Cedar Rapids Kernels announce impending retirement of CEO Doug Nelson

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Kernels CEO Doug Nelson plans to retire in June, the Midwest League baseball franchise announced Monday.

Nelson was hired by the Cedar Rapids Professional Baseball Club, the local men and women who own the team, in 2003.

“It has been an honor to be part of the Cedar Rapids Baseball Club organization for over 20 years,” Nelson said in a press release. “I am proud of the many accomplishments achieved by the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Waterloo Bucks baseball teams and the management staff.

“I am grateful for the tremendous support I have received from the staff, board of directors, baseball organizations and the Eastern Iowa community. Announcing my retirement is bittersweet, as I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife and family, but I will truly miss working with my baseball counterparts.”

Nelson has made the Cedar Rapids Professional Baseball Club viable financially in his long tenure. The club technically is not run as a non-profit organization, though its board of directors do not receive dividends, instead donating whatever annual profits are realized back into the operation of the Kernels and Waterloo Bucks, the collegiate summer team the CRPBC bought in 2014.

He led the Kernels through very rough times recently, including the reorganization of the minor leagues in 2019, helping assure its official affiliation with Major League Baseball (specifically the Minnesota Twins) remained. Burlington and Clinton in Iowa were among 40 communities that had their teams contracted by MLB.

The Kernels also had their 2020 season canceled by the COVID pandemic, having to take out a loan to continue to exist. Their ballpark (Veterans Memorial Stadium) was severely damaged by an August 2020 derecho.

Nelson was key in securing part of the state high school baseball tournament for Cedar Rapids this past summer and a deal that will bring it back to town in 2026. Cedar Rapids also has been the longtime host of the American Rivers Conference baseball tournament and has hosted the NCAA Division III World Series.

“Doug has done an outstanding job of leading the organization for the past 20 years,” said Kernels board of diretors president Greg Churchill. “Doug has navigated both the Kernels and the Bucks through some challenging times, and with his leadership, we are well positioned for the future.

“He has built key relationships with the Minnesota Twins, Major League Baseball, the cities of Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, numerous sponsors, suppliers and, of course, the fans. The board of directors will miss Doug’s steady hand, and wish JoAnn and Doug nothing but the best in the future.”

The club announced it will use Bowlsby Sports Advisors to conduct a national search for a new CEO. Nelson said he will work with his replacement at the start of the 2025 season before officially retiring in June.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com