Front Office

Craig Brush, Hertz Arena CEO and President of the Florida Everblades, along with partners Peter Karmanos and Thomas Thewes, founded the Everblades and Hertz Arena in 1998. A native of Milton, Ontario, Brush oversees all aspects of both the hockey club and the sports complex. The Everblades won the Kelly Cup and the ECHL Championship in 2012,2022, & 2023, captured the Brabham Cup four times, and have reigned as conference champions on four occasions. During the 2004 and 2005 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the Everblades became the first team in ECHL history to make back-to-back trips to the Kelly Cup Finals. From 2003-06, Brush served as the Chairman of the ECHL Board of Governors. He was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame (Class of 2016) in the Builders category, on Feb. 5, 2016 in a ceremony in Kalamazoo. As a player, Brush played four seasons at Cornell University, where he was a member of the 1970 undefeated NCAA Championship team, which is the only team in collegiate history to accomplish this feat. In addition, he coached in the Compuware youth hockey program for many years. Craig and his wife, Kyle, split time between Estero, Florida and Birmingham, Michigan. The couple has three sons -- Matt, Tyler and Patrick -- as well as five grandchildren, Anna, Mary, Jane, Sloan, and Brett.

Chris serves as Executive Vice President / Chief Revenue Officer for Hertz Arena and The Florida Everblades. In this capacity, Chris is responsible for a comprehensive P&L oversight for the revenue growth, profitability, and corporate sponsorship success of the Everblades. He also is responsible for developing and executing the team’s comprehensive sales and marketing plan. Palin joined the Hertz Arena and Everblades staff in Aug. 2010 after spending 21 seasons with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League in the same capacity. While with the Americans, he earned the prestigious ‘McKenzie Award” after the 1997-98 season for excellence in marketing. Additionally, Chris spent 14 seasons with the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League, 12 seasons with the Rochester Rhinos of “A” league soccer, and 10 seasons with the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse where he held the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Palin is a graduate of the State University College at Brockport where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Sports Management. At Brockport, he was a member of the hockey team. He is the all-time leading scorer for the program and holds the record for the fastest goal to start a game. Chris and his wife, Renee, have one son, Tyler.

Adam is in his fifth season as the Executive Vice President / Chief Marketing Officer for the Florida Everblades and Hertz Arena. In this capacity, Adam is responsible for and oversees the day-to-day operations of marketing, public relations, media relations, broadcasting, social media, and community relations of the Everblades and all events at Hertz Arena. He also is responsible for assisting in the development and execution of the team’s comprehensive strategic sales and marketing plans. Adam joined the Everblades staff in Feb. 2020 after spending three seasons as the General Manager of the New York-Penn League's Auburn Doubledays and their facility, Leo Pinckney Field at Falcon Park. While with the Doubledays, Adam oversaw all aspects of sales, marketing, and operations as they related to the organization and the multi-purpose facility. The chief responsibilities included, but were not limited to, season ticket sales, group sales, corporate partnerships, stadium operations, food and beverage operations, finance, and human resources. Adam also served as the team's representative to the Washington Nationals (MLB) and the New York-Penn League of Minor League Baseball. Additionally, Adam spent 10 seasons with the Rochester Americans (AHL) and Rochester Knighthawks (NLL) and five seasons with the Rochester Rhinos (USL) & Rochester Rattlers (MLL), where he received numerous promotions within the ticket sales and corporate partnerships departments. Winslow held the position of VP of Ticketing & Operations for the last three seasons of his tenure with the Americans & Knighthawks. Winslow is a graduate of the State University College at Brockport where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a concentration in Sports Management. At Brockport, he was a member of the men’s NCAA Division III hockey team. Adam and his wife, Nichole, have twin boys, Morgan & Mason.

Mike Kelly is in his ninth season with the Florida Everblades and Hertz Arena. Kelly joined the Blades after spending eight years in the American Hockey League. His AHL experience includes work in Syracuse, New York and Springfield, Massachusetts, where he served in Broadcasting and Sales roles. A dual citizen of Canada and the United States, Kelly has previous ECHL experience with South Carolina and Mississippi, highlighted by being selected for three ECHL All-Star Game Broadcasts. Kelly has also been awarded the ECHL Sales Professional of the Year, Ticket Executive of the Year and Media Relations Director of the Year. He started his sports career as a Sportswriter and Producer at The Sports Network in Toronto. Mike and his wife, Suzanne, have a son, Greg.

Calvin Isaac is in his eighth season with Hertz Arena and the Florida Everblades and his second season as the Director of Sales for the Blades. Prior to joining the Everblades, he worked with multiple professional sporting organizations while pursuing his bachelor’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania. His experience includes work with the Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL). Calvin graduated from Cal U in 2016 with Magna Cum Laude honors, earning a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management

Meagan Johnson is entering her eighth season with Hertz Arena and the Florida Everblades. As the Corporate Partnerships and Game Experience Manager, Meagan is responsible for the fulfillment of all 180+ advertising agreements with our corporate partners. She also oversees in the game day experience from start to finish. Meagan graduated with a bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of North Georgia and a bachelor's degree in Sport Management with a minor in Accounting from the University of West Georgia. She graduated Cum Laude with both degrees. Meagan played collegiate softball and was apart of the 2015 DII National Championship team while at the University of North Georgia. During her schooling, she gained experience with the Atlanta Braves and Octagon Sport Marketing, among other organizations.

Katie is in her seventh season with Hertz Arena and the Florida Everblades. Although she was born in Bismarck, ND, Katie moved to the Naples area in 1999 and grew up a North Dakota State Bison fan. She played Division I softball at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY, where she graduated in the Spring of 2015 with a Bachelor’s in Sport Management. Following graduation, Katie completed her internship with the Ft. Myers Miracle as an assistant to the Community Relations Director and Gameday Operations. Katie was the Head Varsity Softball Coach at Naples High School from 2015-2017. Katie is also a fan of the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco 49ers.

Chandler Guest is in his fifth season with the Florida Everblades and Hertz Arena as an Account Executive. Guest joined the ‘Blades after graduating in May 2019 from Florida Gulf Coast University with a bachelor's degree in Business Management with a concentration in Sports. While completing his undergraduate studies, Guest gained experience in the sports industry through positions with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, and FGCU Athletics' Ticketing Department. He worked for the Jumbo Shrimp in their inaugural season in 2017 and then worked for FGCU's Athletic Box Office for a year and a half. A native of Jacksonville, Guest is a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Atlanta Braves, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jake is entering his third season with the Florida Everblades and Hertz Arena. Jake is originally from Attleboro, Massachusetts, but has spent a good amount of time in the Sunshine State already. He received his undergraduate degree from Florida Southern College, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management while graduating with Magna Cum Laude distinction. Jake’s experience before joining our team included interning in the ticket office for Providence College in 2019 and being a Sports Assistant Intern for Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing in 2019-2020. Being from Massachusetts, Jake is a huge and very passionate Boston sports fan, with his favorite teams being the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins.