Charles Darling
Founder & President
Charles spent 20 years in the Information Technology and Aerospace & Defense industry. Having a love (and addiction) to softball bats, Charles set out to found Proton in January 2021 wanting to create an incredible bat for the players. Charles worked with some of the brightest composite engineers from leading Aerospace & Defense companies to assist in the of design world-class bats and paddles. Charles has two children and can be found on the court or on the field when not at Proton HQ.
Dan Smith
Chairman
Dan is one of the best all-time contributors to the game of softball. As a player, sponsor, team owner, a member of the USSSA Hall of Fame, he has left a lasting legacy on sofball. Dan brings decades of renowned business leadership to Proton.
Pat Dalsanders
CFO
Pat is a long time positive contributor to softball as a player, coach, team owner, and sponsor. His teams throughout the years have been some of the most prominent in the history of the game. Pat is a Former Marine, worked 35 years for the FAA as an Air Traffic Controller and the past 16 years as a Contractor with Raytheon and SAIC as the Manager of Training for newly hired Controllers of the FAA.
Lex Ramirez
Vice President, Softball
Lex is responsible for the management of softball products. This includes assembly, engineering, and design. When Lex is not working on our products during the week, he is using them on the weekends.
Brant Weiss
Vice President, Pickleball
Brant is a former professional athlete with the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers. In 2017 he won a MAC Championship with Toledo. Brant is responsible for all aspects of our Pickleball Operations from Marketing to Player Management. Brant has traded in the cleats for the paddle and is just as tough at the Kitchen Line as he was on the Offensive Line.
Lindsey Darling
Vice President, Operations
Lindsey bring decades of successful domestic and international business management experience to Proton. For the past 18 years Lindsey has been among the top leaders in the Southwest within the Real Estate Industry.
Heather Shaw
Director, Softball Operations
Heather manages all of our Softball Operations. This includes fulfillment, Player Relations/Customer Service, and Marketing. Heather is the owner of Rogue Auto Glass. Her experience as a successful local business leader brings much value to our team.
Linda Ford
Player Relations Manager
Elizabeth is a former local business owner having both apparel and home furnishings stores here in Phoenix over the last 40 years.. She brings years of excellence in taking care of customers. Elizabeth handles all of our Player Relations. This includes emails, social media messages, and phone calls. If you have questions look no further.
Proton@protonsports.com
Jon Nelson
Director, Teams & Athletes
Jon is a founding member of Proton and is responsible for our on-field and on-court operations which includes the management of our teams and sponsored athletes. Jon plays softball at the highest level professionally, and has recently started playing Pickleball. How long until he is full-time Pickleball?!?!?!