Front Office Staff

Jeff Burum

Managing Partner

Lisa Schafer

Director of Finance

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Jimmy Nordberg

Executive Vice President

Phone(909) 457-0252

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A native of the Inland Empire, Jimmy Nordberg graduated from Rancho Cucamonga High School in 1997. Attended Azusa Pacific University and Cal State San Bernardino. Played in MLS and USL for 2.5 seasons before getting into coaching full time. He served as the Men's Assistant Coach at UC Riverside from 2003-2008. From 2017 -2023, Jimmy served as Head Coach of the Ontario Fury/Empire Strykers. He is currently the Executive Vice President of Operations.

Oliver King

General Manager

Phone(909) 457-0252

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A native of the Inland Empire, Oliver King was named Assistant General Manager ahead of the 2021 MASL season. Prior to joining the organization, Oliver headed a sports law firm engaged in the representation of athletes at various professional levels domestically and abroad. Oliver earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of La Verne College of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from Gettysburg College.

Mark Luetjen

Vice President of Corporate Partnerships

Phone(909) 457-0252

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Mark was born and raised in the Midwest before moving to SoCal in 1994 as part of a job relocation. He is a Graduate from the University of Missouri - Columbia with a degree in Personal Finance and a minor in Business Marketing. Mark worked for a national wholesale book company for more than 20 years, starting as a temporary summer employee in the warehouse. He worked his way up through almost every department and level to finally land as a Territory Sales Manager in the Southwest. After changing careers to a financial broker for a short time, he moved on to AFLAC for 8 years before joining the organization. Mark is an avid sports fan having played most sports growing up and enjoys the competitive challenge of growing with the Empire Strykers Family.

Felipe Ruiz

Vice President of Community Outreach & Relations

Phone(909)457-0252

Felipe extensive experience and dedication to fostering winning traditions have been cultivated through his time with the LA Dodgers and mentorship by Tommy Lasorda. Notably, Felipe played a supporting role in the 2020 World Series championship Dodgers, contributing to the establishment of a culture of excellence and teamwork.

Now a part of the Empire Strykers team, Felipe's exceptional ability to connect with communities and build strong relationships is poised to elevate the organization's mission both on and off the field. With this appointment, Empire Strykers eagerly anticipates the positive impact of Felipe's leadership in nurturing unity, success, and a culture of excellence among players, staff, and fans, aligning seamlessly with the organization's vision.

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Ren-A Valdez

Director of Operations

Phone(909) 457-0252

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Ren-A is a native of the Inland Empire. She holds a Master’s in Sport Management from California Baptist University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. Ren-A is a sports fanatic, she hopes to show her passion for sports, share her organization, creativity, and business development skills to the Empire Strykers. She is thrilled to be part of this organization and help the Empire Strykers as they #DefendTheEmpire

Mauricio Rodriguez

Creative Director

Phone(909) 457-0252

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Mauricio grew up in Rancho Cucamonga and throughout the Inland Empire. With a background rooted in marketing and a keen analytical mindset, Mauricio has excelled in driving impactful campaigns throughout his career. His proficiency in designing compelling presentations and materials was showcased during his tenure in real estate marketing.

Mauricio's deep understanding of marketing cycles and passion for data are driving forces behind his creative leadership as the Creative Director at Empire Strykers.

An interesting tidbit about him is his prior role as an Assistant Coach at Celtic Soccer Club from 2010 to 2015, reflecting his commitment to both professional excellence and community engagement.

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Kayla Oseguera

Community Partnerships & Fulfillment Manager

Phone(909) 457-0252

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Kayla has a great ambition to innovate and transform the world around her. She is enthusiastic to make her mark. Her eagerness to uplift the community through sports led her to The Empire Strykers. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a minor in Psychology, from California Baptist University, her educational background fuels her path towards impactful change.

Cindy Cairel

Group Account Executive

Phone(909) 457-0252

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Lily Goiz

Event Ticketing Specialist

Phone(909)457-0252

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SoCal Native raised in Whittier and later moved to the Inland Empire. Lily's love of sports started at the age of 5 when she first played soccer. That encouraged her to get her Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology from the University of La Verne #goleos. Furthering her education, she received her Masters degree in Sports Management from California Baptist University #golancers.

With an impressive track record in customer service, hospitality and business management, Lilly became a Luxury Suite Manager at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.

Now at Empire Strykers, Lily is eager to bring her experience and knowledge of world class sports service to Toyota Arena and its exclusive fans. Lily is ambitious to create an impact to the community.

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Billy Velto

Sales Account Executive

Phone(909) 457-0252

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A native of Upland, California, Billy joined The Empire Strykers prior to the 2023-2024 season. Prior to joining the Strykers, he worked for The LA Clippers for about seven years. He first started out as an intern for the Group Sales department in 2014 and eventually transitioned over to the basketball operations side of the organization. Billy worked as a G League Operations Assistant for three seasons where he was involved in handling day-day operations for the Ontario Clippers. He also interned for the LA Sparks during the summer of 2015. Billy earned his Masters Degree in Sports Management from Long Beach State while also completing a Bachelors Degree from Concordia University Irvine where he was the Team Manager for the 2012 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Team. Billy is a weight lifting fanatic and enjoys collecting credit card points so he can travel! #defendtheempire

Angel Nieblas

Promotions Groups and Fundraisers

Phone(909) 457-0252

Angel is a proud father of three, with 13 years of experience as an International MMA Cage Fighter. His journey from the cage to fatherhood reflects his unwavering dedication, resilience, and belief in self-improvement. Beyond his fighting career, he now channels his passion into empowering youth through sports.

Drawing from his own experiences, he mentors young individuals, imparting the values of discipline, perseverance, and self-confidence. His global perspective and commitment to inspiring others showcase his evolution from fierce competitor to a compassionate mentor leaving an enduring legacy of empowerment.

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Gunnar Berndt

Head of Communications

Phone(909)457-0252

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Born and raised in Germany, Gunnar Berndt holds a bachelor’s degree in German studies and a master’s degree in English/American studies from Ruhr-Universität in the city of Bochum. In addition to bleeding purple, Gunnar bleeds blue and white, the colors of his favorite Bundesliga side since childhood, VfL Bochum 1848. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Gunnar permanently moved stateside in 2011 and has since handled communications for teams in the USL, NWSL and MASL. His first affiliation with the Strykers dates back over a decade, as he worked for quasi-predecessor Anaheim Bolts in 2012-13, followed by a stint with the current iteration of the club (then named Ontario Fury) in 2019. When he’s not busy writing a press release, Gunnar might be training dogs or advocating for animal rights.

Seth Burum

Special Assistant

Phone(909) 457-0252

Media & Game Day Staff

Matt Tindall

Production Manager

Bill Norris

Team Statistician

Bill Norris has been a member of the organizations staff since the team’s founding in July 2013 and has served in various roles throughout the team’s existence. Currently, he serves in game day roles involving statistics and media relations. Before joining the organization, Bill had a long history of covering sports in Southern California, working for The Orange County Register, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino Sun, Riverside’s The Press-Enterprise and Patch.com. He is now the Sports Information Specialist for San Bernardino Valley College. Over the years with the organization, he has filled roles in web publishing, photography, media relations and social media posting for the team.

In recent years, Bill works confirming game day lineups, consults with on-field officials about scoring decisions and is the lead statistician. He also tracks the team’s history, updating the Empire Strykers unofficial record book. Bill grew up in Anaheim as a fan of the then-California Angels and has been a fan of the Los Angeles Kings since the mid-1970s. He also grew up watching the Los Angeles Lakers play at the Fabulous Forum (and still has bumper stickers to prove it).

He is a graduate of Cal State San Bernardino, and lives in the region with his wife and son.

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Christian Filimon

Podcast Host/Broadcaster

Christian aka “Filly” is originally from New York City and has been living in Los Angeles since 2016. He grew up an avid sports fan of all the local NYC teams. He was heavily involved in sports at a very young age. He has competed in several sports and athletic events all throughout his life and continues to do so. He is a graduate of Indiana University and has spent the past 15 years working in financial services as an advisor. He is the co-creator and co-host of Defenders of The Banc - The LAFC podcast, one of the largest run fan podcasts in Major League Soccer, aired in 84 countries with 100k + downloads. He been featured as a guest host on LAFC’s affiliate program 110 football doing both pregame and post-game commentary. He has also appeared as a guest on ESPN Radio’s very popular Weekend Warrior show with Dr. Robert Klapper. He brought his talents to Ontario, and along with his wife Amanda Filimon, they co-created and co-host Stryking Fury - the official podcast of the Organization. Filly has done work with the leagues MASL Insider show interviewing several players, coaches and the new commissioners. When he isn’t watching sports or podcasting Christian loves traveling, being active, playing guitar (he has been in several rock bands) and hanging out with his cat Schmitty McMittens.

Amanda Filimon

Podcast Host/Game Day Correspondent

Amanda “the Panda” Filimon hails from a small Midwest town in Indiana. Having grown up as a lover of all things sports related, it only felt natural to start a podcast where you get to talk about sports! She played Volleyball, Softball, Track, and was a Cheerleader in high school. After graduation she made the decision to join the US Army. She spent 15 years in the military, having spent a year overseas in Iraq from 2005-2006. She soon found herself in Nursing School, obtaining her RN, and soon traveled the US as an Operating Room Nurse. She currently works at Cedars-Sinai here in LA. She’s completed 6 marathons, is an avid cycler, and was once a professional cheerleader for the Arena Football Team, the Evansville Bluecats. She loves all animals, sports, and wine.

Jonathan Reimer

Broadcaster

Joining the organizations broadcast team in 2021, Jonathan is a passionate member of the southland sports scene. Jonathan co-hosts Stryking Fury, the official podcast of The Organization with Christian “Filly” & Amanda “Panda” Filimon. Jonathan also hosts Shoulder 2 Shoulder podcast, a weekly MLS show based on the football community surrounding the Los Angeles Football Club. He has made numerous guest appearances on popular southland sports shows including 110 Football, Heart of LAFC, FCFC, Defenders of the Banc and many more. Jonathan is a Certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers and has taught hundreds of courses on Wine, Beer & Spirits education.

Outside of his passion for sports, Jonathan lives for live music, the great outdoors and raising ducks at his home in Los Angeles.

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Jon Speier

Game Day PA

In his 7 seasons with the organization, Jon has seen his role evolve and grow from gameday public address duties to a position in the front office. As a representative of the Empire Strykers, He spends every week as a volunteer coach with the Rancho Cucamonga Special Olympic “IncredABLES,” and has assisted with sponsorships and brand awareness strategies. His public address announcing career began at Azusa Pacific University in 1994 where he was the voice of the Cougars for 10 years. Over that span, his voice could be heard throughout Southern California’s radio stations when Chicks Sporting Goods commercials aired. Jon has also had the opportunity to be a public address announcer for: USC Basketball, LA Dodger Private Stadium Events, and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

Ashley Kavanagh

Photographer

"In the world of photography, you get to share a captured moment with other people." -Ansel Adams

Ashley is an LA-based photographer who spent most of her childhood growing up in Ireland. In the many years she has been involved with photography, she has learned to appreciate the beautiful world and its many cultures. Through her lens, has captured powerful moments and turn them into art. Ashley is now honored to have been chosen to be the official photographer for The Empire Strykers.

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