Local Sports Journal

The Muskegon Lumberjacks have hired Bryan Fongers as its media relations director for the upcoming USHL season.

Fongers, 26, replaces Matt Gajtka, who resigned earlier this summer to pursue other employment opportunities. It’s the third media relations person in the three-year history of the USHL club. Christopher Heimerman handled the duties the first season of the club.

Fongers has a background in sports radio. The last four years, he’s been working for WBBL-107.3 FM. He plans to continue with the radio station in a limited role. At the station, he was the associate producer of local sports talk shows “Bakita and Bentley” and “The Huge Show.” He was executive directgor of “The Grillin Guys Show” and also worked with the West Michigan Whitecaps baseball club as director of play-by-play operations.

He is a 2004 graduate of Mona Shores High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications Studies from Grand Valley State in December, 2008.

For the Jacks, Fongers will write press releases for the Jacks and L.C. Walker Arena, blog and provide the voice for the web streaming of home games.

“I took this job because I love the sport of hockey and it is good to be back in the Muskegon area, where I was born and raised,” Fongers said. “It is also good to be closer to family and friends again and I am excited to be a part of the organization that I grew up watching as a child.

“I believe that the community will be excited with the product that the Lumberjacks will bring out this season,” Fongers said.