Staff
Keri Palma, Senior Director of Family & Youth Engagement
Keri is the Senior Director of Youth & Family Engagement at Ohio City Incorporated, Near West Recreation's parent organization. Keri has been with Ohio City Incorporated and Near West Recreation since 2015. Since 2015, Keri has worked to create new sport leagues, increase participation, and train more volunteer coaches.
Prior to OCI, Keri worked two years at Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and was a volunteer softball and baseball coach. Keri has a masters degree in City and Regional Planning from Clemson University and a bachelors of Civil Engineering from UNC Charlotte while earning a 4-year softball varsity letter. As of 2022, she is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional from the National Parks and Recreation Association.
Keri's new role as Sr. Director of Youth & Family Engagement will be to oversee general operations of Near West Recreation, build partnerships, increase Near West Recreation funding while also hosting family friendly events in the Ohio City neighborhood and leading the Ohio City MyCom committee.
You can contact Keri at kpalma@ohiocity.org or 216-781-3222 x108.
Tyler Hatcher, Youth Sports Manager
Tyler serves as the Youth Sports Manager at Near West Recreation. He initially joined the organization in December 2023 as a Gameday Coordinator, where he was responsible for managing game days. Tyler transitioned to his current full-time position in September 2024, overseeing all aspects of Near West Rec's leagues and daily operations.
Before joining Near West Rec, Tyler spent eight seasons working in the Frontier League, a partner league of Major League Baseball. He gained valuable experience as part of the clubhouse staff for two separate stints with the Lake Erie Crushers, six years total (2014-2017 and 2023-2024) and two years with the Florence Freedom (now known as the Y’alls) (2018-2019). During his time in the Frontier League, Tyler was recognized as one of the best Clubhouse Managers in the league.
In his current role, Tyler is dedicated to managing the day-to-day operations at Near West Rec and supporting its various leagues year-round. His goal is to ensure the organization runs smoothly while exploring new opportunities for growth. Though he valued his time in professional baseball, Tyler believes his true passion lies in youth sports, and he is excited to contribute to the continued success and development of Near West Rec.
You can contact Tyler at thatcher@ohiocity.org or 216-658-3051 EXT 101
Jacob Brodsky & Kassi Saunders, Game Day Coordinator (Part-Time)
Jacob & Kassie are our new Game Day Coordinators. Their roles as Game Day Coordinators will be to ensure game days at our gyms and parks run smooth for our coaches, players, and officials. They will also assist the Youth Sports Manager with each seasons preparation.