Chiefs Sweep MWL Executive of the Year Awards

photo: Jason Mott (Allison Rhoades/Peoria Chiefs)

Peoria Chiefs press release

The Peoria Chiefs were honored by the Midwest League on Thursday as General Manager Jason Mott was named MWL Executive of the Year and Ticket Sales Manager Kate Voss was named as the MWL’s nominee for the Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year. Voss will represent the MWL as a nominee for the MiLB Award which will be announced at the Winter Meetings in Orlando in December.

“The Midwest League has some of the best executives in all of Minor League Baseball and professional sports,” said Chiefs President Rocky Vonachen. “Jason and Kate are tremendous assets to the Chiefs and Central Illinois and great teammates in our building. They are both very deserving of this recognition and it is an honor for our entire organization and front office staff.”

The Midwest League Executive of the Year is nominated and selected by the league’s 16-member clubs. The award is presented to an individual who has had a successful season in the areas of leadership, attendance, marketing initiatives, promotions, stadium projects/enhancements, game day and non-game day events, community/charity involvement and overall baseball operations. Mott is the first Chiefs winner since current team President Rocky Vonachen won the award in 2002 during the opening of Dozer Park.

In his first full season as Chiefs General Manager and third overall in Peoria, Mott oversaw season and group ticket sales increases while also adding corporate partnership sales to his responsibilities. From stadium operations to ticket sales, media to promotions, merchandise to catering, non-game day events to food and beverage, there isn’t an aspect of Dozer Park or the Peoria Chiefs organization that Mott didn’t influence in 2017. In addition he represented the Chiefs organization as a Board Member on the fundraising committee of the Peoria Friendship House and as a member of Peoria Rotary where he serves on numerous committees.

The Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year Award is presented to a woman in who has made outstanding contributions to her club, her league or to baseball. Voss is the first recipient of this nomination in Chiefs history. Also in her third year with the Chiefs, Voss has risen from Account Executive to Manager of Non-Game Day Events to her current title of Ticket Sales Manager. She oversees a staff of three full-time Account Executives and four Inside Sales Representatives who collectively saw increases in season and group sales under her leadership. In addition Kate has increased her own total revenue in each of her three seasons. Voss leads the Chiefs Education Day Program, which has seen an increase in ticket sales by 59% since 2014, and her leadership of Homer’s Reading Program has resulted in over 9,000 participants to the various games offered. As the Manager of Non-Game Day Events, Voss oversaw 43 non-baseball events at Dozer Park including rehearsal dinners, meetings, conferences, seminars, non-profit walks, and the first Dozer Park wedding.