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Front Office

Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark | 804 N Holly Lane | Elizabethton, TN 37643 | Phone: 423-547-6443 | Fax: (423) 547-6442

Boyd Sports Executives

Boyd Sports, LLC, owned by Randy and Jenny Boyd, owns the Elizabethton River Riders and plays at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark. Lifelong sports fans, the couple is committed to creating a fun, family-friendly experience at the ballpark for generations to come in Elizabethton.

Boyd Sports, LLC, owns the Tennessee Smokies, Greeneville Flyboys, Johnson City Doughboys and operates the Kingsport Axmen.

Randy Boyd has served as UT’s 26th president since November of 2018. Boyd serves as the chief executive officer of a statewide university system. The flagship campus in Knoxville includes the Space Institute in Tullahoma and the statewide Institute of Agriculture. The UT System also includes campuses in Chattanooga, Pulaski and Martin; the Health Science Center in Memphis; and the Institute of Public Service. The UT System also manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership, where Boyd serves as co-Chairman.

In 1991, Boyd founded Knoxville-based Radio Systems Corporation, a company that produces more than 4,000 pet related products under the brand names PetSafe, Invisible Fence, ScoopFree and SportDOG. The company employs more than 1,400 people with offices in six countries around the world.

In 2007, Boyd began a journey transitioning from entrepreneur and businessman to full-time public servant. Boyd is a founder and Chairman of tnAchieves, a non-profit which has helped send more than 133,000 students to community college free of tuition and fees. This success led Governor Haslam to invite him to serve as Special Advisor on Higher Education in 2013. During his tenure, he is credited with being the architect of the Drive to 55 and the Tennessee Promise. In 2015, Governor Haslam recruited him back to serve as Commissioner of Economic and Community Development. During his tenure, his team recruited 52,000 new jobs and $9 billion in new investment in the State. He also founded and co-Chaired the Governor’s Rural Task Force and Chaired the Governor’s Workforce Sub-Cabinet.

Randy and Jenny Boyd have dedicated their lives to giving back. In 2018, the couple formed the Boyd Foundation to further promote youth education, mental health, the arts and animal welfare. Among the Foundation’s many philanthropic commitments is the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research and Boyd Venture Challenge seed grant program for student entrepreneurs, both through the Haslam College of Business at UT Knoxville.

Randy is the first in his family to graduate from college. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis on industrial management from UT Knoxville. He also earned a master’s degree in liberal studies with a focus on foreign policy from the University of Oklahoma.

When not working for UT, Boyd enjoys running and has run more than 85 half marathons and 47 full marathons, including one in Antarctica. But his favorite time is spent as Jenny’s husband of 37 years, father to his two sons, and being Poppi to his two granddaughters.

Jenny Boyd is the owner and operator of Boyd's Jig and Reel in the Old City of downtown Knoxville - a musical Scottish pub dedicated to preserving and promoting our musical heritage. Jenny plays the fiddle and mandolin in the Celtic band "The Good Thymes Ceilidh Band." She is a member of the Old City Association and serves on the boards of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the Museum of Appalachia and the East Tennessee Historical Society. She was formerly a member of the boards of Young-Williams Animal Center and the Tennessee Theatre.

In his fifth season with Elizabethton, Doug Kirchhofer has been a major player in the minor league sports industry for the past 30 years. Kirchhofer has "hands-on" experience in minor league franchise development and sports facility management as well as a finance background.

Kirchhofer came to the Smokies from Cincinnati, where he served as President and CEO of Cincinnati Entertainment Associates, Ltd. He oversaw the private acquisition and $16 million renovation of Riverfront Coliseum, transforming the aging downtown building into the Firstar Center (now Heritage Bank Center). He served as President and CEO of the Cincinnati Cyclones professional ice hockey team from 1990-2001 and also as General Manager of the club from 1990-96.

Kirchhofer got his start in professional sports in 1989 as part of the group that formed and operated the Nashville Knights of the East Coast Hockey League. Later in the '90s, Kirchhofer became part owner of the Birmingham Bulls, an offshoot of the Cincinnati franchise. During his years in Cincinnati, he also was involved with teams in minor league basketball and professional indoor soccer.

Kirchhofer's ties to Tennessee date to time spent as Vice President/Finance for Concoal Management Company in Knoxville from 1981-94. During that span he also sat on the Board of Directors at First Heritage National Bank in Loudon. Prior to working with Concoal, he was a manager in the tax department of a public accounting firm in Atlanta, a job he held after earning a Master's Degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois. Kirchhofer graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a B.S. in Business Administration.

Doug and his wife Lana have made their home in East Tennessee, at least during the "offseason," since 1981. They have two grown children, Kristi and Kyle, and four grandsons, Jay, Tanner, Drew and Evan. Doug and Lana both have served as board members of the Christian Academy of Knoxville, and Doug served a term as president of that Board of Directors. Doug was a member of the 2003 class of Leadership Sevier, the 2006 class of East Tennessee Regional Leadership and the 2007 class of Leadership Knoxville. He currently serves as chairman of the Advisory and Finance Committee for the Southern League. Doug also is proud to serve as a 2016 "pink tie guy" for Komen Knoxville bringing awareness to the battle to defeat breast cancer.

Chris Allen is the President of Boyd Sports and is entering his fifth season with Elizabethton. Chris received his B.S. In Sports Management from Liberty University and brings over a decade of professional sports management experience.

Prior to joining the organization, Chris worked for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, South Coast League, Salem Avalanche, Wilson Tobs and Chillicothe Paints. While working for the Tobs, Chris also spent four years working with the NCAA directing regional baseball tournaments.

In the past 15 years, Chris has served on numerous Boards, including the North Carolina Baseball Museum, Greater Baden Medical Services, Maryland Tourism Advisory Board, and Madison Heights Dixie Youth Baseball. Chris currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for both Junior Achievement of East Tennessee and habitat for Humanity of Jefferson City Tennessee. Chris also serves as a special advisor to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of East Tennessee.

Chris and Elisa reside in Jefferson City, Tennessee with their four children Casey, Chase, Carolina and Charley.

Jeremy is in his fifth season with Elizabethton, eighth as Vice President of Boyd Sports after previously serving as Assistant General Manager and Director of Corporate Sales of the Tennessee Smokies. Prior to joining the Smokies, Jeremy spent three years as the General Manager of the Forest City Owls in the Coastal Plain League. As the General Manager Jeremy oversaw every aspect of the franchise. Under his leadership, the Owls were ranked in the top 11 in the nation in overall attendance each of his three years. Prior to joining the Owls, he served as the Corporate Marketing Manager for the Winston-Salem Dash and helped build corporate ticket packages for businesses. He received his B.A. from Gardner-Webb University, in Boiling Springs, NC. with a degree in Business Administration. A North Carolina native, he resides in Knoxville, Tenn., with his wife, Adrienne and their two children Brynn & Miles.

Front Office Staff

Kiva enters her first year as general manager in Elizabethton. Kiva joins the River Riders coming from the Johnson City Doughboys as the general manager for the past two seasons, earning the Appalachian League Patriot Award and Promotional Award. This will be her 16th season overall working in summer collegiate baseball. Before joining the River Riders and Doughboys, Kiva previously worked in the Coastal Plain League with the Forest City Owls where she served as the general manager for six seasons and was awarded by the league as the first single female Executive of the Year in 2017. Kiva currently resides in East Tennessee and is originally from Hendersonville, N.C. Recently, Forest City was her home for 14 years where she served in the Forest City Kiwanis as president as well as serving on the Rutherford/Cleveland County Salvation Army Advisory Board. Outside of work, Kiva has one son and grandson who live in Smithfield, N.C. She enjoys spending time with them as much as possible as well as kayaking, hiking, equine and volunteering in the community.

Bobby enters his first year as a ticket sales account executive for the River Riders after spending the 2021 season as a stadium operations intern and the 2022 season as a food and beverage intern with the Kingsport Axmen. Bobby recently graduated from East Tennessee State University earning his B.S. in sports management and is now returning to East Tennessee State University to get his Master’s in sports management as well. Bobby is originally from Peachtree City, Ga., where he graduated high school before moving to Tennessee to pursue his dream of working in the game of baseball. Bobby played baseball from tee-ball and ever since has always had a love for the sport. When not at the field Bobby enjoys watching other sports, hiking and spending time with his family. Bobby is excited to see what the future holds for him here at Boyd Sports.

Everyone meet Rookie, the official mascot of the Elizabethton River Riders! Rookie was born on July 8, 2005, here at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark. Rookie stands 6-foot 4, weighs 300+ pounds and is a jumping green ball of fun. You can catch Rookie at all River Riders home games this year cheering on his beloved team!

Ballpark Operations

Bryan begins his fifth season with Elizabethton, 26th year with the Tennessee Smokies and his seventh as Assistant General Manager of Stadium Operations. He attended Newberry College and UTEP before finishing his degree at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and now lives in Strawberry Plains with his wife Rachel and their sons Jonathan and Patrick. He is originally from Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada and his parents John and Douane live in Zanesville, Ohio.

Finance

Paul begins his second season with Elizabethton. Prior to joining Boyd Sports, Paul has more than 30 years of finance and accounting experience in manufacturing, distribution, private equity and joint venture environments, previously working for businesses such as Philips Consumer Electronics, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Smiths Detection and DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products. He has previously held positions of accounting manager, controller and finance manager with business responsibilities for accounting, financial planning, analysis, internal controls, project management and information systems.

Paul received his B.S. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in finance. He resides in Knoxville with his wife, Angie, two daughters, Stevie and Danni, and son, Brock. Paul enjoys time with his family, volunteering and serving in his church, and hunting and fishing in the great outdoors.

Hospitality

Entering his fourth season with Elizabethton and eighth season with the Tennessee Smokies, Chris will oversee the Food & Beverage department for Elizabethton. Chris served as the Director of Corporate Sales for the Tennessee Smokies during the 2016 and 2017 seasons before becoming the Director of Food & Beverage for the Smokies.

Prior to joining the Smokies, Chris spent nine seasons in the Frontier League, serving as General Manager for the River City Rascals and Joliet Slammers.

Originally from Morris, Ill., Chris resides in Knoxville with his wife Tammy, and two son’s Cole and Luke.