Management Team

Tom Dickson | Sherrie Myers | Greg Rauch | Jonathan Harris

 

Tom Dickson

Chief Executive Officer

Tom started his professional career with Leo Burnett Advertising, the largest advertising agency in the United States. In his 17 years with Burnett, Tom directed several national and multi-national businesses including Kellogg, Procter & Gamble, Nintendo, Hallmark, and Keebler, gaining an extensive knowledge of all marketing disciplines including advertising, sales promotion, database marketing, branding and sports marketing. Tom was an Executive Vice President when he left Leo Burnett in 1996 to start his own company, Professional Sports Marketing.

In 1993, Tom in conjunction with wife Sherrie Myers purchased the Waterloo Diamonds. Tom and Sherrie moved the team to Michigan’s Capital city in 1996 and re-branded them as the Lansing Lugnuts. The team’s success has been unwavering, as the Lugnuts have averaged over 350,000 fans per year over the team’s first 15 seasons, and have been named one of the most successful professional sports franchises in minor league history.

In 2001, Tom and Sherrie purchased the Charleston Alley Cats, and began working with government officials to put together financing for a new ballpark. In October 2002, funding for the new $23MM facility was approved and opened in April of 2005.

In 2002, Professional Sports Marketing was selected from a nationwide competition to bring baseball to the city of Montgomery, Alabama. The Montgomery Biscuits began play in a new $30MM ballpark in 2004. Two years later the ballpark was rated best in all of minor league baseball by Baseball America.

Professional Sports Marketing partnered with the Great Lakes Loons in 2005 to develop Dow Diamond, a new state of the art ballpark in downtown Midland, Michigan. It was through this consulting project that Tom identified the need in the industry for a food service provider who truly understood the nuances of minor league baseball. To fill this gap, Tom along with his business partners, launched Professional Sports Catering.

In addition to Lansing, Charleston, and Montgomery, Tom and Sherrie have been responsible for the development of over $250MM worth of new minor league ballparks in markets such as Dayton, Ohio; Joliet, Illinois; Gary, Indiana and Eastlake, Ohio.

Tom is widely considered as one of the preeminent entrepreneurs in the business of sports.  Utilizing his professional marketing background, Tom has implemented innovative and highly effective strategies to create his successful franchises.  Readers of USA Today recently voted The Lansing Lugnuts and Montgomery Biscuits the #1 and #2 minor league baseball brands in the country.  Tom has been widely featured in national media including CNN, Sports Illustrated, Smart Money magazine, The Chicago Tribune Magazine, ESPN, National Public Radio, and many others.

Tom lives in Wilmette, IL with his wife Sherrie, son Drew and Milo – the family’s Welsh Terrier.

Sherrie Myers

Managing Partner

Sherrie began her career with the Chicago Tribune in advertising sales. Over the course of the next 20 years, Sherrie progressed through the world of sales management and publishing, working at several national magazines including Smithsonian, Sunset, and Southern Living. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Sherrie was part of start-up teams that launched several national magazines that were later sold to Time-Warner and ABC Cap Cities.

In 1996, Sherrie, along with her husband Tom Dickson, launched the minor league affiliated baseball team, the Lansing Lugnuts. Playing in Cooley Law School Stadium, a new $20MM stadium constructed in 1996 in Lansing, Michigan, the Lugnuts have been one of the most successful professional sports franchises in minor league history. The Lugnuts set the Class-A baseball attendance record in 1996 drawing over 535,000 fans.  The team has played a key role in the revitalization of downtown Lansing, becoming an integral part of the mid-Michigan community.

In 1999 Sherrie was profiled in Women Entrepreneurs Only, a book featuring 12 prominent female entrepreneurs in the United States.

In 2001, Tom and Sherrie purchased the Charleston Alley Cats in the South Atlantic League, and began working with government officials to put together financing for a new ballpark.  In October 2002, funding for the new $23.0MM facility was approved.  Like its sister team in Lansing, the Charleston club play in a new state-of-the-art facility designed by Kansas City based architects HNTB, that opened in April of 2005. 

In 2002, as part of a nationwide competition, Tom and Sherrie were selected by the City of Montgomery, Alabama to bring affiliated baseball to town.  Montgomery, as part of its riverfront redevelopment efforts, built a new $26.0MM ballpark which opened in April 2004.  Tom & Sherrie announced the team name, “the Montgomery Biscuits”, the AA Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, a year prior, and received an overwhelming response nationwide.  Internet retail sales have brought Biscuits merchandise into 50 states and 11 countries.

In addition to Lansing, Charleston and Montgomery, Tom and Sherrie together have gone on to be responsible for the development of over $250MM worth of new minor league ballparks over the past 10 years in markets such as Dayton, Ohio; Joliet, Illinois; Gary, Indiana; Eastlake, Ohio and Midland, MI.  All efforts work with a goal towards using baseball effectively, advertised and marketed as economic development and quality of life stimulus.

Sherrie’s focus and expertise is in start-ups and sales.  She is known for leading not only cities and governments into considering development options, but teams of young employees.  Sherrie believes their number one asset is people and prides herself on motivating others.

Sherrie lives in Wilmette, IL with her husband Tom, son Drew and Milo – the family’s Welsh Terrier.

Greg Rauch

Partner

Greg began career with PSM/PSC 15 years ago as box office manager for the Lansing Lugnuts.  In his current role as President and General Manager for PSC and the Montgomery Biscuits, Greg is responsible for a broad scope of all organizations, including the start-up, layout, design, finance and daily operations of the baseball and food service business. Greg managed the initial transition from Volume Services to the Lugnuts’ internal food operation in 2001. From there, he developed his knowledge and understanding of catering and concessions’ operations and was able to implement that in the start-up of all PSC food operations.  Greg was the Southern League GM of the Year in 2006.  He resides in Wetumpka, Alabama with his wife, Carrie and son, Greg.

Jonathan Harris

Partner

Jonathan joined PSM/PSC in 2003 after spending several years in both public and private accounting.  During his tenure at PSM/PSC, Jonathan has developed an expertise in all matters relating to the finance of minor league baseball franchises and food services including on-going operations, taxation, insurance, lease/contract negotiation and investor relations. Additionally, Jonathan has been integrally involved with several new business start-ups, as well as team acquisition, refinancing and divestiture. Following the formation of Professional Sports Catering, LLC in 2005, Jonathan took over as CFO for PSC as well.  Jonathan and his wife, Cara, reside in Highland Park, IL with their two sons, Elan and Avi.