(May 9, 2022) — The York Revolution’s roots in its beloved hometown are growing deeper and broader.
Revolution President Eric Menzer today announced the 16-year-old professional baseball team has added nine members to its ownership group. The new investors are Robert Lambert, Dommonick Chatman, John Klinedinst, Rebecca Countess, Jeff and Cindy Lobach, David and Linda Davidson, John and Denise Gilliland, William Yanavitch, and Mark Kearse. The new owners have significant York connections and join Bill Shipley, the chairman and majority owner, and 13 other community owners to form a dynamic ownership group.
For Shipley, the new investment represents not just growth in capital but also in community connections and impact.
“A business like the Revolution depends on its connection to the community,” Shipley said. “As we continue to add members to the community ownership group, we are deepening and widening that connection, and reaching new segments of the York County leadership sector. What we are doing with this program is pretty unusual in professional sports. While there are teams with large ownership groups, having them explicitly and completely tied into the local community is rare.”
In addition to Shipley, the new owners join the Kinsley Companies and Stewart Companies, Julian and Jolene Tolbert, Loren Kroh, William Hartman, Matt Sommer and Rebecca Sanstead, Mike and Jackie Summers, Dan Waltersdorff, Joe Wagman, Gary Gentzler, Robert Stahl, Tony Campisi, David Meckley, Anthony Moore, and Fred Walker as owners of the team. The Revolution began adding to its ownership group in 2019 to add not just financial but human capital to the organization.
“As we add owners, their financial investment strengthens our ability to present a great product to the public,” said Menzer. “But these owners also have business and community wisdom and experience that’s invaluable to us in making the Revolution successful well beyond the baseball field. We are focused on building unshakable, long-term community partnerships and continually reaching new audiences in York, and all of these individuals help us do so.”
About the new owners:
Robert Lambert – Mr. Lambert is the President of the York County Library System.
Dommonick Chatman – Mr. Chatman is a realtor and business consultant.
John Klinedinst – Mr. Klinedinst is the Chief Administrative Officer of C.S. Davidson.
Rebecca Countess – Ms. Countess is Strategic and Creative Marketing Director for CGA Law Firm.
Jeff and Cindy Lobach – Mr. Lobach is Managing Partner at Barley Snyder, LLP. Ms. Lobach is an officer and director of Red Robin (Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group, Inc.)
David and Linda Davidson – Mr. Davidson is the CFO of C.S. Davidson, and Ms. Davidson is retired from the same company.
John and Denise Gilliland – Mr. Gilliland is the owner and CEO of Investment Real Estate, LLC, and Mrs. Gilliland is the Director of Culinary Creations at DelGrosso Foods.
William Yanavitch – Mr. Yanavitch is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Kinsley Enterprises.
Dr. Mark Kearse - Dr. Kearse is the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church.