Board and Staff

Kevin Tedesco

Chairman

Aramark
Resident District Manager/ General Manager Citizens Bank Park

Kevin Tedesco’s journey with TEAM spans over 20 years, beginning when he took his first class and culminating in his elevation to Board Chair in January 2025. His dedication and commitment have been key factors in his remarkable journey.

With over 25 years of experience in the stadium and arena industry, Kevin has developed a deep understanding of the needs of front-line employees, training expectations, and client perspectives. These qualities uniquely position him to lead with insight and empathy.

As Board Chair, Kevin plays a pivotal role in shaping TEAM’s strategic direction. His leadership is instrumental in driving innovation and fostering a collaborative environment. With the online training portal, launched during Kevin’s tenure as Training Chair, it has become one of the most widely utilized training programs, complementing the effectiveness of in-person training. Kevin’s ability to connect with managers, employees, and clients across the country ensures that valuable feedback is not only heard but also acted upon, enhancing the organization’s effectiveness and impact.

TBD

Lester Jones

Treasurer, Co-chair of Governance & Finance Committee

National Beer Wholesalers Association 
Chief Economist 

Lester Jones has more than 20 years of experience in research, survey methodology and applied economics. At NBWA, Lester tracks the economic factors that impact the beer distribution industry and alcohol policy decisions at the federal, state and local levels. He evaluates and develops primary industry data, including economic impact, tax impacts, sales and volume data. Jones previously served as chief economist at the Beer Institute, where he developed and executed significant research initiatives that helped shape America’s beer industry.

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Secretary, Co-chair of Governance & Finance Committee

TBD

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Marketing & Communications Committee Chair

TBD

Chloe Janfaza

Training Committee Chair

Las Vegas Raiders
Senior Director, Stadium Operations and Guest Experience

In her 8th season with the Raiders, Chloe’s primary responsibilities include Raider gameday event management, the fan conduct program, credentialling, overseeing the guest experience & recovery program, stadium training, and front line employee engagement. Her journey to Las Vegas started with the Raiders back in Oakland, California during the team’s last two seasons at The Coliseum. As a member of the Stadium Operations team, she was involved with the construction of Allegiant Stadium during the last 24 months of the project. Chloe is currently a member of the NFL’s Employee Engagement Committee centered around creating the best employee experience in sports. Chloe’s roles and responsibilities have continued to change, but the goal remains the same; deliver the best stadium product in all of professional sports and engage staff who can create memorable experiences in every interaction.

Chloe’s career in the sports industry has spanned different leagues at different levels. She has worked in MLB as a member of the Oakland Athletics, focusing on guest experience and game day operations. Chloe has spent time in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, also focusing her efforts on arena operations. Prior to professional sports, her journey started at the colligate level working at Saint Mary’s College in their events department. She has been fortunate enough to work multiple Super Bowls, three NBA Finals, and two NCAA Men’s Final Four, all of which remind her that event managers really can run the world!

Matt Dye 

Membership Committee Chair 

Oak View Group
General Manager, The Ocean Center Daytona Beach 

With more than a decade of experience in the catering and food service side of the convention center business, Matt has a unique perspective on the role of alcohol management for large scale events. His experience with Spectra allows Matt to appreciate what TEAM members that are also training customers most value about their membership in the coalition. And at the same time, Matt brings a fresh perspective to TEAM Coalition as the organization charts new territory to redefine how it provides value to all members representing varied facets of the sports and entertainment industry.

Jeff Jannarone
Director-at-Large

Alcohol and Drug Investigations/Dram Shop Expert, Managing Partner

For more than two decades, Jeff has been a trainer and Master Trainer for TAM (Techniques of Alcohol Management), an alcohol server training program provided by the National Hospitality Institute. Jeff is also a certified TiPS trainer and a ServSafe Alcohol Instructor. Jeff became a TEAM trainer in 2020.

Jeff has been retained by both plaintiff and defense law firms across the United States. To date, Jeff has been retained on over 200 cases, some of which involve sports stadiums.

Jeff has his own consulting firm where his team conducts compliance inspections for venues both large and small. His consulting firm assists venues to become Safety Act certified by the United States Office of Homeland Security.

John Huff

Immediate Past Chair 

Live Nation

General Manager for SPAC, Xfinity Theatre & St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

John Huff is the General Manager for Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Xfinity Theatre and St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview for Live Nation. John has worked in the live music and venue management industry for over 21 years. He started his career in Houston for PACE Entertainment from 1991-1998 as Director of Operations for the Facilities Group and eventually became Vice President and General Manager for PACE Concerts. Between 1999 and 2000, John was the General Manager for the Sony Blockbuster Entertainment Centre in Camden, NJ in the Philadelphia, PA market.

Between 2000 and 2004, John worked as General Manager for Live Nation at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in Saratoga Springs, NY. Then, in 2004, John became Regional VP for the Northeast Region as well as the GM for SPAC. Since 2011, John has been the General Manager at both SPAC and the Comcast Theater in Hartford, CT.

John graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in Psychology and an MBA in 1990. He currently lives in upstate NY with his wife Laura and sons Zach and Josh.

Jill Kiefer
Executive Director

Jill Kiefer has served as the Executive Director of TEAM Coalition since 2002, leading the organization’s mission to promote responsible alcohol consumption, positive fan behavior, and event safety across sports and entertainment venues. Under her leadership, TEAM Coalition has partnered with a wide range of prominent organizations, including Aramark, Legends, Oak View Group (OVG), Anheuser-Busch, Brown-Forman, HEINEKEN USA, Molson Coors, Constellation Brands, New Belgium Brewing, the Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), NASCAR, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Hockey League (NHL), NCAA, Live Nation, the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), Stadium Managers Association (SMA), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Lyft and Uber. These collaborations have strengthened TEAM’s ability to promote safety and responsibility at major events nationwide.

A Master Trainer since 2004, Jill has conducted forty (40) Instructor Development Program (IDP) workshops, certifying more than 600 trainers. She has also led employee-level training sessions at numerous professional sports and college venues, directly certifying over 4,000 employees and non-profit volunteers.

Before joining TEAM Coalition, Jill held various finance and marketing positions at Mobil Corporation, including roles as a financial analyst in the Global Treasurers group and the North American Marketing division, as well as a field manager in the Mid-Atlantic Marketing and Refining area. She also served as the director of product management and client services for Cvent, a leading DC-based software company specializing in online event registration and email marketing.

Jill earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and her MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Christy Verbosky
Chief Operations Expert

Christy Verbosky has been an integral part of TEAM Coalition since October 2001, starting as a marketing assistant and advancing to her current role as Chief Operations Expert. Over her tenure, Christy has contributed to nearly every aspect of the organization’s operations, showcasing her versatility and dedication to TEAM Coalition’s mission.

In her current role, Christy oversees the TEAM Alcohol Management Training Program, coordinates fan engagement initiatives, and manages all accounting functions. She also serves as the staff lead for the Governance & Finance Committee, ensuring the organization’s financial and operational integrity.

Christy earned both her Bachelor of Science degree and her MBA from Alfred University in New York State.

In addition to her primary responsibilities, Christy serves as the staff liaison for the Training Committee, collaborating with member representatives, strategic partners, and Master Trainers to enhance the organization’s training initiatives.

Her extensive experience and comprehensive understanding of TEAM Coalition’s operations make her a pivotal leader within the organization.

Jess Thurston
Marketing Manager

Jess re-joined TEAM Coalition in March 2022 after a 5 year hiatus. Jess has 12 years of combined event, marketing and sales experience with a focus on ground-up sponsorship activation building.

Jess manages all consumer programs, social media and the Responsibility Has Its Rewards sweepstakes for TEAM Coalition.

Jess graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelors of Science in Business Management and Marketing. Jess lives in Raleigh, NC.

Kionna Garrett
Alcohol Management Certification Specialist

Kionna joined TEAM Coalition in August, 2008. As the Alcohol Management Certification Specialist she manages the TEAM training certification program for Level 1 and 2 participants. In her time with TEAM Coalition, Kionna has processed the results for more than 250,000 TEAM training exams.

Kionna was born and raised in Alexandria, VA and is a graduate of West Potomac High School.