The Sons of Ben are happy to announce the nominees for open Board of Elder positions! We will be holding elections for Membership and Philanthropy Directors. Voting will begin after Christmas with more information to come.

The nominees are:

Membership: Ashley Cunningham and J. Spike Rogan

Philanthropy: Lauren Murray and Pat Wolenter

As with our previous election, we will be posting a series of Questions answered by the candidates. We will take questions from the membership related to those positions to be included. Please send any questions to Tim Sosar at tim.sosar@sonsofben.com

In the meantime, we have biographies of each of the candidates for you to get to know them better....

Ashley:

Hi all! My name is Ashley and I have been involved with the Union and the Sons of Ben since 2010. I played soccer when I was younger and have always been interested in the soccer community. I got involved by going to a game with a friend and sitting in the River End. Instantly I was hooked! I wanted to be involved in it all and have been a season ticket holder for the past 4 years, just renewing for my 5th year.

I am applying for the Membership Director for the eBoard. I am hoping to be able to make this year and every year a fun and exciting one for all. I love sitting in the River End and want everybody to feel the same. I want to work to reinvigorate the River End and make it all that it can be. I want to work with the membership and the rest of the eBoard to make our membership better and to create an all around exciting experience! We are the Sons of Ben and I want to work with you!

Spike:

Hello and thank you for taking the time to consider me for, membership director.
My name is, Spike Rogan. I have been an SoB member since 2013 (and an s.o.b. personality since 1979). I live in Tobyhanna, PA (Monroe County). A Union home game is a minimum of 2.5 hours one way drive for me. So I’m a pretty dedicated fan as Pink Cows’ Arena is half the distance for me than Chester.

I work in local law enforcement in the Poconos, as an elected state constable. I have an Associate in Applied Science from Northampton Community College in Criminal Justice. As well as graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from, Waldorf College (now named Waldorf University), Forest City, IA.

When not working for the courts of the Commonwealth, I work as management for track operations at Pocono Raceway on major event weekends. Also in the past I worked to bring a major event back to the Poconos with the Verizon IndyCar series in 2013. As well as being a former writer and reporter covering IndyCar racing. Plus, I was a member of a pit crew for two seasons in the ARCA series (minor leagues to NASCAR).

I have a passion for: service, sports, community, charity, and sarcasm. I might not be a season ticker holder, as I can’t make every game. But this position is mostly handled away from the friendly confines of the SoB lot and Talon Energy Stadium. I’m collegiately trained in business management as part of my education. I’d be proud to serve my fellow members this season, if they choose to elect me.

Lauren:

My name is Lauren Murray; I am extremely interested in the Philanthropy Director position. I’ve always been involved in the community: while living in Dallas, Texas, I led a fundraising effort for a high kill animal shelter. Since moving back to NJ, I led a fundraiser for the South Jersey Food Bank. I’ve volunteered with Feeding 5000, worked with the United Way to create a safe environment for inner city kids to read, and volunteered at homeless shelters. I coach a Special Olympics soccer team.

During the week I supervise a team of customer service representatives: my days are filled with prioritizing requests,communicating with all levels of employees, getting yelled at by clients, and diplomatically saying “no” to requests. My job requires approachability, strong organization skills and an attention to detail (all of which are needed in order to successfully manage an organization’s philanthropic efforts).

I am a new soccer fan. Like many Americans, I became soccer obsessed due to the US Women’s World Cup (traveling to Canada twice). From that point forward, I was hooked. I became a member of the American Outlaws, started following the Union; I’ve been a fan ever since. While this is my first year as a SoB, I am confident that I can be a strong contributor to your philanthropic efforts and organization.

Pat:

Hello SoBs!

My name is Pat Wolenter and I would be honored to be your Philanthropy Director. My involvement with the SoB stretches back to June 2008 when I became member number 1,619, and over the past eight years a good chunk of my personal identify has been molded around our events: road trips, viewing parties, painting tifos, attending tailgates, and (of course) dooping in the River End with you all.

Volunteerism has consistently played a large role in my life, and the most personal satisfaction I get within the Sons of Ben is participating in the charity events we collectively get behind and support. The past several years I have organized charitable events for both my workplace and regional alumni group. Having the opportunity to change focus and spearhead this for the Sons of Ben is a welcomed challenge, and one I enthusiastically look forward to.

I view the Philanthropy Director role having two overarching goals: 1) To continue planning and executing our cornerstone events, and 2) To further the SoB’s philanthropy involvement based on membership feedback. To that end, I want to hear what causes YOU are passionate about, and how the Sons of Ben can get involved. You can contact me via Facebook message or via e-mail."

Tim Sosar

Vice President ~ Sons of Ben

Ad Finem Fidelis

2017 Membership and Philanthropy Director Nominees