NORTH ADAMS -- After leading the North Adams SteepleCats organization for the past six years, local attorney John DeRosa has stepped away from his role as president and CEO of the nonprofit organization that runs the local team to take on a much larger role with the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

DeRosa will serve as the league’s president for the next two years. He accepted the position on Sunday, following a formal election by the 12-team league’s voting members. He succeeds Kevin MacIlvane of Windsor, Conn.

City Councilor David Bond, who owns The Range on Curran Highway (Route 8), has been selected to succeed DeRosa as SteepleCats president and chief executive officer.

"I’ve done this now for six years, and it seemed to be the right time to step down," DeRosa said Monday during a news conference at his office. "I view my new position as being the chief advancement officer of the league, with the responsibility of planning strategically for the league’s future. I want to try to make this league a jewel for New England. It’s waiting to be taken to the next level."

He added, "We are delighted to have David Bond join the organization and are very excited he has accepted the position. I view this decision as making the SteepleCats stronger and giving the organization more permanence. This program needs to stay in North Adams, but like any growing organization, it needs to build its own infrastructure."

The SteepleCats organization proved it could stand on its own last season, he said. "Even with the bad economy, we paid all of our bills and still had money in the bank."

Bond was selected for the position after an "exhaustive" nationwide search that began in September and yielded a field of 70 candidates, which included several managers of minor league teams, according to DeRosa and Sean McGrath, SteepleCats executive vice president and general manager.

"The original idea was to find one person who could replace both John and myself," said McGrath, who will continue in his positions for the coming year. "As we interviewed candidates, it became clear that everyone had two of the three qualifications we were seeking."

Many candidates had the necessary experience and could put together a team, but one of the most important qualifications needed was the ability to raise funds successfully in the local area, he said.

"About a month ago, we realized that it [the nationwide search] just didn’t feel right, and that it wasn’t the best thing for the organization," DeRosa said. "We needed a strong community person, and David can hit the ground running from the fundraising and promotional perspective."

He said the organization would benefit from someone like Bond, who can pick up the phone and talk to the president of a local bank without having first to establish himself in the area. Besides being a local business owner, Bond is a board member of the Northern Berkshire United Way, as well as a five-year member and board treasurer of Berkshire Family and Individual Resource Inc. (BFAIR).

Bond, who started in his new position two weeks ago, said he expects to have the majority of the planning, scheduling and promotional aspects of the job in place before April, when his own busy season begins at the golf range and miniature golfing facility. He also is a certified PGA golf instructor and golf coach for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Bond’s position will be paid, but DeRosa declined to disclose the amount immediately, citing the need to meet with board members prior to its release.

"There’s a benefit of having me in the position full-time," Bond said. "I can do a lot of the things that John couldn’t do while running a law firm full-time. We already have all of our mailings complete, have ticket pricing set and have nine locations selling tickets already."

Bond said he has a number of promotional ideas brewing, including expanding marketing and sponsorship opportunities into nearby Bennington, Vt.

"The Vermont team is located in Montpelier," he said. "It’s an opportunity to bring in people from Bennington and Pownal. We’re only a half-hour drive away."

He’s also hoping to put together an all-star high school team to play against the SteepleCats in an exhibition game.

"It’s something that people would enjoy seeing, but it’s also a game that would allow those players who are looking to go to the next level and play collegiate ball a chance to experience it on the field," Bond said. "I don’t know if it would be a three-, five- or full-inning game, but I think its something that would benefit the players and the team. I have a lot of ideas and promotions I’d like to get under way."

He’s hoping to expand the annual schedule to include not only game times, but also sponsors and promotional dates. Future plans include lobbying the city for permanent restroom facilities.

Mayor-elect Richard J. Alcombright said DeRosa’s contributions to the team over the last six years cannot be overlooked. DeRosa, along with a group of 12 investors, banded together in 2004 to purchase the team from John and Barbara Watterson and their grandson, Jonny Watterson, who brought the collegiate league to the city. Had the team been sold, it most likely would have been moved out of the city.

"None of this would have happened without John DeRosa, who worked tirelessly to keep this organization alive and kept it moving forward through his efforts, stamina and connections," Alcombright said.

To reach Jennifer Huberdeau,
e-mail jhuberdeau@thetranscript.com.