Bills Exec VP/Business Development BRUCE POPKO will join Pegula Sports & Entertainment in a similar role overseeing sales and sponsorship across the group's properties: the Bills, Sabres, AHL Rochester Americans, NLL Buffalo Bandits, the HarborCenter entertainment complex and Nashville-based music company Black River Entertainment. The move is the first significant personnel shift to address the incorporation of the Bills into PSE. Popko, who has been with the Bills since '09, spent five years as head of business development for IMG’s golf division. Before that, he had stints with the Jets, 49ers and Browns (Bill King, Senior Staff Writer).
ROUNDING THE BASES: The Mets named Pirates Ticket Sales & Service Senior Dir CHRIS ZABER Senior VP/Ticket Sales & Service, replacing LEIGH CASTERGINE. Zaber "will report" to Exec VP & Chief Revenue Officer LOU DEPAOLI, who was with the Pirates from '08-13 (ESPNNY.com, 12/5)....The Dodgers named Angels Major League Player Information Coordinator NICK FRANCONA Assistant Dir of Player Development, reporting to Dodgers Dir of Player Development GABE KAPLER. Angels Advance Scouting Coordinator JEREMY ZOLL "will take on many of Francona's duties next season, including the replay role" (OCREGISTER.com, 12/5)....Former MLBer RYAN DEMPSTER "will stay on" with the Cubs as Special Assistant to President of Baseball Operations THEO EPSTEIN and GM JED HOYER (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 12/5).
EXECS: The Univ. of Georgia named Rice Univ. Senior Associate AD/CFO ANDY PLATT to the same position, effective last week. He replaces FRANK CRUMLEY, who resigned in September (ONLINEATHENS.com, 12/5)....Tufts Univ. AD BILL GEHLING will step down after 16 years to become Senior Advisor/University Advancement (Tufts)....Marshall Univ. promoted Associate AD/Compliance WILLIAM TIMPANO to Assistant Compliance Dir, effective Dec. 17 (Marshall)....The Univ. of Miami named Colorado State Senior Associate AD/Sales & Marketing JASON LAYTON Senior Associate AD/Communications & Sales (UM)....Southern Illinois Univ. named its former NCAA Faculty Rep HAROLD BARDO interim AD, effective Jan. 1. Current SIU AD MARIO MOCCIA “is leaving to take the same position at New Mexico State” (SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN, 12/6).
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