Leadership
Rick White
President of the Atlantic League
Rick White is the President of the Atlantic League, where he supervises the activities of baseball’s
leading MLB Partner League. During his time with the League, Mr. White overhauled league financial
affairs and initiated Pace of Play initiatives, influencing Major League Baseball to take similar
steps. He then led the pioneering ALPB-MLB Test Rules & Equipment Partnership, where the Atlantic
League tested initiatives destined for adoption by Major League Baseball. The Agreement marked the
first-ever public recognition of an independent professional baseball league by Major League
Baseball. Mr. White’s efforts led to the Atlantic League being recognized as the first MLB
Professional Partner League.
Mr. White has led public-private partnerships resulting in three new Atlantic League ballparks and
growth from six to ten teams. He developed the ALPB’s proprietary Drake branded baseball, the first
time in over one hundred years a league has created and produced its own official baseball. Most
recently, he has developed Dugout TV, the league’s diamond sports channel.
Prior to joining the Atlantic League in 2014, Mr. White founded Strategic Marketing Affiliates, was
the President and CEO of Imperial Headwear and spent a number of years at Major League Baseball
where he founded MLB Properties, which oversaw trademark licensing, corporate marketing, publishing,
sponsorship, international and special events. White created sports’ first authentic fan apparel
(“Diamond Collection”), vintage products (“Cooperstown Collection”), sports fan festivals (“All-Star
FanFest”) and launched MLB Clubhouse retail shops. He led licensed product sales from $200M to $2B
and was the first non-Commissioner to be conferred the prestigious Baseball Alumni Team “Big Bat
Award.”
A native of Los Angeles, Mr. White attended Chapman University where he was student body president
and played on the school’s nationally ranked baseball team. Mr. White graduated Magna Cum Laude,
with a B.S. in Psychology. He earned his MBA at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Business.
Mr. White has been named Boy Scout Man of the Year and has been awarded the Colorado PGA’s
President’s Award. He resides in New York City with his wife, Lynne Cribari. They are proud parents
of daughter Madison, a film industry professional.
Kevin Winn
Director of Baseball Operations
Kevin Winn is joined the Atlantic League in 2022 and is the league’s Director of Baseball
Operations.
Prior to joining the Atlantic League, Winn served as Deputy Commissioner of the Frontier League (
2019-2022) after leading the Can-Am League delegation through the merger process with the Frontier
League. Winn served the Can-Am League from 2005 through 2019 in various roles, ultimately becoming
Executive Director.
Additionally, he served the American Association as Director of Baseball Operations and Umpire
Development from 2005 through 2018 and the Texas-Louisiana/Central League as Umpire Supervisor from
2000-2005.
Currently, three Major League Umpires started their careers working for Winn in the Can-Am League,
Adam Hamari and Will Little as well as former American Association umpire Brock Ballou (MLB callup
umpire).
Winn resides in North Granby, Connecticut with his wife, Colonel Lori Winn, USAF, (Ret), and their
two daughters, Kendall and Reagan.
Emily Merrill
League AdministratorEmily Merrill has served as League Administrator since 2004. She oversees all accounting and financial operations for the League as well as managing player transactions. Emily’s accounting career spans across sports, hospitality, event venues, healthcare, and professional services. She has provided financial oversight for multiple professional baseball organizations, including leadership roles with Opening Day Partners and the Round Rock Express. Emily received a BS/BA from the University of Richmond and earned a Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Business from UMass-Lowell. She resides in Lititz, Pennsylvania. with her husband, Phil, and they have two adult children, Carolina and Nathaniel. Currently Emily serves as Treasurer and a Board Member for her local Meals on Wheels organization.
Steve Shutt
Director of Communications
Steve Shutt joined the High Point Rockers in 2021 as the Director of Communications and added the
same position with the Atlantic League in January, 2022. He works closely with the league
communications directors, official scorers, as well as the league’s streaming, statistical service
and website partners. He is one of the originators of DugoutTV.
Prior to his transition to professional baseball, Shutt spent 40 years in the athletic
communications field, primarily at the college level. He most recently served for 13 years as the
Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications at Wake Forest University.
In his role with the Rockers and the ALPB, Shutt assists the staff in all aspects of communications
including publicity and public relations while continuing to develop relationships with the media.
Shutt has an extensive background in baseball including serving as the Tournament Director for the
Southern Conference Baseball Championship from 2001-05 and as the play-by-play voice for Wake Forest
baseball from 2012-15.
Shutt has spent time in college athletics as a sports information director, assistant AD and
associate AD at Indian River State College, Bowling Green State University, New Mexico State
University, and Wofford College as well as at Wake Forest and at the Southern Conference office. He
is a 1980 graduate of Bowling Green where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
He resides in Clemmons, North Carolina and is the father of two adult children, Gabriela and Javier.
Brooks Leger
Social Media DirectorBrooks Leger joined the Atlantic League in April 2023 as its Social Media Director. In that role, he generates all social media activity that originates with the ALPB and serves to amplify the social media messaging of the league’s ten member clubs. Brooks has extensive experience in college athletics, currently working as an Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Fan Experience at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He previously worked as an assistant commissioner for video and digital strategy with the South Atlantic Conference and as the director of creative services at Texas Tech University. Brooks is a graduate of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina. and earned his MBA at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. Brooks resides in Spartanburg, South Carolina with his wife, Aimee, and two sons, Burke and Boone.