Executive Committee

Jon Absey

Jon Absey is in a class all his own. Dating back to his first season in Utah, he performed at over 900 NBA games, has donated 16,000-plus hours of assistance in the community for more than 300 community organizations, and raised more than one million dollars for charity in the process. Jon has taken home more than 40 community and national awards, including eight mascot leadership awards, keys to two cities, been honored by three individual governors with his very own “Day in Utah”, been named Mascot of the Year in the NBA five times and Best Mascot out of all sports nationwide twice and, just recently was given an award for the best video by a mascot out of all sports nationwide. He has been inducted into the YMCA Hall of Fame, the Utah Summer Games Hall of Fame, and the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006.

Zoltan Berencsi

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Zoltan Berencsi

Zoltan Berencsi is the Senior Producer of the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters and a Professional Mascot with over 20 years of experience performing for sports teams in the NBA, WNBA, NFL and NHL.

Robert Boudwin

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Robert Boudwin

Better known for over 2 decades as Houston Rockets mascot “Clutch the Bear" a character he created in 1995 as well as having created YoUDee "The University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hen" in 1993 both of which are Mascot Hall of Fame Inductees.

Chris Bruce

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Chris Bruce

Christopher Bruce has an extensive character performance background, having worked in almost every professional sports environment possible over the past 20 years. Chris is a proud alumni of the University of Delaware where he performed as the mascot, YoUDee, for 4 years and brought home the program's first ever Mascot National Championship in 2002. As the best friend of Reggy the Purple Party Dude, Chris has entertained in hundreds of stadiums and arenas throughout North America and worked alongside Dave Raymond contributing greatly to the origination and formation of the Mascot Hall of Fame itself. Beyond his work in sports entertainment, Chris owns and operated King Creative, a production company specializing in film, video and content development projects.

Tom Burgoyne

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Tom Burgoyne

Tom Burgoyne has been performing as the Phillie Phanatic for over thirty years. Tom first donned the Phanatic costume in 1989 after answering an anonymous want-ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Working as a backup to David Raymond (the first Phanatic performer) for five years, Tom handled many of the Phanatic’s promotional appearances until the 1994 season when he took over all game day duties. Since then, Tom has travelled across the country and around the world bringing the Phanatic’s special brand of humor to sports fans everywhere. Tom has co-authored two other books about Phillies baseball and has written seventeen children’s books, chronicling the adventures of the Phillie Phanatic.

Donna Cafferata

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Donna Cafferata

Bio coming soon

Brad Collins

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Brad Collins

Brad’s career began in 2001 when he became Sparty, at Michigan State. Upon graduation he took employment as JJ Jumper, a mascot for NCAA Basketball. In 2004, he took a job to help revamp the Delmarva Shorebirds (Class A – Orioles) character, Sherman. In 2006, he moved to Fresno to introduce a new character, Parker, for the Fresno Grizzlies. (AAA – Giants) In 2011, he took a job with the Kansas City Royals. First ever MiLB mascot to win GameOps.com Mascot of the Year in 2007. Named one of the top mascots of the Decade by GameOps.com (2000 – 2010). Has performed at UCA Nationals, B1G Football games, the 2004 Final Four, the 2014 and 2015 World Series, 9 MLB All-Star Games and was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2017. He lives in Lenexa, KS with his wife Jessica and their 2 daughters, Norah and Charlotte.

Jon Cudo

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Jon Cudo

Cudo was the original Timberwolves (NBA) mascot Crunch from 1989-1996. In 1996 Jon was a Producer, directer and performer at Nike Sports Entertainment. From 1998-2000 he performed as Spot the Fire Dog for the Portland Fire (WNBA) and then created and performed as the Cleveland Cavaliers official mascot Moondog for over 15 years. In addition he founded Mark Out Productions and the industry website Gameops.com in 1998.

Joe Doyle

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Joe Doyle

A native of Mahopac, NY, he is a 2006 graduate of the University of Hartford, in West Hartford CT. Joe has a BA in Psychology and Communications, with an emphasis in Advertising. Joe started his career in sports working for the Brockton Rox and continued his career working for the Hudson Valley Renegades, New Britain Rock Cats, and Joliet JackHammers, before coming to the Blackhawks in 2008. During his tenure with the Blackhawks he has led the revitalization of the mascot program, and in 2017, Tommy Hawk was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame and in 2019 was voted NHL Mascot of the Year.

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Matt Dudzik

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Matt Dudzik

Matt has been employed at Purdue Northwest in Hammond, IN since 2002.

Matt is the Assistant Athletic Director for facilities and is the Director of the Intramural Sports program taking the program over that had two intramurals to now over 40 with one of the most unique programs in the country offering not only the traditional sports like flag football, basketball and volleyball but the non-traditional/unique from baking, fishing, Intramural “Intra mural” contest (art contest), combat archery to ghost hunting

Matt is a native of the Whiting/Robertsdale community and has two sons, Devin and Dylan who love the Mascot Hall of Fame and the smoothies at the Wacky Snacks

Trip Durham

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Trip Durham

At 14, Trip was a varsity baseball manager at Williams High School in Burlington. Thus began what he affectionately calls his “sports life.” As the third Executive Director of the NC Sports Hall of Fame, Trip has built an incredible resume of resources, experience, and know-how. Through his work in minor league baseball, college athletics, and his own consulting business during the most protracted recession in US history, he works daily to make this Hall of Fame a true treasure for the Old North State.

Tim Falkner

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Tim Falkner

Tim got his start in the mascot world in 1993 with Discovery Zone where he performed as Denver The Last Dinosaur. In '96 he joined the St. Louis Cardinals as Fredbird's very close friend and has been there for 24 seasons helping with skit ideas, crowd involvement, outside appearances, and costume management. In his spare time, he's been creating, designing, and making puppets of all kinds to be used in a kids show coming soon.

Joby Giacalone

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Joby Giacalone

Joby performed as Joe Bear for Lenoir-Rhyne College and was the original Homer the Dragon for the Charlotte Knights. He helped the Charlotte Hornets for a spell as Hugo the Hornet, and was the original Dinger the Dinosaur for the Colorado Rockies.

Joby created COSMO the Sheepdog in 1997 who performs primarily at Special Olympics events and other charity events in Virginia. COSMO was retired in 2022 after 25 years of performing.

Tom Hanson

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Tom Hanson

Bio Coming Soon.

Dan Kilday

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Dan Kilday

Original performer of the Cleveland Indians (MLB) mascot “Slider”. Dan’s debut as Slider was 1990. He and Slider are celebrating their 30th season with the Cleveland Indians. Slider was inducted into the MHOF in 2008. Dan is still the main performer, creating and managing the brand of Slider.

Ken Kusbel

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Ken Kusbel

Bio coming soon.

Wes Lockard

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Wes Lockard

The only mascot on record to major in criminology and work UNDER COVER during a 22 year career. Wes worked all home games for Old Dominion University Mens and Womens games and AAA of the New York Mets (They were called the Tidewater Tides). His Performance Highlights include WTAR "Seagull" 1979-1982, New Jersey Nets "Duncan" of the NBA 1982-1988, and Miami Heat "Burnie" 1988-2001. Currently, Wes works as the special events coordinator for the City of Plantation, FL since 2001.

Bromley Lowe

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Bromley Lowe

Bromley is known for being the creator, producer and a performer of The YoJo Show, which is a “Hilariously Educational” school assembly program that features a big, blue, wild and groovy character: YoJo!

Bromley created YoJo in March of 2000 and has performed over 4,000 shows to elementary schools all across America. Bromley also performed as a mascot for The Baltimore Orioles for 11 seasons, The Baltimore Ravens for 4 seasons, FIFA World Cup soccer in 1994, and “Clawed” the Eagle at American University in Washington, DC.

AJ Mass

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AJ Mass

AJ Mass was the first Mr. Met in the mascot’s current incarnation, which the New York Mets brought back into the fold in 1994. He is the author of two books, including the go-to guide when it comes to the history of sports mascots in the United States, “Yes, It’s Hot in Here” and

“How Fantasy Sports Explains the World.”

AJ also starred in the Errol Morris-directed short film “Being Mr. Met,” an account of his time as the titular (snicker, snicker) major-league mascot. He also holds the record as the highest-scoring losing contestant in the history of MTV’s “Remote Control,” though he did successfully “Sing Along with Colin.” AJ has been a writer and editor of fantasy sports for ESPN.com since 2007. Twitter: @ajmass

Dan Meers

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Dan Meers

Dan was selected the nation’s #1 college mascot at the 1989 National Collegiate Mascot Championships as the University of Missouri’s Truman Tiger. After a short time as the mascot for the St. Louis Cardinals he was offered the role of KC Wolf, the official mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs, in 1990. KC Wolf was inducted into the MHOF in 2006.

Trey Mock

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Trey Mock

Bio coming soon.

Todd "Parney" Parnell

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Todd "Parney" Parnell

Todd “Parney” Parnell is a proud native of Locust, North Carolina, and has been in minor league baseball front offices for more than 30 years. Known for his larger-than-life personality, matched by his crazy, multi-colored pants, Parney has also gained a reputation for his passion for community and people. Parney is an executive for the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Montgomery Biscuits, two franchises which are known for making a year-round impact on their communities, and the clubs’ mascots are a central part of their community outreach.

David Raymond

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David Raymond

Dave is the original Phillie Phanatic and the founder of the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2005. Since being out of the costume, he partnered with the City of Whiting to build the MHOF its new home. As the nation’s leading market consultant for character branding on and off the field, court, or in the board room, Raymond generates The Power of Fun™ for over 250 sports teams and companies across the nation.

John Routh

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John Routh

The "original" John Routh (pronounced Ruth but no relation to Babe) got his mascot start as the "original" Cocky at the University of South Carolina in 1980. Invited to perform at the College World Series (CWS) in 1981 & 1982, he met Coach Ron Fraser, the "Wizard of College Baseball" who brought him South to the University of Miami to perform as the only professional mascot in college athletics as the "original" Miami Maniac for Canes Baseball (1983-1993) and, to go along with his split personality, he would add the dual role of the football mascot Sebastian the Ibis (1984-1992). In 1993, he became the "original" Billy the Marlin for the Florida Marlins for ten years through the 2002 season. Along the way, John also appeared as characters Pat C. Gull for the New England Patriots (1991), Striker for USA Soccer (1994), and Hosty the Super Bear for the 1995 Miami Super Bowl.

During his career, Routh would perform as the "official" mascot of the CWS 11 times, in 17 countries worldwide, including 7 trips to Japan and numerous times in Europe, and 49 of the 50 United States. John has served as the "original" Executive Director of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame since 2009.

Joe Shimala

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Joe Shimala

Bio coming soon.

Jennifer Smith

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Jennifer Smith

Jennifer Smith has been making mascots since before mascots were a “Thing”. Avant Garb began life in 1986 in her Berkeley, California garage. Avant Garb is a mascot design and production studio specializing in “small batch” mascots, generally 1 - 3 of the same mascot at a time. Clients include humongous tech companies, pharmaceuticals, health orgs, museums and, of course schools and pro-sports teams. Jennifer believes mascots could bring world peace. Their weapon is silly string.

Jennifer is not only involved in the creation of mascots, but she also sits as the President of the National Mascot Association.

Kristen Jacob Smith

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Kristen Jacob Smith

Kristen Jacob Smith, an avid fan of mascots, has had the opportunity and enjoyment of meeting hundreds of characters across the country as a 15-year employee at the NCAA. She serves as an Associate Director of Broadcast Services in the Championship and Alliances department, where she has witnessed mascots enhance both the student-athlete and fan experience at marquee Division I championships, including the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours, Men’s College World Series, Women’s Volleyball Championship, and Men’s and Women’s College Cups.

A native of Middletown, Connecticut, Smith is a proud graduate of the University of Connecticut. She resides in Brownsburg, Indiana, with her husband, Jeff, and three young sons, Jayden, Kaleb and Logan.

Al Spajer

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Al Spajer

Al has been involved with the Mascot Hall of Fame since 2014. Prior to that, he spent 40 plus years in the steel industry, most recently as the Senior Director of Human Resources in facilities located in Birmingham, Alabama and Gary, Indiana. He is a graduate of DePaul University Law School in Chicago, Illinois. Al has always been active in community related activities. Most notably, he has been with Lake Area United Way for over 50 years and has served on its board of directors for many years. He also formed a charity amateur hockey team which contributed funds to the issues of breast cancer, women’s heart disease and lupus.

Al was the original Executive Director of the Mascot Hall of Fame during its construction phase. He’s also filled the roll of Director of Community Engagement for the facility and most happily fills the role of “Grandpa Mascot” whenever required.

He and his wife, Deb, have always been proud supporters of the Mascot Hall of Fame. They reside in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Steve Spebar

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Steve Spebar

Mayor of Whiting, Indiana

Mayor Spebar is now serving his 1st term as City of Whiting’s Mayor. He attended grade school at St. John the Baptist, graduated from Bishop Noll Institute in 1980, and continued his education at Marian University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business finance, accompanied by minors in accounting and history. Mayor Spebar was a Whiting City Councilman for 16 years, 12 of which he served as Finance Committee Chairman. He has been a member of the Whiting Democratic Precinct Organization for over 20 years, currently serves as Chairman and has done so for the last seven consecutive years. He was also Whiting’s Street Commissioner for a total of 13 years.

In addition to his city duties, Mayor Spebar is proud to be an active member of numerous local organizations including Whiting Knights of Columbus, Sons of the Slovak Club, Sons of the American Legion, and Roosevelt Club. He belongs to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Whiting.

Glenn Street

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Glenn Street

Glenn Street is the Founder of Street Characters Inc. a leading creator and manufacturer of mascot costumes.

Glenn got his start in 1984 as Founding Chairman of the Mascot Committee of the iconic Calgary Stampede. Harry the Horse became instantly recognizable in the city of Calgary and Harry has traveled around the World promoting "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth". Glenn is now an Honourary Life Director of the Calgary Stampede and he always looks forward to the annual Calgary Stampede, a festival that sees 1.2 Million Guests go through its turnstile over 10 days every July.

In the mid1980's Glenn joined a friend who had created and launched "Harvey the Hound", the mascot of the Calgary Flames and the first mascot in the NHL. The success of Harvey generated many inquiries from other teams who were looking to create their own character. To meet this demand Street Characters (mascots.com) was born in 1987 and has grown to have clients on every continent except Antarctica. Glenn is also the creator of Mascot U, the only Industry conference for the mascot community.

Glenn is a past President of the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) Calgary Chapter and has Co-Chaired one of EO's most successful Global Conferences. Glenn won a Pinnacle Award for Business Excellence, and he and his wife, Peggy were named Philanthropists of the Year by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Alberta.