OMAHA, Neb. -- The Omaha Royals today announced the hiring of two new employees, while several current staff members were promoted or shifted to new roles in the team's front office.

Danny Dunbar joins the Triple-A club as group sales manager, and Rustin Buysse has been hired as a ticket sales executive. Dunbar comes to Omaha after spending the past three seasons with the Boise Hawks, Class A Short-Season affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Prior to that, he served an internship for the Iowa Cubs' video production department. The Barnum, Iowa, native is a graduate of Iowa State University, with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Buysse spent the last four seasons in the ticket office of the Sioux Falls Canaries, an independent league baseball team in the American Association. He began his career in sports in 2006 as the music coordinator of the Sioux Falls Storm, a professional indoor football team. A native of Minneota, Minn., Buysse is a graduate of Southwest Minnesota State with a degree in Speech Communication.

In other personnel moves, the Royals have promoted Eldon Lindsay -- who was a marketing intern in 2009 -- to the newly created position of creative services manager. After spending nearly 10 years in the newspaper industry as an award-winning photographer, Lindsay began his career in Minor League Baseball in 2008 as the Iowa Cubs' video production intern.

Ben Hemmen, who served as a ticket operations intern last season, has been promoted to promotions manager. During the 2010 season, which will be his second in professional baseball, Hemmen will serve as the Royals on-field emcee.

Jason Kinney, who was the team's merchandising manager in 2009, has been promoted to director of merchandise. Next season will mark his fourth year with the Royals after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2006.

Diann Spataro, who joined the Royals in 2009 as a corporate sales executive, will lead the team's efforts in the community as community relations manager in 2010. She spent the first three seasons of her professional baseball career in the Corporate Partnerships department of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Class A Midwest League.

James Jensen is entering his third season in Minor League Baseball, all with the Royals. Now a corporate sales executive, he started in 2008 as ticket operations intern before serving as a ticket sales executive in 2009.

Dave Endress, who came to Omaha last season as the club's director of ticketing, will now serve as its director of business development. The 2010 campaign will mark his 19th season in professional baseball.

"We have assembled a terrific staff that is excited about the future of affiliated Minor League Baseball in the Omaha metro area," said Martie Cordaro, Royals vice president/general manager. "Each of these individuals is passionate about producing the best entertainment for our fans."

About the Royals
The Royals drew 371,046 fans to Rosenblatt Stadium in 2009, exceeding 300,000 fans for the 22nd consecutive season. The team's attendance was up more than six percent compared to 2008, when a total of 349,376 fans watched Royals games. The Royals' average attendance in 2009 was 5,457 fans, which ranked 10th in the 16-team Pacific Coast League and was up from the 2008 season's average of 5,375. The 2009 campaign marked the Royals' largest total and average attendance figures in the past nine years.

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