The Atlanta Gladiators announced on Friday that Team President Joe Gelderman is leaving the organization to pursue a different career path.

“I can’t express enough how grateful I am to have been able to be a part of the Gladiators organization for nearly 15 years,” said Gelderman. “I am particularly thankful to Steve Chapman and Toby Jeffreys for taking a chance on me fresh out of college and affording me the opportunity to work with them to build the Gladiators into an integral part of the Metro Atlanta community over the last fourteen seasons. I’ve been fortunate to have formed life-long friendships with season-ticket holders, corporate partners, coaches, and fellow co-workers.“The timing is right to take the next step in my professional career, and I will be moving on to take a Vice President role in a company that provides pre-employment hiring assessment tools; a tool that the Gladiators have used successfully for the past seven years. I will remain in the area and look forward to remaining part of the Gladiator family as a fan and seeing the great front office team that we have assembled continue its success.”

Gelderman joined the Gladiators in January of 2003, and was named the team's Vice President and General Manager of Business Operations in March of 2015 before being promoted to President in June.

“Joe’s dedication, loyalty and progression through the organization are a prime example of what we and minor league sports are about,” said Gladiators Majority Owner Toby Jeffreys. “You come in at the ground level and can work your way up the ladder to becoming Team President.

“He’s not only done an outstanding job, jumping in and doing what we’ve asked, but his foresight and decision making served the Gladiators well and will continue to enhance Joe’s personal development in this next endeavor.” The Atlanta Gladiators 15th anniversary season kicks off at the Infinite Energy Arena on Friday, October 20th against the Florida Everblades at 7:35 PM. For ticket package information, visit the official team website at www.atlantagladiators.com or call the main office line at 770-497-5100.The Gladiators are members of the ECHL, the nation’s premier "AA" hockey league. All home games are played at the 11,355-seat Infinite Energy Arena, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth – where parking is always free. The Gladiators have established an unrivaled commitment to excellence, maintaining a distinctive reputation for affordable and family-friendly sports entertainment and consistently ranked as one of the top “Things To Do” in the Atlanta area and across the North Georgia region.For all the latest team news, contests, and more visit AtlantaGladiators.com, or “like” the Gladiators on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AtlantaGladiators), follow the team on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ATLGladiators), Instagram (www.instagram.com/atlgladiators) or Snapchat (www.snapchat.com) at "gladshockey". -###-