The Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, announced today that longtime President Scott Sonju would be leaving the franchise to pursue other business ventures. Sonju will step away from his day-to-day responsibilities immediately but will continue to serve in an advisory capacity to the franchise and will maintain a minority ownership interest in the club, according to a press release. Sonju joined the RoughRiders during the team’s inaugural 2003 season and has served as president since 2006. Chuck Greenberg, general partner and CEO of the RoughRiders, said the franchise has been preparing for this day for some time. Sonju made him aware of his decision to leave more than a year ago. "Our senior leadership team has been in place for some time and there will be no impact to daily operations," Greenberg said. Greenberg said Sonju’s duties and responsibilities had already been transitioned to other franchise executives prior to his departure. Greenberg will continue to direct the franchise as general partner and CEO while Jason Dambach, executive vice president and general manager, and Chief Operating Officer Scott Burchett will maintain their roles in overseeing all day-to-day business operations. There are no plans to hire a new president. “For the past year, I have worked with Chuck, Jason, Scott and others within our organization to prepare for my departure…” Sonju said in a statement. “I will continue to be an investor, advisor and cheerleader, and I look forward to great things for the team in the years to come.” During Sonju’s tenure, the RoughRiders led all 20 Double-A teams in attendance for 12 consecutive seasons (2005-16) and received numerous accolades, including Baseball America's 2007 Bob Freitas Award as the top Double-A franchise in the U.S. and the Texas League’s 2010 Organization of the Year. "The RoughRiders from inception have been one of the premier franchises in Minor League Baseball and Scott has been a huge part of that," Greenberg said. "He is always going to be a valued mentor and part of the legacy of this franchise." The RoughRiders will open the 2017 season at 7:05 p.m. Thursday against the Springfield Cardinals at Dr Pepper Ballpark.