Matt Getz named Heartlanders President

Coralville, Iowa – The Iowa Heartlanders, proud ECHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild and Iowa Wild, have named Matt Getz President of the Heartlanders. 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.  Matt Getz: “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. I’m beyond excited to develop and strengthen partnerships in the community and continue the growth of the Iowa Heartlanders. It’s our goal to make the Heartlanders a much larger part of the fabric of eastern Iowa.”   Owner Michael Devlin: “After Tom internally announced his plans to retire, a national search for new leadership began. 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.”  Tom Hamilton: “I’m very happy to help the transition and next stage of Heartlanders hockey with Matt’s addition. 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.” Hamilton added that he will retire once the transition is complete.  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 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, 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.  Getz is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and earned his Master of Arts from the University of Iowa in 2010.