Front Office Staff

Larry Hawkins has spent more than 27 seasons in professional baseball, including 25 with the Asheville Tourists. Larry joined the Tourists in 1999 after two seasons as Director of Stadium Operations for the Clearwater Phillies in the Florida State League. He oversees all aspects of the Tourists operation, ranging from corporate sales to stadium and field improvements. He has helped the team thrive since taking over as General Manager in 2005. Under the leadership of Hawkins, DeWine Seeds Co., and the City of Asheville, the team has made several stadium upgrades and is currently undergoing a major renovation that is set to be completed in 2026.

Larry remains a fixture in the Asheville community by working with various non-profit organizations. Larry has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Asheville since 2002. A native of Cashiers, and 1996 graduate of Western Carolina University, Larry resides in Fletcher with his two children, Blake and Emily.

Daniel Helm joined the Tourists in 2025 as the Vice President of Sponsorships, but is no stranger to McCormick Field, spending many summer nights of his childhood attending games as a fan.

The Arden native has spent over 20 years working in sports. His stops include Dayton Basketball, Marshall Basketball, USA Basketball, the West Virginia Power, the Lake Erie Crushers and Visua/VirtCh.

Daniel and his wife, Bridgett reside in Weaverville and are the proud parents of Chloe, Luke, Ben and Cameron. In his free time, Daniel can be found coaching and cheering on his children in their many sporting adventures and activities.

Joining the Tourists in the 2025 offseason is Ellen Acocks! Originally from O'Fallon Missouri, Ellen is a recent graduate from Indiana State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. Her previous experience includes working as a student assistant for Indiana State Athletics and as an intern for the Green Bay Rockers Baseball Club, specializing in ticketing.

Ellen joins us as a ticket associate, ready to embark on her first full-time job and excited to get to know the wonderful community of Asheville. When she is not working, she enjoys traveling (especially to Europe!), going to the gym, and baking or cooking!

Joining the Asheville Tourists for his first season, Chris comes in as the Director of Ticket Sales. He's excited to get started on all things 2026, more about Chris to come!

Kyle Chandler enters into his first season with the Asheville Tourists as the Broadcast & Media Relations Manager. His prior stints include two years in the Frontier League, most recently as the previous voice of the Evansville Otters.

Hailing from the shores of Lake Erie, Kyle is a Cleveland native. He graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Allegheny College. Recruited as an athlete, Kyle was a member of the baseball team for the Gators before injuries led him to hanging up the cleats and putting on a headset.

Kyle's career is inspired by his grandfather, Nev Chandler, who led the play-by-play for the Cleveland Browns, Indians and Cavaliers and called Len Barker's perfect game in 1981. Ready to create exciting and meaningful memories for fans, Kyle is thrilled to be a member of the Tourists while following in his family's footsteps.

Joey is entering his third season with The Asheville Tourists as the Sports Turf Manager after spending five seasons with the Salem Red Sox as their Field Director, and one season prior with the Burlington Bees as the Grounds Assistant.

Originally from Plainfield, Illinois, Joey is a graduate of Monmouth College (Illinois), where he obtained his degree in Sport Management/Kinesiology and Political Science. While attending Monmouth Joey played football and baseball.

Typically you can find Joey at the ballpark out on the field watering and mowing. But, when he is not at the stadium he enjoys to spend time hiking with his wife Haylee, out on the golf course, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

After spending the 2025 season as a Stadium Operations Assistant, Parker joins the front office as a Ticket Sales Associate heading into the 2026 season. Parker is a Wisconsin native who graduated in 2023 from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in Health and Human Performance and a minor in Sports Management. He also played five years of college baseball between Western Illinois University and UW-Platteville.

Parker brings a wide array of experience from three different internships in baseball including the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders of the Northwoods League, the Sanford River Rats of the Florida Collegiate Summer League, and Boston Red Sox Spring Training.

A through and through Wisconsin sports fan, Parker is a fan of the Brewers, Bucks, Packers, and Badgers. He loves being able to call the ballpark his workplace and making memories for everybody that comes out to the diamond!

Steven joins the Tourists as the new Director of Video Production. He previously spent time with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Salem Red Sox and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders.

Originally from Wilkes-Barre, PA, Steven graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) where he graduated with communications and journalism degrees. In his spare time, you could find him window shopping with his wife around Asheville, or spending time at home watching sports.