Saturday, June 18, 2011

SAINTS NAME DAN LEHV AS PRESIDENT

Press Release

DUBUQUE, Iowa – After a first season back in the USHL that saw the Fighting Saints win the Clark Cup as playoff champions and become a fixture in the community off the ice, the team has added another talented piece to its organizational puzzle. The Fighting Saints have hired Dan Lehv to fill the role of President with the team. Lehv, 31, spent a extremely successful seven-year tenure with the St. Paul Saints, one of the premier independent baseball franchises in the country, where he held the title of Assistant General Manager since 2008. Prior to his time as Assistant GM, Lehv served as Director of Sales and Marketing and Director of Marketing with the club.

As President of the Dubuque Fighting Saints, Lehv will be responsible for the day-to-day business operations of the franchise, and along with Head Coach Jim Montgomery, will serve as the primary spokesperson for the team. As Lehv moves from one franchise with the Saints moniker to another, he is hopeful that he can help build upon the success of the team’s first season at the Mystique Community Ice Center.

“I'm thrilled for the opportunity to join the Fighting Saints and the Dubuque community. I'm grateful for the opportunity provided me by the Saints ownership group and look forward to playing a big part in the exciting future of this club,” Lehv said. He added, “I'm excited to be working with the talented staff of the Saints to build upon a magical inaugural season. We're going to continue to provide a first-class product on and off the ice and to give hockey and non-hockey fans a reason to come to the rink.”

In St. Paul, Lehv was responsible for the team’s marketing and advertising partnerships, along with the Saints’ branding, social media, and internal and external communications. Additionally, he oversaw the Saints’ corporate sponsorships, food and beverage agreements, and the team’s internship program.

Brad Kwong, Managing Partner of Northern Lights Hockey, LLC stated “Despite a magical season on and off the ice, the Fighting Saints are always striving to be better. One thing we learned this past year is that if we want to connect with fans in the community, then everything we do needs to be customer-focused. Dan was a senior executive and rising star at the Goldklang Group, a company that is renowned for fan-centric marketing, superior service, innovative promotions and family friendly entertainment. We are ecstatic that he’ll be bringing that philosophy and marketing acumen to the Dubuque Fighting Saints organization.”

Lehv is originally from White Plains, New York, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he served as Sports Director for WCBN radio and was the lead play-by-play broadcaster for Wolverine hockey, football, basketball, and baseball. After graduation, he spent three years with the Charleston, South Carolina, RiverDogs, where he was the team’s Media Relations Coordinator and play-by-play broadcaster. He has also interned at WFAN “The Fan” radio in New York – one of the pioneer sports talk radio stations in the country. Lehv is a 2008 graduate of Leadership St. Paul with the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Leadership St. Paul Curriculum Committee and Young Professionals Committee. The University of Michigan graduate has also served on the board and is First Vice President of the Minneapolis Breakfast Club. Lehv will begin work with the Fighting Saints next week.

On a related front, Stephanie Henderson, who had held the position of Head of Business Operations at the Fighting Saints has accepted a senior sales and marketing position with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League and will be leaving her post in Dubuque at the end of the month. Kwong noted “The USHL is a developmental league. Not only our players and coaches, but also our business leaders move upward and onward. Stephanie did a great job leading our business operations through a transition and we all thank her and wish her the very best in Columbus.”

The Fighting Saints have completed tryout camp and named a 30 man roster in preparation for the defense of the Clark Cup. The preseason will begin in September with the regular season commencing in early October. Season tickets are on sale now – fans should call (563) 583-6880 for information.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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