Staff

Scott Brand

Chatt-a-Hoots President/General Manager

What can we say about Scott Brand that he hasn’t already said about himself? Brand is a product of amateur hockey having played youth hockey in Michigan, Iowa, Texas, and Illinois.

After leaving the ice, he held the position of Vice-President and General Manager of the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League from 1992-96 where he guided the team to set record crowds, corporate sponsorship and the building of a new arena. He also founded the Waterloo Bucks, the 1st expansion team in the Northwoods College Baseball League in 1995 and was named executive of the year. In May of 1996, he was named the Vice-President of the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL, where he increased attendance for two seasons in a row.

In 2015 Brand returned home to his family farm in St. Louis, MI, where he helped start a local farmers market and was named Vice President of Operations for Pure Pro Wrestling, a Michigan based sports entertainment promotion.

In June of 2019, he was hired as to the position of President/General Manager of the Columbus River Dragons and in 2020 was hired into the same title with the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots

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Kristen Buley

Chief Financial Officer

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Although she was born and raised in Louisiana, Kristen spent most of her adult life calling Georgia and Alaska home. With a Bachelor's degree from Louisiana College, and a Master's from University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kristen has held a variety of positions that have prepared her for her roles with Ignite Sports and BKI Accounting.

She's a bit competitive, having played sports all of her life. From playing high school through college athletics and intramurals, to coaching her kids' sports teams, to competitive archery and kickball; she's at home on the field of play and often leans into those experiences while making career decisions.

She's a self-professed lifelong student, often picking up courses to have the ability to better her clients' business. When she's not in the office she's usually looking for something new to experience, or curled up with a book and her dogs.

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Jaden Krueger

Game Night and Event Operations Manager

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Jaden was born and raised in Grand Junction, CO, graduating in May of 2021 from Colorado Mesa University with a B.S. in Sports Management and Business Administration.

Growing up he played several different sports, including basketball, golf, track and field, and baseball, where his love for sports continued to grow. Prior to working for the River Dragons, Jaden held positions as the Events and Activation Coordinator for the Grand Junction Sports Commission, and as a Game Night Operations Staff Member for CMU Athletics.

In the fall of 2021, Jaden was brought on to Ignite Sports and Entertainment, where he continues to develop his expertise in Game Night Operations and Community Relations.

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Korbin Greeno

Office Manager

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Prior to working for Ignite Sports, Korbin worked extensively in the child development field. Currently working on her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Korbin is expanding her management skillset into the sports world. Hailing from Spokane, Washington, Korbin enjoys spending time with her four children and looks forward to working in the sports landscape.

Elysse Bradford

Marketing Manager

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A native of Dallas, Texas, Elysse earned two Bachelor's degrees from Auburn University where she graduated magna cum laude in Marketing and Psychology, concentrating on digital marketing and neurodevelopment. Elysse previously worked for Auburn's Club Hockey team for three years before joining the Ignite Sports team.

Jeremy Delany

Ticketing Operations Manager

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Jeremy and his wife Tiffany have called Ft. Benning/Chattahoochee Valley home since 2012. They have three children Tanna, Hunter, and Mason. Jeremy is a retired Army Infantry Non-Commissioned Officer. He now brings his can-do attitude and leadership qualities to the Ignite team. You can usually find him outdoors or at the ice rink watching his sons play hockey or playing himself when he's not working.

Taylor St. Jacques

Special Projects Coordinator

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Born in Edmonton and raised stateside in Glen Allen, VA, Taylor is a senior at Auburn University majoring in Business Administration with a focus in management.

When not in school or with Ignite Sports, Taylor is a world-class show jumper with the Auburn Equestrian team and has won 3 SEC titles and 2 national titles with the Tigers.

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Steve Smith

Head of Baseball Operations/Field Manager/Playing Manager

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Steve Smith returns for his second season with the Hoots after leading the Columbus team in the inaugural season to the Championship series where they came up short vs the Aviators. He is the Head Baseball coach of the Calvary Christian baseball program in Columbus, where he has compiled a record of 208-66 in nine seasons. He has lead the Knights to four consecutive State Championships and eight consecutive Region Championships. Steve has received nine Coach of the Year honors during his time at Calvary.

Smith is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association as well as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Rodney Rutherford

Assistant Coach

Rodney is serving as an assistant coach in the Hoots inaugural 2021 season.

Rutherford's local baseball roots stem back to 2003 when he was drafted as a senior out of Shaw High School in the 36th round to the Florida Marlins. He forewent that opportunity to play college baseball at Chattahoochee Valley Community College and then later at Columbus State.

With the Cougars he was a two-time All-Conference player and a 2008 All-American. In 2008, he led the NCAA D-2 ranks with 26 home runs. While in college he was drafted in the 20th round by the Oakland A's where he spent two season in the minors before retiring from baseball as a player all together.

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McLendon Hill

Assistant Coach

McLendon Hill graduated from Columbus High School in 2010, where he played baseball for four years. He then attended Georgia Perimeter College for two years where he was an NJCAA Georgia Gold Glove winner and Second-Team NJCAA Georgia All-Conference. He is currently an assistant baseball coach at Columbus High, and plans to graduate this fall from Columbus State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.

Chason Perry

Director of Strength & Conditioning

With a Bachelors in Exercise Science and a Masters in Athletic Coaching with an emphasis in Strength and Conditioning, Coach Perry brings a wealth of knowledge to the Chatt-a-Hoots.

He has over 12 years experience coaching at every level with every type of athlete imaginable. Coach Perry has worked as an Assistant or Head Coach capacity with the Atlanta Thrashers (NHL), West Virginia University Athletics, Morgantown High School, US Army Infantry OSUT Brigade, and over 5 years with a US Special Forces unit where he built the entire program for Operators at Fort Benning, Hunter Army Airfield, and Joint-Base Lewis McChord.

He also owned and developed the largest youth training center in Cincinnati, OH prior to moving to Columbus, GA in 2011.

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