Team of Four Promoted at Wild Things Park
Officials at Wild Things Park in Washington County announced four personnel advancements Thursday. Sports Facility, LLC is the parent company of Washington Frontier League Baseball better known as the Washington Wild Things, Washington County Family Entertainment, which promotes non-baseball events at Wild Things Park, and Homeplate Concessions, which operates concessions and catering at Wild Things Park.
Steven Zavacky has been named Executive Director of Sports Facility, LLC, President of Washington County Family Entertainment and President of Homeplate Concessions.
Zavacky, who resides in Canonsburg, has over 20 years experience in the sports and entertainment industry. He has been with the Wild Things organization since 2002 when the park opened under the name of Falconi Field. His responsibilities have included Facility management, food and beverage operations, sales, and special events. In 2015 Zavacky was named Washington Wild Things General Manager and he was named Vice President in 2018. Additionally, he has served on the Frontier League Board of Directors since 2017.
Prior to joining the Wild Things, Zavacky was Director of Parks and Recreation for the Borough of Bangor.
Tony Buccilli, who has been with the organization for seven years, has been promoted to President and General Manager of Washington Frontier League Baseball and Vice President of Washington County Family Entertainment.
The Murrysville native attended Wingate University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he completed his undergraduate work in Pharmacy and earned a Master’s Degree in Sports Management. Buccilli joined the Wild Things in 2012 but left following the season to accept a position with the Texas Rangers Baseball Operations Department for the 2014 season. He returned to the Wild Things and focused on player procurement.
Buccilli was named Assistant General Manager in 2017. In addition to his work with the Wild Things, Buccilli serves on the board of directors for Washington Youth Baseball.
JJ Heider, who has been the controller at Wild Things Park since 2012, was promoted to Vice President of Sports Facility, LLC. Prior to working for the Wild Things, the Washington native spent 17 years in the banking industry, working in the accounting department of Parkvale Bank.
Heider, who attended Clemson University and graduated from Waynesburg College, earned a B.S. in Business Administration. He will continue to oversee the accounting operations at the facility and he will collaborate in other departments, offering his expertise.
Christine Blaine, who worked with the team’s ownership group starting in 2001 while the park was under construction, was named Vice President for Washington Frontier League Baseball and Washington County Family Entertainment. Blaine who initially handled all communications efforts for the organization has most recently assumed a more active role in cultivating corporate relationships for the organization.
A native of Butler, Blaine has been involved with several community organizations, including the United Way of Washington County, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency (past president) Business and Professional Women (past president/district director) , Association of American University Women, The Brownson House, Big Brothers and Big Sisters. She was also a finalist in the Washington County Athena Awards.
Prior to working for the Wild Things, Blaine was the Director of Marketing & Communications for The Meadows Racetrack, and she was an educator in Erie County. She holds an A.B. from Grove City College, an M.Ed. from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. from Duquesne University.
The Wild Things 2019 season gets underway in May when the 18th home opener will take place on May 17.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Sports Facility, LLC is the parent company of Washington Frontier League Baseball , LLC (dba The Washington Wild Things), Washington County Family Entertainment, LLC (presenter of non-baseball activities at the park, i.e. concerts, professional wrestling, etc.), and Homeplate Concessions, LLC, who handles all of the food and beverage operations at the facility.
Wild Things Park is located just of Interstate 70 in Washington County at the halfway point between Pittsburgh and Wheeling. The state-of-the-art facility is home to the Washington Wild Things, minor league baseball team, the California University baseball team, the WPIAL baseball playoffs, the Washington Antiques Fair, along with an average of five concerts annually. In addition the facility hosts a series of baseball and softball tournaments each summer as well as a variety of charity fundraisers like the American Heart Walk, etc.
