF, and Defender Tournaments Jodie Penn is the Director of Operations for Black Bear Sports Group. Jodie comes from USA Hockey where she was the Manager of Youth Administration for 14 years. With USAH, she managed National Championships, Player Development Camps and was the liaison with many of the committees and councils within USA Hockey. Jodie earned her degree in Business Administration and became a vital part of their operations. Prior to working at USA Hockey Jodie lived in London where she worked in London’s Insurance markets and moved to the United States with her husband Nik and her two Children Oliver and Charlotte. Tony Zasowki,
Vice President, Leagues and Teams Tony Zasowski is the Vice President, Leagues and Teams for Black Bear Sports Group. In his role, Zasowki is the Commissioner of the Tier 1 Hockey Federation and the Atlantic Hockey Federation. Tony comes to Black Bear from the NAHL where he was Commissioner of the NAPHL and led all aspects of NAHL Combines, NAHL Central Scouting and Education Initiatives for the NAHL, NA3HL and NAPHL including serving as General Manager for Team NAHL at the 2019 World Jr. Club Cup in Sochi, Russia. Prior to his position with the NAHL, Zasowski served as Head Coach and General Manager for the NAHL's Springfield Jr. Blues from 2012-16. During that five-year span, Zasowski had over 40 players make NCAA commitments under his watch. Tony's players include goalies Dryden McKay (Hobey Baker Finalist 2021 & 2022), Tommy Nappier (2019 Big-10 Goalie of the Year / WBS AHL), Stefanos Lekkas (5th All-Time in NCAA Saves / Rochester AHL), Devin Cooley (Nashville Predators), and defender Nikolai Knyzhov (San Jose Sharks). Before heading to Springfield, Zasowski was President and Goaltending Coach of the San Jose Jr. Sharks along with Head Coach of the 16 & 18U tier I teams. Tony was one of the founding members of the NAPHL back in 2009. In San Jose, Tony won 2 CAHA state Championships and promoted over 20 players to junior and college hockey. Tony Zasowski had coaching stints in his career as Assistant Coach/Goalie Coach for the Pensacola Ice Pilots (ECHL). Assistant Coach/Assistant General Manager with the Chicago Steel (USHL), and Assistant Coach with the Springfield Spirit (NAHL). In addition to his regular coaching duties, Tony has worked numerous USA Hockey Select Festivals as a goalie coach and evaluator. As a player, Zasowski grew up playing goaltender. His junior career included winning an Anderson Cup and National Championship with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL and playing in Omaha where he won a Clark Cup where he set a league record with 35 wins in a season winning USHL Goalie of the Year. From there, he earned a scholarship at the University of Notre Dame where he was named Freshman of the Year for the Irish. He finished up his playing career with the Dayton Bombers in the ECHL. Zasowski and his wife DJ have a daughter, Esmee. |
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Dave Wandell,
Director of I/T Dave Wandell joined Black Bear Sports Group in December 2021 as the Director of Information Technologies. Wandell brings a diverse background in IT, starting in the late 90s as a Network Administrator for two rapidly growing Biotech companies. Prior to signing on with Black Bear, Dave owned Blue Crab Networks, a successful Managed Services company, and was also co-founder of New Market Enterprises, a consumer electronics marketing company. Born and raised in a Maryland suburb of DC, Dave grew up a life-long Washington Capitals fan. In his free time, he chauffeurs his son to Montgomery Blue Devil travel hockey practices and games. |