Bluefish GM Ken Shepard to Speak at Westport Sunrise Rotary Meet Fri. May 31

Ken Shepard, general manager of The Bridgeport Bluefish, will speak on minor league baseball, his baseball career, and plans for the Bluefish in 2013, at the Westport Sunrise Rotary breakfast meeting on Friday, May 31st. The meeting will be held at Bobby Q's, 42 Main St., Westport at 7:30 a.m. Guests are welcome. There is a $12 fee for the meeting which includes a breakfast buffet.

Shepard has over 20 years as a "guest-centric" minor league baseball executive and team minority partner who is focused on helping guests "create memories for a lifetime." He said, "It's all about entertainment."

Two of Shepard's operations won minor league baseball's Larry MacPhail Promotional Award, given annually to the team that demonstrates the best promotional efforts. "Anything we can do for our guests, we will do. It's our responsibility to make sure people enjoy the Bluefish experience and walk away with plenty of positive things to share with friends, family, and co-workers," stated Shepard, who is identified by the mantra "one guest at a time."

Shepard's experience in sports includes stops as general manager in Geneva (Cubs), NY, and Prince William (Cannons), VA. He was vice president in Wilmington (Blue Rocks), DE; president, general manager, and minority partner in Atlantic City (Surf); and chief operating officer/general manger in Savannah (Sand Gnats). He also owns SAS Sports, a sports marketing and consulting company where he served as a consultant to the Atlantic League during its formation. He most recently served as vice president of enrollment and marketing at Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA. A native of Syracuse, Shepard is a sports administration graduate of St. Thomas University, Miami.

Westport Sunrise Rotary supports a wide range of charitable programs locally and internationally, serving all ages, in four categories: community service, including Gillespie Center and Staples Student of the Month; vocational service, such as the District Four-Way Speech Contest; international service, including worldwide polio eradication; and local organizations, including Cancer Care, CLASP, Earthplace, HomesWithHope, Meals on Wheels, Project Return, Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, STAR and Westport Youth Film Festival. Funds are raised through various Sunrise Rotary-sponsored events annually, including a Duck Race in June and a Wine Tasting in October. A complete list of organizations that Westport Sunrise Rotary serves is available at http://www.westportsunriserotary.com/charities.html

For information about Westport Sunrise Rotary, visit its website at westportsunriserotary.com; contact Steve Cowherd, membership, at 203-209-3568 or by email at herd59@gmail.com; or attend a meeting any Friday at 7:30 a.m. at Bobby Q's Restaurant, 42 Main Street, Westport.

The members of the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club are a diverse group of business and professional leaders who contribute their time, talents and financial support to aid local charities, youth programs and international humanitarian programs. They are dedicated to encouraging high ethical standards in all club activities and to helping Rotary International build goodwill and peace in the world. The club participates with 1.2 million fellow Rotarians in 33,000 clubs around the world to uphold Rotary's motto of "Service above Self."