GRIFFINS WELCOME NEW STAFF MEMBERS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday announced the hiring of Tara Boliard and Peter Van Dame as season ticket sales account executives and the promotion of Michael Spruit to digital media production assistant.

A native of Canton, Mich., Boliard recently acquired a degree in sports marketing from Davenport University, where she served as captain of the inaugural women’s hockey team and was named a member of the All-Academic Team in both 2012 and 2013. Last season, the 27-year-old was employed as an inside sales intern for the Griffins, finishing her tenure as the top ticket and revenue-producing group sales intern in the department’s history. Following the 2014-15 season, Boliard was hired as a ticket sales and service representative with the Detroit Tigers before accepting her new role with the Griffins.

A native of Rochester, Mich., Van Dame received a marketing and sales degree in 2009 from Grand Valley State University, where he worked on behalf of the athletic department selling tickets to all of the university’s sporting events. Following graduation, Van Dame, 29, accepted a position as a ticket sales associate for the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors and was responsible for the sale and service of season ticket packages and group outings. In 2010-11, he was named as the Condors’ Season Ticket Sales Person of the Year during the same season in which Bakersfield won the ECHL’s Overall Team Excellence Award. After three successful seasons with the team, Van Dame served as an equipment technician at Calpi Inc. in the Bakersfield area, before returning to Grand Rapids to begin his current position.

Since being hired as a video production intern during the 2013-14 season, Spruit, 28, has been an instrumental member of the Griffins’ digital media production team, assisting in various notable projects such as the team’s popular Lego Night stop-motion video. Over the course of the summer, he was the sole producer of the Griffins’ video content and was responsible for creating the 20th anniversary video featured in last week’s logo reveal press conference. In his new role as digital media production assistant, Spruit will take on expanded duties within the department.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday announced the hiring of Tara Boliard and Peter Van Dame as season ticket sales account executives and the promotion of Michael Spruit to digital media production assistant.

A native of Canton, Mich., Boliard recently acquired a degree in sports marketing from Davenport University, where she served as captain of the inaugural women’s hockey team and was named a member of the All-Academic Team in both 2012 and 2013. Last season, the 27-year-old was employed as an inside sales intern for the Griffins, finishing her tenure as the top ticket and revenue-producing group sales intern in the department’s history. Following the 2014-15 season, Boliard was hired as a ticket sales and service representative with the Detroit Tigers before accepting her new role with the Griffins.

A native of Rochester, Mich., Van Dame received a marketing and sales degree in 2009 from Grand Valley State University, where he worked on behalf of the athletic department selling tickets to all of the university’s sporting events. Following graduation, Van Dame, 29, accepted a position as a ticket sales associate for the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors and was responsible for the sale and service of season ticket packages and group outings. In 2010-11, he was named as the Condors’ Season Ticket Sales Person of the Year during the same season in which Bakersfield won the ECHL’s Overall Team Excellence Award. After three successful seasons with the team, Van Dame served as an equipment technician at Calpi Inc. in the Bakersfield area, before returning to Grand Rapids to begin his current position.

Since being hired as a video production intern during the 2013-14 season, Spruit, 28, has been an instrumental member of the Griffins’ digital media production team, assisting in various notable projects such as the team’s popular Lego Night stop-motion video. Over the course of the summer, he was the sole producer of the Griffins’ video content and was responsible for creating the 20th anniversary video featured in last week’s logo reveal press conference. In his new role as digital media production assistant, Spruit will take on expanded duties within the department.