2016 Social Media Director Election
The Sons of Ben are pleased to announce the general election for a new Social Media Director. Our members will be voting for a new voice on our social media channels. We have received nominations for several very qualified candidates: Mollie Suitch, Sid McLeod, Kevin Leech, Jon Light and Michael Reeves.
Below you will find personal biographies and photos of each candidate. From February 1st-4th, we will be taking questions for the candidates in the Comments section below. You may ask general questions or questions directed at specific candidates. There are two things to keep in mind: you must leave your name with the question, and your question(s) may not be harassing, threatening or demeaning in any way. If you leave an anonymous question or one with a pseudonym, or a question that fails to meet the stated criteria, it is subject for removal.
A selection of the general questions will be given to the candidates and their responses will be posted on this site. Candidates will be able to respond to direct questions at their discretion. The answers will be posted once all candidates have responded.
We ask that you use this time to carefully consider each candidate. They are encouraged to campaign for themselves and we expect that they will use that opportunity to show their skill in social media use, the ability to rally their support and demonstrate their viability as a new member of the Board.
Voting will commence on or around February 15th and run through February 19th. You must be an SoB member as of February 8th in order to vote. The current SoB Board members will only vote in the event of a tie.
Any questions regarding the election may be sent to info@sonsofben.com or Tim.sosar@sonsofben.com
Below you will find the candidates up for election and a short bio.
Sid Macleod
I am a longtime Internet Solutions Consultant, Systems Admin, App Developer, and all around geekophile. Shoot, I even broke down and bought an Apple Watch. In my free time, I'm the SoccerMom from hell, a Little League Umpire, and Facilities Manager for our local Sports Complex. I have been a loyal SOB since 2009. My 11y/o Ben Franklin and I have been known to frequent sections 135 and 133 in the past, before settling a few seasons ago in 138. Opposing clubs must also fear my wrath in their own house, as I try to get to a few away matches a year, as well. I have never had a bad time standing with the Bens for getting on seven seasons, and have always shared my experiences through Social Media. Feel free to hit me up @sidmacleod on most of the usual suspects, including but not limited to, FB, Twitter, Instagram, G+, Yelp, GrubHub... I would be a natural fit to serve as Social Media Director for the #SonsOfBen. Those of you that know me know that I love having a good time, and I would love to share with more of you, I'm just a sharing kind of guy. Ha. But seriously, I would like to see more of us using Social Media to share videos, pictures, and even text of their SOB experience. Ok, if that did t work, I'm offering Free Beer*!
*actual prices may vary
Kevin Leech
Kevin became a Season Ticket Holder in 2011 and moved to The River End in 2013. He has helped out on the tifo crew and been a section leader/capo since 2013. He has also been on the Bearfight FC planning committee since its formation in 2014, focusing on how to grow the club’s membership and overall profile in the region. In 2015 he took over the charity arm of Bearfight Brigade, heading up charitable initiatives for the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County and the J Lewis Crozer Public Library in Chester. In 2015 he founded the Supporters Helping Supporters group, which is a River End-wide initiative aimed at raising money for Philadelphia Union supporters that may need some short-term financial assistance. He was also a member of the Sons of Ben St. Baldrick’s head shaving team for pediatric cancer research in 2014 and 2015.
Kevin and his wife of eight years, Melissa, have two sons, Nino (7) and Marcello (1), who are right at home in The River End. When he’s not leading chants in The River End, he tends bar at his family's restaurant on the Jersey Shore. You can find him behind the stick most nights of the week, always defending his bar against Red Bull supporters.
Mollie Suitch
Mollie Suitch has been a fan of the Union since 2010, and was introduced to the Sons of Ben in 2013. She became more involved with the SoB when she started volunteering with Tifo painting as well as set up and breakdown. Finding her own Sons of Ben family in section 138, Mollie is now a season ticket holder.
She has a bachelors degree in Communications from Arcadia University and currently works in marketing and social media. If elected she will utilize the skills she has developed during her college and professional career. She's excited at the opportunity to implement her original videos and graphics into the Sons of Ben’s social media campaign. Additionally, she wants to create a Snapchat account for the SoB to give the viewers direct access to live events and enhance gameday experience.
Mollie is very passionate about the mission of the Sons of Ben and supporting the Union, a passion which she looks forward to bringing to this board position.
Jon Light
My name is Jon Light (I'm on the Left) and I have been in the Sons of Ben since 2010, Member #1969…if we are getting into specifics, and will be a first time STH going into this season (Section 139). Prior to this year I attended Millersville University and studied Graphic Communications. When I was able to attend games and events I made an effort to be the loudest in my section. You may even recognize me as the guy with a big red beard and no voice at the end of the game. My time with the Sons of Ben to this point has been full of incredible moments. From helping paint the “We Thank Those Who Defend Us” Tifo to getting to carry a two pole into the 2013 Draft to designing the 2016 SoB Scarf. Each and every interaction and moment pertaining to this team has been crucial in defining my relationship with this club and its supporters. I am currently the Web Master for the Sons of Ben website and one of my primary objectives, if elected, would be to promote more content and songs from the organization website to our social media platforms. I want to see the Sons of Ben grow to its full potential and using Social Media is an amazing way to show the casual fan what we are doing behind the scenes to get to that point. I want our social media outlets to serve as an efficient communication tool going into game day to aid in creating the best atmosphere possible in the best stadium in the MLS. If elected to this position I will do my very best to make sure that these objectives are completed. Thank You.
Michael Reeves
Hello,
My name is Michael Reeves, I am recent graduated from Kutztown University with a BA in communication and a minor in Public Relations. I am a huge supporter of the Union and Tottenham Hotspurs. I have been a member of the Sons of Ben for the past four years. Every time I go to a game I get tickets in the Sons of Ben and I have the greatest time standing, chanting, and cheering on the boys in blue. I always bring different friends to games because most of them aren’t familiar with the culture. After experiencing both the tailgates and games, they all tell me after the game how crazy it was and want to start following the team right away and want to go back. Being more involved in the SoB’s is something I have been wanting to do for years now. This past summer I did a public relations internship with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in Wilmington, Delaware. I ran the branch’s social media accounts along with their main page. I volunteer with the organization as much as I can. I have participated in walks for the past four years. With this position I would strive to help continue to make the SoB the best supporting group in the MLS and anything I can to help the community. I want to be able to connect with people on an interpersonal level and keep them updated with all community and game day activities. To me, this is what makes the SoB so great.
Thank You,
Michael Reeves