PITTSBURGH (April 29, 2019) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has hired Jim Pappas as senior director of ticket sales and service.
Pappas, an original staff member with the organization in its inaugural 1999 season, will bring more than 30 years of experience in sports and ticket sales to the club.
“We are proud to welcome Jim to the Riverhounds SC organization,” said Kevin Johnston, general manager of Riverhounds SC and Highmark Stadium. “With his expertise and experience, we are confident Jim will excel in his role and help our club continue to grow.”
Pappas has prior experience as a ticket representative at Tickets.com, where he worked with the Pittsburgh Pirates and other MLB clubs in partnership with Major League Baseball in New York to bring the best possible online experience to fans, in addition to assisting with the use and development of the various ticketing software used by the Pirates.
He also previously worked 10 years at the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he started in operations before moving into corporate sales and customer-relationship management.
In December 1998, Pappas was hired by Riverhounds SC and worked for the club until 2001. He was a member of the team’s inaugural season staff, which played a key role in the club being named USL A-League Organization of the Year in 1999.
“I’m excited to return to Riverhounds SC,” Pappas said. “I truly loved working with the club 20 years ago, and I’m looking forward to working with the people of this organization and helping continue to propel it forward. It’s a great time to be involved with Riverhounds SC.”
The Pittsburgh native founded the Avonworth Soccer Association in 2004. He also was an assistant soccer coach at Avonworth High School for the girls program from 2008-14 and the boys program from 2014-15. He has four children, one of whom currently plays for the Riverhounds Development Academy.
Pappas graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management.
