Lipay Hire shows Marlins’ dedication to enhancing company vision and role in community
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C.–The Morehead City Marlins have appointed Dave Lipay as the new General Manager of the franchise, providing continuity to the front office as the Marlins look to build upon their strong foundation.
Over the past two years, Lipay has served as the Vice President of Business Development for the Marlins and had been tasked with the development and implementation of offseason activities for the organization, as well as advancing the Marlins brand within the local community. The recent Division 2 college baseball tournament weekends hosted at Big Rock Stadium are a direct product of Lipay’s recruitment and management of this new rental program, which is poised to continue next year with three weekends booked out already for 2024.
In his new role of General Manager, Lipay will oversee all internal business operations, including sponsorship activation and an enhanced internship program, while continuing to further strengthen the Marlins brand.
“The Marlins are an important part of the culture of Morehead City and we want to make sure that we continue to strengthen that bond,” Lipay said. “I am thankful for this outstanding opportunity and am already so grateful for the relationships that I have made with the fans and local businesses who help support us and share our collective vision of community.”
Prior to working with the Marlins, Lipay had begun his career in sports working in the athletic department of his alma mater, East Carolina University (ECU). While obtaining his Master of Business Administration (MBA), Lipay worked as a graduate assistant for both the operations and compliance departments at ECU. Once he graduated with his MBA in 2012, Lipay was hired full-time as the Assistant Director of Compliance. Lipay was then promoted to Director, where he ran the day-to-day operations of the department in a constantly changing NCAA landscape, working directly with the Executive Leadership Team to implement new strategic plans for financial stability and student-athlete welfare.
“Hiring Dave as our new General Manager was an easy decision for our leadership team,” Marlins owner Buddy Bengel said. “With his experience at the Division 1 level in a myriad of administrative roles, Dave is the right person to lead our organization and take us to the next level. He has been working with the Marlins over the past few years and understands the expectations we have for our organizational culture and overall fan experience.”
Lipay is originally from New Egypt, New Jersey, having earned his bachelor of arts degree in Communication from Rutgers University in 2008. He currently lives in Peletier, NC with his wife Christina and their two children, Emery (7) and Harrison (5).