“The staff of the Tacoma Dome has three recent additions – Ryan Shannon, John Kaniss, and John McClees.Shannon, the Dome’s new marketing manager, has come to Tacoma from Wenatchee. He ran a nonprofit sports commission there, and has worked in hotel and corporate hospitality, as well as for the Eastern Washington University Athletic Department, and Brett Sports and Entertainment.As marketing manager, Shannon oversees marketing and public relations, relations with corporate sponsors and media, advertising, and develops the Tacoma Dome’s overall image – locally, regionally, and nationally. One priority Shannon noted bettering the way the Dome gets information out to the public, including revamping the Dome’s website to be increasingly user-friendly. A new logo has also begun making its appearance.With the imminent destruction of the Kingdome in Seattle, the Tacoma Dome is shaping up to be the largest event venue in the Northwest, Shannon said.“That’s good for us,” Shannon said. “If someone wants a route through the Northwest, our goal is to get them through Tacoma.Kaniss has joined the Dome as operations manager, and comes to Tacoma from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he worked as operations director for the city. He has a construction background, and feels confident in his role with possible renovations of Cheney Stadium and the Tacoma Dome, as well as the construction of a new convention center, in the near future.“The Tacoma Dome is like any other building up over 10 years,” Kaniss said. “In 16 years there hasn’t been a major renovation. You have to upgrade the infrastructure.”Kaniss said though the initial costs to upgrade facilities may seem steep, improvements can often reduce operating costs.McClees has joined the Dome as one of two event managers for the facility. Originally from Denver, he has worked in games operations and marketing at the University of Nevada Las Vegas Thomas & Mack Center, as well as the event facility manager at the University of Oklahoma, where he ran events, maintenance and groundskeeping for six different athletic facilities.”