Chris Almendarez has served as the President of the Round Rock Express since October 2015. Prior to that, he was Assistant General Manager/Senior Vice President for one season and General Manager for two seasons. He joined the Express as a Senior Account Executive in October 2009.
As President, Almendarez oversees all business-related aspects of the club while serving as the team's liaison for Pacific Coast League matters. He also works closely with ownership to expand the Express' footprint in the Central Texas community and maintain the club's highly-respected standing in the baseball industry.
Chris was named the Pacific Coast League Executive of the Year in 2016 and during his leadership, the franchise was awarded Minor League Baseball's John Henry Moss Community Service Award as well as Baseball America's Bob Freitas Triple-A Organization of the Year Award. While Chris was honored to be named Executive of the Year, he is most proud of the work his staff has done to capture both the John Henry Moss and Bob Freitas Awards in 2016.
When he joined the team, Chris brought both pharmaceutical sales and entrepreneurial business experience with him. He was a Professional Sales Consultant for SkinMedica Pharmaceuticals. Before that, Chris was the Sales Manager for KEY Enterprises, a sports construction company. His earlier experience includes various positions with Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Team Sports Incorporated.
Active in his Alumni Association, Chris attended the University of Houston on a baseball scholarship and graduated in 1996 with a BA in Mass Communications. He participates in the annual University of Houston baseball alumni game. Prior to his time at Houston, Chris played baseball for two years on scholarship at Howard Junior College in Big Spring, Texas. He also served as the Student Body President during his time at HJC.
He and his family reside in Round Rock. His oldest son Chase plays baseball at the University of Houston-Victoria while his youngest son, Luke, attends Round Rock High School and plays on the baseball team. Chris is active in youth sports in the Round Rock area and has coached over 40 teams in last 12 years.
Walk-up song: Strong Tower - Kutless