N.C. A&T Alumni Times - September 26

For Tim Vangel ’04, baseball has been a part of his life since age 4. While attending North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, he played Aggie baseball from 2000 to 2003 and started interning for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, a minor league baseball organization, during his summer breaks. After graduation, he was offered a position with the Grasshoppers as director of stadium operations.

“I have always been a loyal person and I enjoy working with community focused organizations like the Greensboro Grasshoppers that has a family-oriented work environment,” said Vangel, “and, at the end of the day, it is a fun place to work.”

Within two years with the Grasshoppers, Vangel was promoted in 2005 as assistant general manager for the team. He is responsible for overseeing the facility, business operations, selling sponsorships, assisting sales and promotions, and hiring a staff of 300 people who work during the season. He has been in this role for 12 years.

“It’s really hard to explain my position at times because I have a lot of responsibility, but I believe being an engineering major at North Carolina A&T prepared me greatly for this role,” he said. “A&T taught me how to problem solve and process my thoughts as an engineer, and even though I’m working in business a role, I can still hold intelligent conversations with contractors.”

During baseball season from April to August, the Greensboro Grasshoppers play on average 140 games, with 70 of them at home.

“During the offseason, we work relentlessly for six months to prepare for opening day. It’s everything from training 300 employees, preparing the stadium, securing sponsorships, drafting game day scripts, scheduling the games and the best days for fireworks,” he said. “Everything has to be perfect for that season opener and I love being a part of an organization that is all about selling affordable family entertainment.”

Vangel is a member of the Aggie Athletic Foundation and former board member of the North Carolina A&T State University Alumni Association Inc.