EL1 Trenton Thunder

Thunder Name New General Manager

Published on August 18, 2008 under Eastern League (EL1)
Trenton Thunder News Release


(Trenton, NJ)- The Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, announced in a press conference at Waterfront Park today that Will Smith will take over as the team's General Manager and Chief Operating Officer. He will begin the position full time shortly after September 1st.

A native of Dumont, New Jersey, Smith joins the Thunder after serving as the General Manager of the Hagerstown Suns of the Class A South Atlantic League in Hagerstown, MD for the last two seasons.

"I feel extremely fortunate to be joining the Thunder family. This is a tremendous opportunity for Jada and me. Our local ownership group is highly regarded in Minor League Baseball and I look forward to leading our accomplished staff for another 15 years or more," said Smith.

The move to Trenton marks Smith's return to Mercer County. He graduated from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Will worked as an Operations Engineer for the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) in Princeton, NJ from 1997 - 2001. After leaving the engineering field, Smith began his career in sports in the Eastern League with the New Haven Ravens (CT) in 2001-2002. He served as a Groups Sales Account Representative for one year before being promoted to Director, Merchandise & Community Relations in 2002.

In January 2003, Smith was hired as the Director, Ticket Sales/Merchandise for the Hagerstown Suns. He was promoted to Assistant General Manager following the season and served in that role until being promoted to General Manager in September 2006. In his time as General Manager, Will was the daily operator of the franchise and an active member of the Hagerstown community.

"After a nationwide search over the last eight weeks, we are confident that we've found the right person to lead the Thunder into our next chapter," said Thunder President Joe Finley. "Will brings a history of success in Minor League Baseball and we're excited to welcome him back to New Jersey."

Will and his wife Jada have been married since May 2007.

Brad Taylor announced his resignation as Thunder General Manager on July 11 to take the same position for the start-up South Atlantic League franchise in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Smith is the fourth General Manager in the Thunder's 15 year history following Wayne Hodes (1994-1999), Rick Brenner (2000-2005) and Brad Taylor (2006-2008).

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