Forward Janesville - TheReport - Second Quarter 2021

What do I do in my off hours? Well right now that answer is sleep! Every day I wake up at 4am (not intentionally), with my mind racing with the dozens of things that need attention the coming season. But that will change, and things will settle down. It’s going to be a very exciting season. It might surprise people to learn that I commuted weekly from Madison to Minnesota for six years. That wasn’t exactly the original game plan, but we had kids in high school who really liked where they were and had a great peer group. At first we tried it for six months and then we went another year and the next thing you know it’s six-plus years! I don’t regret it at all, we have three happy grown kids who are all in their 20s now. HOW DID I GET HERE? s u c c e s s • c h a l l e n g e s • l i f e l e s s o n s • e d u c a t i o n • c a r e e r • f a m i l y • i n s p i r a t i o n s Put in the work. I loved sports. In high school in Wausau, I was part of a clean-up crew for our minor league team. When I attended UW- Madison, I reached out to the Muskies to volunteer, which ultimately led to a general manager role a few years later. When we moved to Minnesota for grad school, I reached out to Terry Ryan, the Twins Scouting Manager, who was from Janesville, and he said he’d help find something for me. During the 1991 playoff and World Series, I freshened coffee, did office work. Anything they needed. That entrée ultimately led to a six-year stint as the Twins’ Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships. 1 2 3 As you might guess, I am as busy as I’ve ever been in my professional life right now, getting Pohlman Field presentable, while preparing for the new stadium. The Snappers had two on staff during the pandemic and are now scaling up to 12 by mid-summer. Most important is finding the right fit, and that takes time and attention. When Quint Studer—who made his mark creating exceptional workplace cultures—is your owner, it’s a given that you prioritize that. I teach a sports marketing class at UW- Milwaukee. I also taught while in Minnesota. I love being on a college campus—the energy those students bring, it keeps me young. I’ve been an avid sports fan my whole life. If I could be anywhere for a three-week stretch I would go watch the Tour de France. The scenery, the history—it’s mesmerizing. Once you get into it and understand the strategy and drafting and interior competition, there’s almost nothing like it. Being a member of Forward Janesville is very important to us. We are very much a Stateline team and want to engage everyone in the region who loves the game or anyone who wants to be entertained. And as a coach in Middleton for many years I know how tremendous the youth baseball program is here. I recall many times being steamrolled by a Janesville team! • { LIFE LESSONS } I’ve been an avid biker for 15 years. I love getting out in the countryside. It’s easy on the bones and great exercise. I took that to a new level last year. Working from home during the pandemic, I was never stuck in traffic during rush hour, enabling me to get out and ride every day. I finished with a total of 2,700 miles, a small pandemic silver lining for me. JEFF JURGELLA PRESIDENT AT GATEWAY PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL BELOIT SNAPPERS, CLASS A AFFILIATE OF THE MIAMI MARLINS Push beyond your comfort level. My biggest challenge was how much of an introvert I was growing up. I pushed myself to overcome that, pursuing jobs and opportunities that put me out front. In college, I sold mattresses. While volunteering for the Muskies, I sold coupon books and vouchers. Today, I stand in front of a college class as a lecturer. I couldn’t have ever imagined being comfortable in front of an audience. It feels great to push yourself and find out what you can do. You can’t start networking early enough. In my line of work, the competition is fierce, and connections make all the difference. When I worked for the Twins, we would get 1,300 resumes for a handful of internships. Any edge that helps you stand out is critical. It doesn’t guarantee you the job, but it brings your resume to the top of the pile and provides a fighting chance. • • { EDUCATION } 1992-1995 MBA, Marketing University of Minnesota-Carlson School of Management Minneapolis, MN 1984-1987 BBA, Marketing, Management Wisconsin School of Business Madison, WI { WORK EXPERIENCE } JANUARY 2021-PRESENT President Beloit Snappers/Gateway Professional Baseball, LLC Beloit, WI May 2019-Present Adjunct Professor University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI 2019-2021 Vice President Legendary Way Sports Marketing / AmFam Championship Madison, WI 2012-2019 Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships Minnesota Twins Minneapolis, MN