The Iowa Heartlanders, ECHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild and Iowa Wild, have named Matt Getz as team president, replacing the soon-to-be-retired Tom Hamilton.
Mr. Getz brings nearly two decades of sales, advertising and marketing experience to the team and joins the Heartlanders after spending the last five years with the Accel Group in Eastern Iowa. Prior to his time with the Accel Group, Getz spent 11 years working for the University of Iowa Athletics Department in event and project management.
“I’m beyond excited to get started and continue the growth of the Iowa Heartlanders,” Mr. Getz said in a release. “I’d like to thank Michael Devlin and Heartlanders Hockey for this opportunity and Tom Hamilton for his help and leadership in the transition process. This is my community and it is my goal to make the Heartlanders a much larger part of the fabric of Eastern Iowa.”
“After Tom internally announced his plans to retire, a national search for new leadership began,” Mr. Devlin added. “It turns out that leadership was right in our backyard. Matt brings a wealth of local knowledge and resources that will be invaluable as we start the season. In addition to his tremendous resume, his enthusiasm and creativity will be essential as we continue to bring more fans into the Heartlander family and grow the game through our many community initiatives.”
“I’m very happy to help the transition and next stage of Heartlanders hockey with Matt’s addition,” Mr. Hamilton said. “The organization is in great hands and I’m looking forward to seeing the Heartlanders continue to grow and flourish with Michael and Matt leading the way.”
Mr. Hamilton said he will retire once the transition is complete.
Mr. Getz most recently served as the director of business intelligence with the Accel Group, where he helped oversee the direction and daily operations for a number of departments within the company. During his time with Accel Group, he received numerous awards and recognitions for his work.
During Mr. Getz’ time at the University of Iowa, he was named the Hawkeyes’ director of event management and successfully executed home events for all Iowa Division I Sports. Among successes with the Hawkeyes, Mr. Getz was responsible for bringing two Olympic Team Trial events in wrestling to Iowa City (2012 and 2016), which set all-time attendance records. He helped prepare and execute the 2015 Men’s Swimming and Diving National Championships at the University of Iowa. Additionally, in November 2015, Getz and his team at the athletic department brought the “Grapple on the Gridiron” to Kinnick Stadium, a wrestling event that marked the first time two college teams wrestled in a NCAA Division I football stadium.
Mr. Getz is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and earned his Master of Arts from the University of Iowa in 2010.
Iowa opens the 2023-24 season vs. the Rapid City Rush on Fri., Oct. 20 at 6:35 p.m. Single-game tickets to the home opener are now available. Season ticket memberships, mini-plans, partial plans and group tickets are available for the 2023-24 season by visiting iowaheartlanders.com/tickets or by calling (319) 569-4625.
The Heartlanders, founded in 2021, are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild. The team was purchased in July by Heartlanders Hockey LLC, an Iowa ownership group with local ties led by majority owner Michael Devlin.
Mr. Devlin’s group also owns the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League, where the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders also compete.
