Pioneer League Office Staff
Michael Shapiro
President
Mike Shapiro is a veteran of over 40 years in the sports and entertainment industries, having served roles in: sports franchise ownership and management; television production, broadcast and digital media rights acquisitions; golf course management and sports facility development. He’s been a senior executive in a wide range of professional sports including baseball, golf, basketball and hockey.
Mike currently serves as the President of the Pioneer Baseball League, an independent MLB “Partner League” with teams in Montana, Colorado, Utah and Idaho. As well, Mike is an Executive Consultant for the Baltimore Orioles with whom he served as the Executive Vice President for Planning and Development, overseeing the club’s legal affairs, including the renovation of Camden Yards and the development of the Orioles’ new baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.
After attending Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the New College School of Law, Mike began his sports business career in 1984 as Vice President and General Counsel of the San Francisco Giants where he oversaw several administrative departments including, legal, human resources, broadcasting and business development.
Following the sale of the Giants in 1993, Mike became Senior Counsel to the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers. In 1995, he was promoted to Vice President of Business Affairs and Administration for Turner Sports where he managed the department’s administrative divisions and negotiated the acquisition of telecast rights to such anchor properties as the NBA, NFL, PGA Tour, PGA of America, NASCAR and MLB.
In 1998 Mike joined Nike as the Tiger Woods Brand Manager. In this role, he managed the Tiger/Nike relationship and extended the joint brand into video games (EA Sports – “Tiger Woods Tour”), made-for- TV events and Asian market sales.
After successfully negotiating the Lerner Family’s purchase of the Nationals in 2006, Mike was named the team’s Senior Vice President for Business Affairs where he assisted in the foundation of a new MLB franchise in Washington, DC, represented the team’s interests in the construction of Nationals Park and oversaw several internal business operations such as the team’s Florida Operations, Enterprises unit and the television rights negotiations with MLB and the Orioles.
In 2012, Mike returned home to the Bay Area establishing an independent minor league baseball league, the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs. He was a member of the ownership group and President and General Manager of one of the founding clubs, the San Rafael Pacifics with whom he oversaw all team operations. Under Mike’s leadership, the Pacifics won four Pacific Association championships in their first seven years, were given the 2015 Business of the Year Award by the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce and the Spirit of Marin Award and in 2017 were awarded the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Business Diversity Award. He was named the recipient of the 2015 Commissioner’s Award, honoring the Pacific Association’s Executive of the Year.
In addition to being an avid golfer and writer, Mike has lectured and taught sports management and sports law classes at Georgetown University, Columbia University, University of San Francisco, St. Mary’s University, American University and NYU.
Mike and his wife Jane live in Novato, CA and have two sons, Harrison and Jackson.
Henry Hunter
Commissioner & Executive Vice President
As Executive Vice President, Henry Hunter leads the Pioneer League’s legal, licensing, media, strategy, and ancillary businesses. As Commissioner, he also oversees baseball operations, umpires, player contracts, and rules enforcement. He previously served as Director of Business and Legal Affairs with the Washington Nationals during the Major League franchise’s return to the nation’s capital. In that role he helped negotiate complex commercial agreements with sponsors, suite holders, vendors, broadcasters, and licensees. He also assisted with construction, zoning, and tax issues as the club relocated from RFK Stadium to Nationals Park in partnership with the District of Columbia’s Sports and Entertainment Commission.
In addition to his baseball experience, Hunter has a diverse legal and political strategies background, having served as a trusted advisor to multinational corporations, political campaigns, advocacy groups, foreign governments, and entrepreneurs. He is the Founding Principal of Myers Park Projects, a consultancy that empowers entrepreneurs to scale their reach, opportunities, and impact through legal counsel and business strategies that leverage coalitions and relationships to maximize clients’ opportunities. Hunter is also an Adjunct Professor of Sports Law at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies.
Previously, Hunter was General Counsel of theGROUP, a well-known DC lobbying firm with close ties to the Obama Administration that specialized in finding mutually beneficial synergies between corporate, political, and social interests.
A native of Tallahassee, Florida, Hunter received his bachelor's degree from Emory University, where he was a member of the varsity basketball team, and his juris doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center where he was president of the Student Bar Association. He currently lives in Miami, Florida.
Jackson Shapiro
Director of Communications
Jackson Shapiro, the Pioneer League’s Director of Communications, oversees the league’s media, communications and production efforts. He is the producer of the critically acclaimed “PBL Roundup Show”, and manages the league’s internship program in partnership with Syracuse University.
Shapiro, a former high school baseball and football player, graduated from Syracuse University as an Economics and Cyber Security major. He grew up in the baseball business, having helped to operate his family’s minor league team, the San Rafael Pacifics (independent, Pacific Association) for seven seasons.
A native of Marin County, CA, Jackson now lives in New York City.
Tate Jordan
Tate is a graduate of American University in Washington, DC where she received her bachelors of science in public relations and strategic communications. During her time at American she was a member of the division one women’s soccer team and worked in the athletic department assisting with marketing and promotional efforts.
She is currently a graduate student at New York University where she is pursuing a master’s degree in sports business and holds a role in the NYU athletic department as the administrative assistant to the athletic director.
In addition to her experience in college athletics, Jordan has a background in community relations through her time with the Grassroots Project, an organization that teaches nutritional and mental health in DC public charter schools. As well, she has been involved with American University’s black athlete coalition, a group that worked to create a more inclusive environment within the athletic department by spreading awareness on social justice issues.
Tate currently resides in Manhattan, New York.
Bryan Hayes
Director of Baseball Operations
As Director of Baseball Operations, Bryan Hayes oversees player acquisition, player development, and league operations. Prior to joining the Pioneer Baseball League, Hayes spent the past 13 years in the front office of the New York Mets in Scouting and Player Development.
In 2010, he interned for the San Diego Padres in Brand Development and Community Relations. From 2004 to 2008, Hayes worked as a batboy, clubhouse attendant, and front office intern for the Norfolk Tides of the International League.
Hayes is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he worked as Senior Manager of Football Administration, and earned his Master of Analytics from Georgia Tech.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Hayes now resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife and two sons.