ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—The Tampa Bay Rays have announced internal promotions across various departments, including communications, marketing, finance and accounting, and strategy and development. The Tampa Bay Rowdies have also made promotions among its leadership team.
Abts joined the Rays in March 2022 to lead the marketing team and oversee advertising, promotions and digital marketing. Prior to that, he spent nine years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, including the last four as their director of consumer marketing and digital.
Artz joined the Rays in 2006 as a corporate partnerships intern and spent time in fan experience before transitioning to strategy and development in 2008. In his role as vice president, he will focus on long-term business planning and strategic initiatives, including ballpark development and working toward the next home for the Rays in Tampa Bay.
Hypes is celebrating his 14th season with the Rays. He joined the club as a marketing intern and was hired full-time in 2010. In his role, he will oversee all internal and external creative content and branding efforts, as well as strategic design paths for all Rays marketing campaigns, on-field uniform initiatives and player-driven content pieces. He has been instrumental in the planning and execution of the Rays 20th and 25th anniversary season celebrations.
O’Connell is entering her 18th season with the team. The focus of her role includes corporate communications, often highlighting innovation and policy, as well as internal communications, social responsibility initiatives and military affairs. She has held multiple roles since joining the club in 2006, including director of corporate partnerships services and season ticket services specialist.
Rioles will oversee all corporate partnerships sales and services, cultivating and forging fully integrated, multi-layered marketing partnerships to help local, national and international brands leverage the Rays and Rowdies brand to achieve their diverse business goals. He began his tenure with the Rays as a season ticket intern while earning his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Springfield College in 2013. He spent three seasons in ticket sales, focusing on group sales efforts, before joining the corporate partnerships team in a sales role in 2015.
Smith began his tenure with the Rays as the club’s controller, managing the team’s day-to-day accounting and finance operations, treasury services, tax compliance, MLB reporting and several annual audits. He joined the Rays after nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he performed all team accounting and NFL reporting requirements.
Thomas joined the Rays in January 2006 and has worked in corporate partnerships, fan experience, business operations and strategy and development during his tenure. He was executive director of the Rays Baseball Foundation from 2016-21 before transitioning to senior director, diversity, equity and inclusion in 2022. As a resident of St. Petersburg, he has a passion for the community and believes in giving back.
Wallace started with the Rays in March 2022. He oversees the club’s baseball communications efforts, including its player and media relations, and serves as a contact for local, national and international media on interview requests for uniformed personnel. He joined the Rays after 11 seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, including two years as senior director of communications and publications.
Helfrick joined the Rowdies in March 2010 and has accumulated over 15 years of professional experience in top tier and lower division soccer. His current responsibilities include oversight and implementation of the club’s business strategy, with an emphasis on developing mutually beneficial relationships domestically and abroad.
Cuccati joined the Rowdies prior to the ownership transition in 2018 after successful career assignments in manufacturing, product design, sales operations and business strategy with IBM and Motorola Solutions.
Parkinson started with the Rowdies in December 2013. He oversees operations and grounds for the club at Al Lang Stadium and the new training facility in Tampa, including gameday operations and event operations. He officially joined the Rowdies after four seasons as director of stadium and grounds for the St. Petersburg Baseball Commission, which operated at Al Lang Stadium.
Castillo rejoined the Rowdies on August 1, 2022 as head of soccer operations after two years with the USL Championship’s Miami Football Club. He began his first stint with the Rowdies as an intern in 2012 and was hired full-time in the public relations and communications department in 2013. Following the Rays acquisition of the club in 2018, he took over as director of soccer operations and remained in that role until joining Miami FC.