GOCHECKERS.COM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Manager, Team Services / Video Coach
Job Titles:
- Corporate Partnership Manager
Alec is from Indian Trail, NC, and graduated from both Wake Forest University with a Major in Integrated Communications and Butler University with a Masters in Business Management.
Job Titles:
- Director of Fan Engagement
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations
- VP of Hockey Operations
Wilkinson returns to the Checkers after eight seasons behind the bench in the ECHL. The winningest coach in ECHL Checkers history, Wilkinson compiled a record of 237-182-42 (.560) while guiding the team to the playoffs in his last six seasons. The former player was the first ever goaltender drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning (7th round, 145th overall, 1992) and appeared in 22 NHL games from 1995-1999.
Wilkinson oversees all hockey operations between the Panthers and Checkers, including but not limited to managing personnel, the club's collective bargaining agreement negotiations and responsibilities and its hockey operations budget.
Blair Wormer, MD, specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery inclusive to patients of all ages and populations. Originally from Ohio, he went to medical school at Northeast Ohio Medical University before moving to Charlotte in 2010 to complete a general surgery residency at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center. During his residency he completed a dedicated research fellowship and through his career he has published over 30 peer reviewed articles, numerous book chapters, and given presentations around the US, Europe, and Asia. After completing residency, he went on to plastic surgery fellowship at Vanderbilt University where he was able to assist the faculty as the team physicians for the Nashville Predators NHL Team. In 2019 he returned to Charlotte to join Novant health with Dr. James Appel and the two have a successful plastic surgery practice in Myers Park. When he is not caring for patients, he focuses his energy on time with his wife, Kelly, and their kids Calvin and Margo who have become big fans of Charlotte FC and the Checkers. In their free time, they enjoy traveling to the North Carolina mountains.
Job Titles:
- Team Dentist
- Team General Practitioner
Dr. Pappert is an avid Charlotte Checkers fan and has been playing hockey his entire life. He grew up in the Chicagoland area and has been a Checkers season ticket holder since 1993, when the team returned to Charlotte for the second time to be a part of the ECHL.
Dr. Pappert played lacrosse for Pepperdine University and received his undergraduate degree. He also attended the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where he graduated as a dentist.
Dr. Pappert currently owns his own dental practice in southeast Charlotte, not far from where the Checkers compete. He has been a dentist for 32 years and an owner for 18 years. He is very comfortable with procedures from traumatic sports emergencies to the gentle care of routine complete family dentistry.
Job Titles:
- Medical Staff Member
- Team Chiropractor
Chad Robertson, D.C., C.C.S.P., A.T.C. is the co-owner of Queen City Chiropractic & Sports Performance located in North Charlotte, NC and has been in active practice since 2005. Dr. Robertson has been a member of the Charlotte Checkers' medical staff since the 2008 season and he enjoys helping patients of all ages reach their optimal health potential and goals.
Dr. Robertson is originally from Greenwich, NY and graduated from Castleton University with a bachelor's of science degree in sports medicine and athletic training later becoming a Certified Athletic Trainer in 2001. From there Dr. Robertson furthered his studies at NY Chiropractic College where in 2005 he graduated with a Doctorate degree in Chiropractic. In 2012 Dr. Robertson became certified through Palmer College as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician specializing in sports injury treatment and rehabilitative care. Dr. Robertson lives in Huntersville, NC with his wife Ashley, also a chiropractic physician, and they both enjoy local sporting events and any outdoor activity.
Job Titles:
- Team Dentist
- Team Eye Doctor
Dr. Erin Schotthoefer is an ophthalmologist who specializes in pediatric eye care and strabismus in the Charlotte, NC and Huntersville, NC areas.
She graduated from Harvard University and received her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. Her internship was at St. John's Hospital in Detroit, her residency was at the University of Iowa, and her fellowship was at Duke University.
Job Titles:
- Medical Staff Member
- Team Sports Therapist
Dr. Greg Bielec, D.P.T., O.C.S., A.T.C.-L., C.S.C.S., Director of Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine at Lakeside Sports Medicine in Huntersville and Mooresville N.C., has been the physical therapist for the Charlotte Checkers for several seasons.
Dr. Bielec received his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science at the University of Florida in 1996, his master's in physical therapy at the University of North Florida in 2003 and his doctorate in physical therapy at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2005.
James Davis, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., F.A.A.E.M., is an emergency physician with Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates in Charlotte. Dr. Davis received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and completed medical school at Wake Forest University/Bowman Gray School of Medicine, where he also did his residency training in emergency medicine, finishing as chief resident. He has served as the medical director of Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte and at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. He currently is on staff at all three Presbyterian Hospitals in the Charlotte area. He is active in medical missionary work in Sierra Leone, West Africa and Haiti in addition to his usual work in the emergency department and at the arena. Dr. Davis has been a hockey fan for many years, having grown up in Winston-Salem, and was a fan of the Checkers' bitter rival, the Winston-Salem Polar Twins. He also played for the championship Ice Devils club hockey team while at Duke as an undergrad, and to this day doesn't have fond feelings for any N.C. State or UNC hockey players.
Job Titles:
- Medical Staff Member
- Lead Team Physician
- Team Physician for the Charlotte Checkers
A native of Texas, Dr. Barron graduated from Baylor University and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He completed a sports medicine fellowship at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles, where he assisted with orthopedic treatment for the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, Kings, Rams and the Anaheim Angels.
Dr. Barron has been in private orthopedic practice since 1990. In addition to patient care, he has trained residents at Carolina Medical Center, as well as PA students from Wake Forest University and Duke University. During this time, he has also served as team physician for Davidson College, UNC Charlotte University, Winthrop University, the WNBA's Charlotte Sting and the Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League. Dr. Barron has volunteered for local sporting events such as the Shrine Bowl, Ultraswim Grand Prix Swim Meet, AAU Junior Track and Field events, NCAA and ACC Basketball Tournaments, and the Charlotte Steeplechase. He serves on the Charlotte Basketball Committee, Charlotte Sportsman Club and Charlotte Sports Commission.
Currently, Dr. Barron is the team physician for the Charlotte Checkers, Queens University, Charlotte Original Rugby Club, Lancaster High School and Richmond County High Schools. In addition, he is the orthopedic consultant for Charlotte United Futbol Club, North Carolina Dance Theater, Mecklenburg Aquatic Club, and various NASCAR teams such as Hendricks Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Red Bull Racing. His current academic interests are cartilage repair and replacement, ACL injury prevention and reconstruction, and shoulder arthroplasty as well as arthroscopic reconstruction of the shoulder. His main focus is patient care.
Job Titles:
- Team General Practitioner
- Team Physician
Karan Shukla, M.D., is Board Certified in Family Medicine with Certificate of Added Qualification in Primary Care Sports Medicine. He is a Family Physician with Novant Health Randolph Family Medicine in Charlotte. Dr. Shukla received his degree from Iberoamerican University in the Dominican Republic. He completed medical his residency training in family medicine at Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago's South Side before completing his Fellowship in Primary Care Sports Medicine at the University if South Florida. He has served as the team physician for several sports organizations and has been in the role of team physician for the Charlotte Independence, Charlotte Marathon and the Charlotte Checkers since 2016. He is active in promoting health education initiatives in developing countries in West Africa.
Dr. Shukla has become an avid Charlotte Checkers fan since joining. He provides primary care medical evaluation and treatment of athletes of all ages. His role with the Charlotte Checkers is to optimize and maintain the health of the players, coaches and staff.
Douglas Landry Jarvis, MD is a dual fellowship-trained sports medicine and hip preservation orthopedic surgeon at Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine - Ballantyne. He specializes in arthroscopic surgery of the hip, shoulder and knee.
As a hip preservationist, his focuses are arthroscopic treatment of complex hip disorders, including labral tears, femoral-acetabular impingement, focal cartilage injuries, gluteal tendon tears and proximal hamstring tears. He is passionate about treating sports injuries of the knee and shoulder for both adolescents and adults, specializing in meniscus and labrum repair, ligament reconstruction, tendon repair and treatment of focal cartilage injuries.
His goal is to offer a superior level of fracture care, including management of traumatic orthopedic injuries.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Governor
- Owner
- Owner of the Checkers
Dr. Michael Kahn has been one of Charlotte's leading silent philanthropists for several years. His heart is in helping the city's disadvantaged youth, which he has demonstrated by working with several organizations including Alexander's Children Center, Children's Miracle Network, Special Olympics and others that foster the belief that every child should have an opportunity to be the best they can be. He also serves on several boards including the Fletcher School, Darlington School and Hospitality House of Charlotte.
Since Kahn became the owner of the Checkers in 2006, the organization has helped several children and families in need, both directly and through charitable organizations, raising a total of over $4.8 million. Under his leadership, the Checkers captured their first Calder Cup championship in 2019 and the President's Award as the AHL's Team of the Year in 2019-20. The team also won the AHL's Excellence in Community Service award three times in their first five AHL seasons (2011, 2014 and 2015). In 2011, the Checkers' work with the family of a young fan named Zach Bennett was featured on ESPN's weekly investigative newsmagazine show E:60.
Along with his brother, David, Kahn is a third generation owner of Empire Distributors, Inc., a wholesale wine and spirits company located in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. A die-hard Georgia Bulldog fan, he has supported many different ventures with the University of Georgia, including several scholarship endowments and facility upgrades. The university honored him by unveiling the Michael A. Kahn Family Gate at Sanford Stadium in 2006.
Job Titles:
- Director for the Greater Charlotte
- Team Physician
- Team Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Payton Fennell is the primary care sports medicine director for the greater Charlotte market and sees patients at Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Cotswold. He is board certified in family and sports medicine, and he has more than 13 years of health care leadership experience.
Before he joined Novant Health, he served as a U.S. Navy medical officer where he earned the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for meritorious service while deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also served as an assistant team physician for the Carolina Hurricanes, and as the team physician for Lenoir-Rhyne University. He previously worked as director of the FryeCare Sports Medicine and Concussion Clinic in Hickory, North Carolina. Fennell received his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He also earned his Master of Business Administration from Auburn University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Equipment Manager
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Controller
- Director of Finance
Kendall Smith has worked in the sports broadcasting and media industry since she was 16 years old. A proud 2023 graduate of the University of South Carolina, Smith began working for the Checkers as a college senior during the 2022-2023 season.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Smith works full-time in baseball as a Team Reporter and Host for the Charlotte Knights. Additionally, she has spent time traveling the SEC and reporting on South Carolina Football, has worked alongside the Atlantic Coast Conference as a host, is a sideline reporter on ESPN+ and Sinclair Broadcast Group regional productions, and has previously worked for Turner Sports and NCAA Digital.
A former competitive figure skater of 13 years, Smith joined the Professional Skaters Association at seventeen years old. Although when she skated she would get mad when hockey players took up ice time, hockey has now become her favorite sport. When she is not working, you can find Smith at a yoga studio teaching or trying another sushi spot in Charlotte.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Servicing Specialist
Job Titles:
- Senior Ticket and Event Executive
Laurenne Losier joined the Checkers Ticketing Department in October of 2022.
As a Group Sales Specialist, she works to ensure all groups have a fantastic experience and assists in the overall success & goal achievement of the ticket department.
Laurenne was born outside of Tampa FL, but grew up in Waxhaw, NC. She attended UNC Chapel Hill and earned her Bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences with a concentration in Sport Administration.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach, Goaltending
Job Titles:
- Director of Season Ticket Sales
Mark Lappin joined the Checkers Ticketing Department in August of 2021. He works with all our season ticket holders through selling and service to guarantee they have the greatest experience possible. He also works with our mini-plan and flex-plan holders to coordinate their attendance to preferred games, provide unmatched customer service, and ensure their loyalty to the Checkers.
Mark graduated from The University of Alabama in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Computer Science. He started out working as a graduate assistant on the Business Development team for the Buffalo Bills. After his time in Buffalo, he returned to his hometown of Charlotte, NC to pursue a full-time career with the Checkers, whom he grew up watching.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Corporate Partnerships
Grams joined the Checkers in February 2013 after four years as NASCAR Driver Ryan Newman's director of business development. In that role, she facilitated personal services agreements, negotiated contracts and endorsements with sponsors and managed daily marketing strategies for Ryan Newman Motorsports and the Ryan Newman Foundation. Mary manages and provides strategic direction for the Checkers corporate sales division and oversees the day-to-day corporate sales initiatives while working closely with the corporate partners to ensure successful activation programs are implemented while maximizing their ROI.
Mary, a Minnesota native, has been involved in sales and sports marketing for over 20 years. She enjoys spending her summers at the local sprint car track with her husband Tony and winters at the hockey arena supporting the Charlotte Checkers and participating in a family game of hockey every Christmas. Grams enjoys working out, meeting new people and spending time with her fur baby Tica.
Job Titles:
- Senior Corporate Partnership Manager
Mike is originally from Apple Valley, MN, and graduated with a degree in Political Science from Concordia University Wisconsin, where he was also a member of the men's ice hockey team. Mike has nearly a decade of sales experience, of which, several of those years have been focused on sponsorship sales. Mike joined the Checkers in 2021 and manages numerous corporate partnerships. His goal is to connect partners to the Checkers fan base and to develop marketing activations that deliver maximum ROI.
In his free time, Mike enjoys exploring North Carolina with his wife Mary-Kate, son Callum, and their two German Shorthaired Pointers Yuki and Bruno.
Job Titles:
- Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
Niedzielski, who joined the Checkers' communications department in July 2014, is responsible for managing the team's social media accounts and writing content for the team website and press releases, as well as maintaining statistical records and biographical information on the team. He is also involved with the team's digital advertising execution and strategy and ensures that all digital sponorship elements are met.
Niedzielski graduated from Texas State University in 2013 with a degree in Mass Communication-Electronic Media. He spent time as the broadcast intern with the Round Rock Express AAA baseball team in 2013 and was a media relations intern with the AHL's Texas Stars during their Calder Cup-winning 2013-14 season.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Marketing and Communications
- Checkers As Director of Digital Media
- Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Branecky, who joined the Checkers as director of digital media in 2011, assumed the role of vice president of communications in June 2014 and moved on to become vice president of marketing and communications in 2018. In his current role, he is responsible for the team's overall marketing, public relations, media relations, website and social media efforts. In 2019, he earned the Ken McKenzie award as the AHL team executive who most successfully promoted his or her team during the previous season. In doing so, he became just the third person to win that award in the same season that their team won a Calder Cup.
Prior to joining the Checkers, Branecky spent six seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. After joining the team as an intern for the 2005-06 Stanley Cup championship season, he went on to become the senior writer and digital media producer, where he was responsible for all aspects of the team's website. He also provided comprehensive daily coverage of the team.
A graduate of South Mecklenburg High School, Branecky lives in Charlotte with his wife and three children.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Checkers in 2004 As a Ticket Account Manager
Lynch joined the Checkers in 2004 as a ticket account manager. In December 2005, he took on the role of director of ticket services, and in December 2006 he was named the vice president of ticket sales before assuming his current role as senior vice president in 2011.
He is responsible for ensuring that season ticket holders have an unmatched experience through selling and servicing accounts in the arena as well as during the offseason. He also serves as the team's fundraising liaison for non-profit organizations and sells groups and partial season tickets plans.
Lynch, who started with the Checkers serving an internship in game-day operations, resides in Charlotte.
Shaw started out working as game ops staff with the Charlotte Checkers in October 2021. As the Game Operations Manager, Sydney oversees the ice crew and game operations staff while also assisting the corporate department.
Shaw was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and moved to Charlotte in 2021 to pursue her passion for working in sports. She graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies. Shaw first fell in love with working in sports after volunteering to work all-star cheerleading competitions while in college. As a kid, she attended many Richmond Renegades' games with her dad who was a season ticket holder and has been a huge hockey fan ever since. When Shaw isn't working in the office or on game days for the Checkers, you can find her on the field working at Panthers and Charlotte FC games.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer / Alternate Governor
Black, who joined the Checkers as vice president in September 2006 and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2008, oversees the day-to-day business operations of the team with an emphasis on overall marketing strategy. She is also responsible for the integration of all areas of the team's efforts in public relations, community relations, game operations, sales and involvement with non-profit organizations. Black is also the alternate governor for the Checkers, is currently the only female COO in the American Hockey League and is the first and only woman to sit on the Executive Committee for the league's Board of Governors, which she later became the chair of in 2022. Following the Checkers' championship run in 2019, she became the first woman to have her name engraved on the Calder Cup since the trophy was first awarded in 1936.
While with the Checkers, Black led the team on its successful return home to a renovated Bojangles' Coliseum beginning with the 2015-16 season. For her work on that project and other team initiatives, she became the first woman to earn the James C. Hendy Award as the American Hockey League's Outstanding Executive since its inception in 1962. Also in 2016, SportsBusiness Journal named Black to its annual "Game Changers" program that recognizes the top female executives in the sports industry. In 2017, she was a recipient of the Charlotte Business Journal Women in Business Award, which honors 25 female business leaders in the Charlotte region who have made significant contributions to their occupations and communities over the previous year. Black currently sits on the Board of Trustees for Discovery Place.
Black also guided the Checkers on their move to the AHL for the 2010-11 season, during which the organization received its conference's Award of Excellence in Community Service - an achievement it again earned in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2017-18. Under Black's leadership, the team has continued to enjoy success at the AHL level, as it ranked in the top 10 in AHL attendance for each of its first five seasons in the league. In 2019-20, she led the Checkers to a President's Trophy win as the AHL's Team of the Year.
During Black's tenure in the ECHL, she was the recipient of the Excellence in Marketing Award for three consecutive seasons with the San Diego Gulls and the Checkers. While working in media relations for the Gulls, where she eventually received the title of chief operating officer, she also won the ECHL's Media Relations Director of the Year Award.
Job Titles:
- Director of Broadcasting
- Media Relations Specialist
TJ Chillot is a broadcasting/media relations specialist with a mountain of sales experience focused on customer service.
Before arriving in the Queen City, TJ worked for three seasons with the NAHL's Austin (MN) Bruins where he performed a number of duties including marketing, ticketing, game night operations, graphic design and media, social media and was the team's play-by-play broadcaster for all home and road games. In 2019-20, TJ was selected by his peers to represent the NAHL at the annual Top Prospects Tournament.
Previous to his time in Minnesota, TJ spent a season at the professional level with the Mississippi RiverKings of the Southern Professional Hockey League in 2017-18. In his lone year with the RiverKings, TJ performed duties such as community development, marketing, and broadcasting. The latter for which was awarded the SPHL Broadcaster of the Year Award.
TJ's early career consisted of working in automotive retail for seven years where he rose to the position of Business development manager with the responsibility of leading a team of 10-15 customer service reps assisting customers on both the sales and service side of the dealership. In addition, TJ began his hockey broadcasting career with an internship with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League and also worked at his local ESPN Radio Affiliate in Eastern Pennsylvania. As an intern with Lehigh Valley, TJ was honored to have served on staff during the 2016-17 AHL All-Star Game. At the same time, while with ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley, he produced, hosted and co-hosted sports talk radio shows, and assisted on broadcasts for Division I athletics (Lehigh University) and MiLB (Lehigh Valley Ironpigs).
Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, TJ currently resides in Charlotte. His hobbies include going to concerts, sporting events, and relaxing pool-side.
Job Titles:
- Director of Creative Services
Zac began his job with the Checkers during the summer of 2017. As director of creative services for the team, he is responsible for content creation as well as producing the show on the video board during Checkers home games.
He was born and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania and fell in love with the sport of hockey while attending his first game in 1999 and dreamt of one day being a professional hockey player. When it became clear that the dream may not come to fruition, he found a way to blend his love for the game with his passion for media. In 2015 after graduating college and earning a degree in video production he accepted a job at a local television station that allowed him to work with the hockey team he grew up rooting for. In 2017 he accepted a position with the Charlotte Checkers and relocated to the Queen City which would quickly become home.
When he's not at the rink, Zac can be found around town enjoying the latest craft beer, at a show/record store or out and about with his dog, Dingo.