The Browns changed the title of VP/Player Personnel MICHAEL LOMBARDI to GM and named Chiefs Dir of Pro Personnel RAY FARMER Assistant GM. Browns CEO JOE BANNER “stressed that Farmer’s addition won’t alter Lombardi’s role in the slightest” (CLEVELAND.com, 3/5). Farmer “spent the past seven seasons” with the Chiefs. Banner said plans to hire Farmer had been in the works "for a little while." But in order to "get Farmer from the Chiefs he had to be promoted and that meant Lombardi’s title had to change.” Banner said of Farmer, “He adds a voice, and as a top-tier player evaluator in the NFL” (AP, 3/5). Farmer is “known around the league as a sound scout" and will "no doubt be a general manager for some team someday” (KANSASCITY.com, 3/5).
EXECS: The Double-A Southern League Birmingham Barons hired the following: DON LEO as Corporate Sales Manager, BRETT OATES as Group Sales Manager, STEVE BAYKO as Community Group Ticket Rep, SYDNEY WELDON as Corporate Event Planner, JOSEPH COOPER as Dir of Retail Sales, RANDY PRINCE as CFO, GEORGE CHAVOUS as Dir of Customer Service and NICK LAMPASONA as Dir of Stadium Operations (AL.com, 3/4)….Reuters named OSSIAN SHINE Global Sports Editor, replacing PAUL RADFORD, who left the company (THE DAILY).…Centerplate named LILA KAHN Dir of Marketing/Centerplate Restaurant Group and JOHN JOHNSON III Purchasing Manager/Facility Management & Design. The company also promoted ASHLEY BROWN to VP/Specialty Retail and DAVID WINARSKI to VP/HR (Centerplate)….USA Hockey named former Thrashers Senior Dir of PR ROB KOCH Dir of Communications & Social Media (USA Hockey)….The Cubs named Triple-A PCL Reno Aces Exec VP/Business Operations JUSTIN PIPER GM/Mesa Spring Training Operations. He will report to Cubs Exec VP/Business Operations MARK MCGUIRE (Cubs)….Sportswear brand Skins Compression named 2XU Dir of Brand & Sports Marketing JOHNNY WEST GM for North America (OREGONLIVE.com, 3/5).
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