Tony Reagins and Kristian Palvia, two individuals with vast experience in growing the games of baseball and softball around the world, have been elected as the newest At-Large Directors on the Little League® International Board of Directors. The election was made during its annual meeting on November 8, 2024, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Additionally, following more than 20 years of service each on the Little League International Board of Directors, Mike Mussina and Chris Drury have announced they will conclude their service as At-Large Directors effective November 2024.
“The expertise and input of our Board of Directors performs a pivotal role in navigating the past, present, and future courses of the Little League journey. So, we are deeply grateful for the wisdom, inspiration, and insight of Mike and Chris during the past 20 years and look forward to their continued support as active board alumni,” said Steven P. Johnson, Little League International Board of Directors Chairman. “We are also excited to have Tony Reagins join our Board and Kristian Palvia continue his service in this new role, and we are confident that their future contributions will craft many exciting new chapters in the Little League story.”
Meet the two newest At-Large Directors of the Little League International Board of Directors:
Tony Reagins – MLB Chief Baseball Development Officer
In his role as Chief Baseball Development Officer for Major League Baseball, Mr. Reagins oversees the growth of youth and amateur levels of the sport, both domestically and internationally. Mr. Reagins, who joined the Commissioner’s Office in March 2015, is also responsible for the operations of the Arizona Fall League.
Under his leadership, his department emphasizes strengthening participation levels of baseball and softball, both at the grassroots and the development stages. This approach includes the continued growth of the “PLAY BALL” initiative, which launched in June 2015 and now includes multilateral partnerships with USA Baseball, USA Softball, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Little League.
Mr. Reagins also leads the proliferation of the “Breakthrough Series” amateur development camps – which now cover boys’ baseball, girls’ baseball, and softball – as well as additional programs such as Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), MLB Youth Academies, the Hank Aaron Invitational, Elite Development Invitational, DREAM Series, and the Andre Dawson Classic.
Prior to joining the Commissioner’s Office, Mr. Reagins held several key roles with the Los Angeles Angels. His unique career path began with a dual internship in marketing and advertising sales, and baseball operations, before transitioning full-time to the baseball side. He served as the team’s Director of Player Development and then became the fifth Black General Manager in baseball history in 2007. Mr. Reagins is a native of Indio, California, and graduated from California State University, Fullerton, in 1991.
Kristian Palvia – Little League Sweden District 1 Administrator
While volunteering with the Little League program in a variety of roles since 1996, Kristian Palvia accepted the position of Secretary General of the Swedish Baseball and Softball Federation in 2004. In 2005, he was elected as a Little League District Administrator and has served in that role ever since. While now serving as an At-Large Director of the Board, Mr. Palvia has previously served as the Europe and Africa Region Field Director on the Board of Directors from 2012 to 2016, as well as an additional term in 2020, and has also been a member of the Little League International Advisory Board. With this election, he will transition from his service on the Board as a Field Director to an At-Large Director.
Aside from his Little League experience, where he has helped with the growth and development of the program throughout the Europe and Africa Region, Mr. Palvia has been involved with youth baseball since 1989, when the baseball program in Skovde was founded. He has additionally served as the treasurer for the Skovde Saints baseball and softball program and was the coach of a Tee Ball team in the Saints program. Mr. Palvia was also the club administrator for IFK Skovde, an elite handball club, overseeing all aspects of the club, including the management of a large youth handball tournament that featured more than 300 teams and 3,000 participants.
Learn more about the two departing members of the Board:
Mike Mussina – At Large Director Since 2001
In 2001, he was elected to the Little League International Board of Directors, where he helped establish Little League as a leader in arm safety and has been an active coach and local league board member for Montoursville Little League. He was enshrined in the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2014.
A five-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019, Mr. Mussina joined the Board of Directors in 2001, where he helped establish Little League as a leader in arm safety and has been an active coach and local league board member for Montoursville Little League. He was enshrined in the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2014.
Mr. Mussina’s Little League connection can be found on full display throughout the World of Little League® Museum, with a game-used glove, ball, and jersey from his final season with the Yankees on display. Visitors can enjoy an interactive exhibit featuring Mr. Mussina in the Fourth Inning and see a personal collection of memorabilia and artifacts from Mr. Mussina’s time in Little League, including a homemade baseball card and glove.
“From being a Little Leaguer in our backyard here in Montoursville, to being an inspiration to young pitchers around the world with his plaque in Cooperstown, Mike has been an important piece of our organization’s history and a key member of our Board for more than two decades,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “More importantly, Mike has been an amazing friend of our program and it has been my pleasure to be able to get to know him over the years. On behalf of all of us at Little League, and the countless children that he has inspired over the years, I’d like to thank Mike for everything he has contributed to help make the Little League program the largest and most respected in the world.”
Chris Drury – At Large Member Since 2011
Currently serving as the President and General Manager for the New York Rangers, Chris Drury has been a member of the Little League International’s Board of Directors since 2011. In 1989, at the 43rd Little League Baseball® World Series, Mr. Drury’s Trumbull National Little League (Conn.) defeated Chinese Taipei, 5-2 to win the world championship. Mr. Drury was the winning pitcher, allowing just two runs on five hits. His plate performance was just as impressive, collecting two hits in three at-bats, driving in two runs, and stealing a base.
Following his Little League career, Mr. Drury excelled in hockey. He was a two-time Hockey East Player of the Year, was honored with the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, and was a two-time recipient of USA Hockey’s College Player of the Year Award (1997, 1998). He won the National Championship with his Boston University teammates and was a two-time Olympic silver medalist.
Mr. Drury started his career with the Colorado Avalanche in 1998-99 and earned the Calder Memorial Trophy that season as the league’s top rookie and was a member of the 2000-01 Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup. In 2015, he was elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2009, Mr. Drury was also enshrined into Little League’s Hall of Excellence, an annual recognition of a Little League graduate who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their chosen profession and exemplifies the values learned as children in Little League Baseball or Softball.
“An inspirational role model to children from all around the world, and a great representation of someone who has made it to the highest stage throughout every level of his career – including as a Little Leaguer himself – Chris has been a tremendous asset to our Board of Directors over these last 13 years,” said Mr. Keener. “We are all very appreciative of his service to this organization, and personally I am honored to have been able to call him a friend throughout my time serving as President and CEO.”
About the Little League® International Board of Directors
The management of the property and business affairs of Little League Baseball, Incorporated, is vested in the International Board of Directors. The Board has the control of the corporation and the power to appoint such standing committees as it shall determine and to delegate such responsibilities as it shall deem advisable.
Along with more than a dozen at-large members from a variety of occupations and backgrounds, the Little League International Board has nine Field Directors, each representing one of Little League’s nine regions, who are nominated by their peers for election to four-year terms by their region’s District Administrators.
The members of the Little League International Board of Directors are volunteers in this service to Little League Baseball and Softball. They receive no compensation for their dedicated work on behalf of the program and the children of the world.