Chris Rogers – Team President

crogers@marylandblackbears.com

Jess Thomas was named Marketing and Events Manager in August of 2023 after a successful run as a Maryland Black Bears intern during the 2022-23 season. More recently, she added production manager to her responsibilities, heading the technical direction of the Black Bears’ NATV broadcast. She oversees many of the marketing efforts for the organization, directing traditional marketing avenues as well as pitching in to capture and edit photo and video content for social media and other channels. As head of the game day operations for the organization, she organizes game promotions, coordinates game staff and officials throughout the rink, manages the on-ice officiating cameras, and generally ensures everything runs smoothly on Black Bears’ game days. She also works alongside local groups like youth hockey clubs and AACPS to facilitate partnerships between the team and the organizations where they can give back to the community around central Maryland. 

Originally from Maryland, Jess Thomas studied at McDonogh School before heading to Penn State University where she received her bachelor’s degree focusing on sports and event management. At Penn State, she worked at Pegula Ice Arena alongside Penn State’s hockey teams, as well as interned with Penn State football’s event operations team and with the Bryce Jordan Center’s event management and production office.

Nigel Grove – Creative Director, Social Media Manager & Graphic Artist

ngrove@marylandblackbears.com

Nigel Grove was born and raised as an expatriate in Rome, Italy. He moved to the United States for college, where he attended Hofstra and George Mason Universities.

Nigel began working with the Black Bears at the beginning of 2021. His current duties include creating and editing graphic content, as well as managing all social media platforms. Nigel also aids in sponsorship acquisitions and game day operations whenever possible.

Nigel is a hockey player himself. He started playing roller hockey in Italy where he played for the Roma Mammuth A1 team at the age of 16 and called up for the U17 Italian Roller Hockey National Team. Nigel later went on to captain the D1 Hofstra roller hockey team for two years, where he earned the “Keith Cerato” Ultimate Team-mate Award his Freshman year, and made the NCRHA All-Star team his Final year there. He most recently played for the George Mason ACHA D1 team, helping them earn their first automatic bid to Nationals in program history. Nigel is a massive Liverpool FC and Washington Capitals fan, and enjoys painting in his free time.

Herb Hasenpusch – Public Address Announcer/DJ

Herb Hasenpusch was introduced to ice hockey when he was seven years old.  He watched his grandmother shoot a puck through a small opening in a board as part of a Washington Capitals promotion for their 1975-1976 season. That goal resulted in Herb’s first NHL game in a sky suite at the Capital Center in Largo, MD.  Herb was in high school in the 1980s and found his way behind a microphone on his high school student run radio station,  “WJFK”.  Also, while in high school and college, Herb worked various jobs at Cabin John and Wheaton Ice Rinks in Montgomery County, MD, including producing  “mix tapes” for public skating sessions. Herb received his Bachelor Degree in Communication Arts from Salisbury University, where he was involved in college radio station “WSUR.”  Herb has been around Piney Orchard Ice Arena for many years where he watched his kids learn and play the great sport of ice hockey, and where his kids still play in adult leagues.

Alex Utano – Broadcaster

Bruno – The Bear