UMPS CARE Charities, the official philanthropy of the Major League Baseball Umpires, is proud to announce the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors: Duane Filey, Rhonda Pauls and Paul Vetrano.
Duane Filey is currently serving as Chief of Staff to Associate Technology VP, Arun Bhola for Walmart Global Tech. Duane has been with Walmart for the past three and a half years in the Reston, Virginia, office helping to build what’s next for Walmart Global Tech. Prior to joining Walmart, Duane was a solo practice consultant for powersports dealers in the Washington, D.C., metro area where he overhauled two entire dealership operation.
“Growing up as a sports fan in Cleveland, I am excited to join an organization dedicated to making change in communities through sports,” Filey said. “I am looking forward to helping make a difference.”
Rhonda Pauls hails from Canada and is Executive Director for Baseball PEI as well as serving as the Vice-Chair of the Abbotsford Board of education where she has served three elected terms. She is a long-standing director and former President of the British Columbia Baseball Umpires Association, is a Baseball Canada Master Course Conductor and National Lead Tournament Supervisor of Officials. Rhonda has represented Canada four times as an international baseball official and was recently appointed as Lead for development of Mentorship, Diversity and Wellness programming for Baseball Canada umpires.
“Outside of the joy that my family brings me, baseball has brought me more blessings in this life than I can count,” Pauls said. “It is an amazing game full of the very best people. UMPS CARE represents something that matters a great deal to me – using baseball to help provide life opportunities to people who may not have access to them otherwise. I am so very excited to be a part of this meaningful and important work that impacts the lives of so many young people.”
Paul Vetrano is a Sales Executive at Deloitte with demonstrated experience, knowledge and success selling management consulting services to the Life Sciences industry for the past 20 years. He oversees and manages all aspects of the sales life cycle supporting Deloitte’s Life Sciences MedTech and BioPharma practices. In addition to these responsibilities, Vetrano is a mentor to his colleagues and helps on board new hires.
“Baseball has always been important in my life,” Vetrano said. “From attending my first doubleheader at Shea Stadium on September 4, 1972, to the present day; I have been hooked. Combining my passion for baseball with my passion for giving back is a true doubleheader.”
“We are thrilled to have Duane, Rhonda and Paul join our UMPS CARE Board of Directors,” said Jennifer Skolochenko-Platt, UMPS CARE Charities Executive Director. “They all bring a unique perspective to our organization in addition to business knowledge and connections. We definitely think we made the right call by adding all three of these qualified individuals to our board.”
About UMPS CARE Charities: Founded in 2006 through the compassion of Major League Baseball (MLB) Umpires, UMPS CARE Charities provides financial, in-kind and emotional support for America’s youth and families in need. The UMPS CARE mission puts into action our established creed, “Helping People Is An Easy Call.” UMPS CARE Charities, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, invites kids and families from various youth-based organization with VIP baseball experiences at Major League Baseball ballparks, provides Build-A-Bear® Workshop experiences for children at hospitals across the United States and in Canada and provides college scholarships to children adopted later in life. UMPS CARE introduced its newest initiative, the Official Leadership Program, in 2021. For more information, click on UmpsCare.com.