The Springfield Cardinals this off-season hired Kim Inman as vice president of sales and marketing, replacing Kirk Elmquist. Inman, a St. Louis native and Springfield resident for 14 years, previously worked in sales management for Cutting Edge Solutions Inc., had a short stint at Noble and has been contracted for event recruitment and management. She served as the founding chairwoman of the American Cancer Society's Cattle Baron's Ball in August.
Q: What are some of the things you've done, professionally and as a volunteer, to prepare you for the Cardinals job?
A: I was in document management and worked on a national basis with large enterprise companies, Fortune 1,000s, and I also managed a team of project engineers, project managers, and salespeople. ... In the last two to three years, I had been doing a lot of contract work.
I helped (PFI Western Store owner) Randy Little bring the (Professional Bull Riding Tour) to town. ... For American Cancer Society, I worked with them and founded the new event, the Cattle Baron's Ball, and I helped with the Branson Promenade Stars parade down in Branson.
My background has been very heavily in the sales and marketing and events itself and that combination is really what, when (Springfield Cardinals vice president and General Manager) Matt Gifford and I talked, (the Cardinals) were looking for. It was a focus on marketing, a heavy focus on the sales side, and really how to do new and exciting things, how to think outside of the box.
Q: Can you give an example of a past project that showed some of that outside-the-box thinking?
A: The Cattle Baron's Ball. It was a very unique event that we brought to this region. We stepped outside the box and really looked at what we needed to do here and a lot of (fundraising events) across the country are country western. ... (The ball) is a very exclusive event, but it's something where people can come in jeans and cowboy boots and just really enjoy themselves. Our auction, for example, wasn't just a typical live auction; Jeff Gower donated a Budweiser Clydesdale and we had a heifer donated from the King Ranch in Texas, and an Arabian horse. So I try to find the things that are really of interest to people, and I think the biggest piece that I try to focus on (is) to remember to invite people to come back.
Q: You won't be the only new face in the Springfield Cardinals front office. Springfield City Councilman and former major league player Scott Bailes was named manager of market development at the end of November. What else is happening there?
A: Companies go through evolution of change, and that time of change is here right now. We're looking at our staff right now, we're adding some people on board. ... We'll be announcing who our sales manager is, and then we've created another position that will be a corporate sales manager. We are in the process of interviewing as well for community relations coordinator.
Q: What is your personal history with the Cardinals? Have you always been a baseball fan?
A: What's really interesting is that my father was born in St. Louis, and I was, too. As a child, he worked for the Cardinals and growing up, he sold popcorn and sodas at the Cardinals games. I was brought up with it. I thought Cardinals were on TV and on the radio 24-7, 365 as a child. It was always on, and dad was always watching the games. ... My grandmother is 90 years old, and she still watches her baseball games. I've always been surrounded with it.
Q: The St. Louis Cardinals announced an approximately 3 percent increase in 2010 season ticket prices, but the Springfield Cardinals aren't raising prices. How did you come to that decision?
A: The economy, where it is right now, and everybody else was raising prices. We have so many loyal fans and supporters that we chose to not raise the prices when (the cost of) everything else is rising. We've continued to have their support and their loyalty even through the tough times, so we just want to show our support back to them. ... There are a lot of areas with the economy that people are continuing to (keep) a part of their lives, and we believe that baseball will continue to be a part of their lives.[[In-content Ad]]
An updated Lawrence County Health Department facility is under construction in a new development area on the south side of Mount Vernon, according to project officials.
