Chris Rogers – Team President

crogers@marylandblackbears.com

Chris Rogers was named Director of Game Day & Business Operations in August of 2021. His responsibilities had included ensuring fans have a great experience during Black Bears games and working within the community to partner with numerous outstanding people and businesses around Central Maryland. Most recently Chris has been named the Team President of the Maryland Black Bears in August of 2023.
 
He comes to the Black Bears after more than a decade of wide-ranging experience with the Bowie Baysox, the ‘AA’ affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Rogers has brainstormed and executed numerous creative promotions, brought in thousands of fans year after year, directed youth camps, and even filled a mascot suit or two.
 
Rogers is a native of Northern Virginia and graduate of the College of William & Mary. He resides in Silver Spring with his wife Emily and their two small kids, Amy & Xavier. An avid Washington Capitals and San Francisco Giants fan, Rogers enjoys running in his free time.
 

 

Jess Thomas – Marketing and Events Manager

jthomas@marylandblackbears.com

 

Amber Radtke – Athletic Trainer

amber.r.radtke@medstar.net

Amber Radtke MS, LAT, ATC, NASM-CES joined MedStar Sports Medicine in 2016 after spending 4 years as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.  Amber is currently the Head Athletic Trainer for the Maryland Black Bears junior ice hockey team and is a community liaison in the Baltimore region working closely with the Baltimore Union Soccer Club. She is also currently the Head Athletic Trainer for the USA Lacrosse Women’s 6’s team. Prior to taking on these roles within MedStar Health, she was the Head Athletic Trainer at CCBC Essex.
 
Amber earned her bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of Michigan and her master’s degree in Athletic Training at the University of Kentucky. In 2013 she was the Athletic Trainer for the Haudenosaunee National Women’s Lacrosse team during the FILA 2013 World Cup.  Amber is also a National Academy of Sports Medicine Corrective Exercise Specialist, Hawk grips practitioner level I and II, and American Heart Association HeartSaver instructor. Her special interests include knee rehabilitation, mental health, and emergency medicine and planning. Amber loves traveling, reading books, and selling homemade roasted almonds.
 
 
 

James Harding – Photographer

For inquiries regarding James Harding’s Maryland Black Bears Photography : theartofpictures2008@gmail.com or reach out to @TheArtOfPicture on Twitter & @my_artofpictures on Instagram.

Currently entering his 5th season with the Maryland Black Bears, Jim has more than 20 years of experience as a professional photographer capturing images for NASCAR, 25 different NCAA Universities covering teams playing hockey, football, baseball and soccer and more, including 4 years photographing exclusively for Penn State, and freelance work with The Washington Post. Prior to taking up sports photography, Jim spent 21 years serving our country as a Special Tactics operator with the Air Force Special Operations Command, 720th Special Tactics Group, 10th CWS.
 
Jim is a Penn State graduate with Bachelor’s degrees in History, Russian Language and Photography and is currently working on his Phd in Russian History with George Mason and Penn State universities.
 
 
 

Jon Pitanzo – Photographer

Joining the Black Bears in 2018, Jon has a long history with photography, including trips to numerous NHL Drafts and Winter Classics. Pitonzo also has strong ties to the state, graduating from Mount St. Joseph in Baltimore and McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) in Westminster. On top of photography, Jon co-hosts Face Off Hockey Show; a podcast about the world of hockey.  In his spare time, Jon enjoys golfing and traveling.

For inquiries regarding Jon Pitonzo’s Maryland Black Bears Photography email faceoffhockeyshow@gmail.com or reach out to the Face Off Hockey Show (FOHSRadio) on Facebook & Instagram.

 

Nigel Grove – Graphic Designer and Social Media Manager

nigel.grove25@gmail.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 at 7 years of age when 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 Caps game in a sky suite at the Capital Center in Largo, MD. In high school, Herb found his way behind a microphone when he had a time slot during the “lunch hour rush” on his high school radio station,  “WJFK”. In his teens, Herb worked doing various jobs at Cabin John and Wheaton Ice Rinks in Montgomery County, MD, including producing 1980s style “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”; and where he focused his studies on mass media and the “technical side” of theater. Herb has been around Piney Orchard Ice Arena for the past 10 years where he watched his kids learn and play the great sport of ice hockey. Herb’s “day job” for the past 32 years has been serving the community as a first responder, but his Mom is happy he is finally applying what he learned in college as the Black Bears PA Announcer and arena DJ.

Herb said, “I feel very fortunate to be a member of the game day operations team for the North American Hockey League Maryland Black Bears. I love knowing the small part I play helps create a family fun and exciting ice hockey atmosphere.”
 
Herb has been with the Maryland Black Bears since the 2018-2019 inaugural season.

 

Alex Utano – Broadcaster

 

Bruno – The Bear