The Wilmington Sharks of the Coastal Plain League announced Thursday that Amanda Yerdon, who had served as the team’s assistant general manager the past two years, would take over as the new General Manager of the Sharks. This opportunity came for Yerdon after former GM and Vice President Curt VanDerzee stepped down this past week. The promotion makes Yerdon the first-ever female General Manager in the CPL and one of a select few women executives throughout baseball.

“I am very excited about this opportunity and am confident that the team can continue to grow and become an even bigger part of the community,” said Yerdon. “I have been involved with the Sharks for many years and the continued success of this team is important to me. Curt has done a tremendous job getting the team to where it is today and I see only positive things ahead for the franchise. I`m excited to continue being a part of it.”

“I think my previous experience as an assistant general manager has helped prepare me for the things I can expect as GM. I`m just going to try and build on everything Curt has started. He’s built a strong foundation and now, I`ll try to expand on that.”

A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Marketing degree in 2001, Yerdon first started working in the Sharks organization as an intern under VanDerzee during the 1999 season while still attending UNC-W. That year, she worked in several areas, but especially as the Director of On-Field Promotions for the Sharks, and later completed her internship in 2000. After taking a job with Rainmaker Marketing, an advertising agency in Wilmington the following year, Yerdon again returned to baseball as the new assistant gm in late 2002. There, Yerdon worked with everything from player contracts and daily game day operations to Sharks souvenirs and sales in the off-season.

“While we are disappointed to lose Curt, we wish him luck with his future ventures,” said Sharks President and Owner Jim Morrison. “I feel very fortunate to have Amanda, who already has a vast knowledge of not only the Sharks, but the Wilmington community, as well as our sponsors, host families and season ticket holders. Amanda will become the first female General Manager in the Coastal Plain League and joins the ranks as one of few female executives in baseball.”