Front office email: firstinitiallastname@ironpigsbaseball.com (ex. John Smith is jsmith@ironpigsbaseball.com) unless otherwise noted.

OWNERSHIP

Craig Stein

Joe Finley

management

Front office email: firstinitiallastname@ironpigsbaseball.com (ex. John Smith is jsmith@ironpigsbaseball.com) unless otherwise noted.

Kurt Landes -- President & General Manager

Kurt Landes, the first and only General Manager in franchise history, has helped steer the IronPigs to extraordinary success under his leadership. The club has led all of Minor League Baseball in average attendance per game since their debut season in 2008 and was honored with the prestigious Bob Freitas award in 2012, honoring sustained excellence in Minor League Baseball.

Landes was named the International League Executive of the Year in 2009 and 2010, becoming just the fifth person ever to be named to the honor in consecutive years dating back to the award's founding in 1964. In 2011, Landes was named the Morning Call's co-sports personality of the year (along with Ryne Sandberg) after helping guide the IronPigs to Minor League Baseball's top attendance total and in 2010 he received the honor of being named one of four "Rising Stars" in Minor League Baseball by the SportsBusiness Journal.

Under Landes' watch, the IronPigs have led Minor League Baseball in average attendance over their 8-year history. The club is the only Minor League team to exceed 600,000 fans during every season since 2008.

Landes served an invaluable role in bringing the 2013 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game and the 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game to Coca-Cola Park as the IronPigs became the first team to have hosted both of Triple-A Baseball's marquee events. The All-Star Game was televised live to a national audience on MLB Network and was the focal-point of a multi-day baseball extravaganza that showcased the Lehigh Valley community. During the All-Star festivities, the IronPigs also hosted a sold-out Home Run Derby that featured industry-acclaimed unique seating and hospitality on the infield during the competition, a first of its kind.

Since 2008, the IronPigs have consistently averaged well over 9,000 fans per game - a number that drastically exceeds Coca-Cola Park's fixed seating capacity of 8,089. Every seat in the ballpark has been sold for 389 of the 553 all-time regular season games - with 133 all-time capacity crowds of 10,000 plus.

In addition to the Bob Freitas Award, the IronPigs have received numerous accolades during Landes' tenure, including being named Business of the Year by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and Ballpark of the Year by Ballpark Digest.

An extremely active member of the Lehigh Valley community, Landes can be seen at dozens of local events each year and most recently served as the Board Chair of Discover Lehigh Valley. He has chaired or co-chaired numerous nonprofit fundraisers helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local agencies. Landes is also President of IronPigs Charities, a non-profit organization that strives to provide educational and recreational opportunities for children in the Greater Lehigh Valley area and awards tens of thousands of dollars annually to other local non-profit organizations through their grants-based program. IronPigs Charities has distributed more than $940,000 in cash grants since debuting in 2007.

Landes was introduced as the first General Manager in IronPigs history on October 4, 2006, after spending the previous five years as general manager of the Hagerstown Suns. During his tenure with the Suns, the club increased their average attendance each year and, overall, the Suns attendance rose just over 50% during his five-year run. Landes also directed franchises in Erie, Pa., and Staten Island, N.Y., while still retaining his general manager responsibilities in Hagerstown. Previous to Hagerstown, Landes worked in Akron, Ohio, and Daytona Beach, Florida.

Under his direction, Kurt's teams have received continual national praise, awards and media attention including ESPN the Magazine's Promotion of the Year for a Funeral Giveaway and then again later for a Urinal Gaming promotion. The more recent "Smell the Change" bacon-themed campaign also landed numerous industry and marketing honors. Landes' promotions have been featured by national media organizations such as Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Baseball America, CNN, ESPN and Fox News as well as among many other national media outlets. Originally from Ohio, Landes graduated as the sole recipient of the distinguished Outstanding Senior Award from Bowling Green State University. He is also a member of the Northwestern (Ohio) High School Alumni Hall of Fame. The 2017 season will be his 24th in Minor League Baseball.

finance

Deb Black -- Controller

Deb enters her second season with the club in 2017.

Michelle Perl -- Senior Manager, Finance

Michelle Perl comes to the IronPigs with recent experience ranging from her nine years in office management at Bed Bath and Beyond, to her previous experience in the Family Entertainment field as Manager of Discovery Zone in Whitehall, Pa. She's excited to bring the blend of her past employment to her new position with the IronPigs Family. Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, she married her High School sweet-heart, Bob and has two sons, Ryan a Junior at Whitehall High School and Robbie, a Sophomore at Temple University. In her spare time, Michelle loves to spend time with her family. When not working during the season, Michelle can be found at the nearest beach....she's tempted to replace her office chair with a beach chair. Shine On!

marketing

Lindsey Knupp -- Vice President, Marketing & Entertainment

Lindsey Knupp enters her 13th overall in 2017, and tenth season with the IronPigs, as the club's Vice President of Marketing & Entertainment and also serves as a board member for IronPigs Charities. Under her direction, the IronPigs have developed and maintained the strongest promotional schedule in Minor League Baseball and have captured Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Promo of the Year" award for a series of successful recent promotions as well as GameOps.com's "Best Game Operations and Presentation" award. The IronPigs' forward-thinking promotions have been highlighted in numerous national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Sports Illustrated. Knupp oversees the Community Relations and Multimedia Design efforts of the IronPigs in addition to her responsibilities handling promotions and entertainment. Lindsey is a graduate of Shippensburg (Pa.) University where she was a two-time All American and captain of the varsity field hockey team after graduating from nearby Northampton High School.

Tom Bendetti -- Director, Corporate Partnerships

Tom enters his first season with the IronPigs in 2017 after most recently serving as a Vice President for PNC Bank. With PNC, he oversaw a sales team of 16 in selling customized wealth management and investment services as well as ensuring customer service experiences for clients and providing sales coaching to his employees. Prior to his time with PNC, Tom worked with TD Bank as their Vice President and Relationship Manager.

Rob Sternberg -- Director, Multimedia Design & Entertainment

Bio coming soon.

Matt Cech-- Manager, Multimedia Design & Entertainment

A native of Nazareth, PA and 2016 graduate of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Media and Professional Writing, Matt spent the 2016 season in a seasonal role with the Reading Fightin Phils of the Eastern League prior to joining the IronPigs as an Associate in September of 2016. He was elevated to a full-time role in May of 2017.

Andy Wood -- Manager, Corporate Partnerships

Andy Wood enters his second season with the IronPigs in 2017 following a three year stint with the Tri City Dust Devils where he most recently served as the Director of Season Ticket Sales. Andy began his baseball career interning in the California League for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The Ohio native is a graduate of the Kent State University with a degree in Sports Administration. An avid sports fan, Andy is a passionate follower of both the Cleveland Indians and Tennessee Titans.

Pete Kandianis -- Manager, Corporate Partnerships

Bio coming soon.

Mike Holley -- Manager, Sponsorship Services

Bio coming soon.

Dean Hirschberg -- Manager, Sponsorship Services

Bio coming soon.

Zach Betkowski -- Manager, Promotions & Entertainment

Zach enters his first season with the IronPigs, joining the team in October of 2016 as the Manager of Promotions and Entertainment. A native of New York, Betkowski graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Sport Management and a minor in Communication Studies. Betkowski got his start in sports with the New York Jets as a training camp intern in 2013, afterward going on to work the Jets home games for the 2013 season. He then transitioned into baseball in 2014, working with a summer collegiate baseball team in Upstate New York, the Cortland Crush, serving as their Director of Gameday Operations and Promotions. After one season, he was promoted to General Manager, a position he held until he was hired by the Vermont Lake Monsters (Short Season Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics) in March of 2015. There, he was the team's Director of Promotions and Community Relations, completing two seasons before his tenure with the IronPigs. In his spare time, Zach enjoys rooting on his favorite sports teams; the New York Mets, New York Giants, Boston Celtics, New York Rangers and Texas Longhorns. He also enjoys spending time with his wife Amy and their two dogs, Zoey and Mia.

ticket & group sales

Brian DeAngelis -- Vice President, Ticketing

Brian enters his first season with the club in 2017 after a successful four-year run with the State College Spikes as their Senior Sales Director. With the Spikes, Brian oversaw the ticket department to set 4 franchise records in attendance. Prior to his time in State College, Brian worked in the ticket department of the Aberdeen IronBirds in 2012-13 and with Ripken Amateur Baseball selling camps, clinics and tournaments. He's a graduate of Slippery Rock University with a B.S. in Sport Management. Brian lives in Breinigsville with his wife Erika, daughter Gianna and 3 dogs.

Don Wilson -- Director, Group Sales

Don Wilson enters his tenth season with the IronPigs in 2017 after spending seven seasons as Director of Ticket Operations and Group Sales for the Omaha Royals (Triple-A, Pacific Coast League). Prior to his time with the Royals, Wilson was the Director of Merchandising and Group Sales for the New Jersey Cardinals (New York-Penn, Short Season A) from 1997-2000. The graduate of Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY) officially began his professional baseball career with the Cardinals as an intern in 1994. Don and his wife Heather have two children, Gracie and Colin.

Brad Ludwig -- Director, Guest Experience

Brad enters his ninth season with the IronPigs and twelfth in Minor League Baseball in 2017. Prior to the IronPigs, he spent three seasons with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians, Short Season-A). Brad graduated from Mount Union College (Alliance, OH) with a degree is Sport Management and minor in Business Administration. Brad lives in Macungie with his wife, Erin.

Ryan Hines -- Senior Manager, Group Sales

Ryan Hines embarks on his eight season with the IronPigs in the Ticketing Department after interning with the club in 2010. Hines got his start in professional sports with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2003, before completing internships with 94 WYSP as an Eagles Broadcast Assistant. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ryan graduated from Arizona State University in May 2007 with a degree in Finance and a minor in Communications and also graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a Masters in Sport Management in May, 2010.

Erik Hoffman -- Senior Manager, Ticket Sales

Prior to joining the IronPigs in advance of the 2017 season, Erik spent the previous four years with the State College Spikes and was most recently serving as their Director of Ticket Sales. He was instrumental in setting four franchise attendance records and led the team in new business sales for three consecutive years. During his tenure, the Spikes were one of two teams to increase attendance in the New York-Penn League. A native of Drums, PA, Erik graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management in 2013. He currently lives in Whitehall with his wife, Marissa and Mini Golden Doodle, Ramona.

Brittany Balonis -- Manager, Ticket Operations

Brittany Balonis begins her sixth season with the IronPigs in 2017 after previously working for DeSales University, Lehigh University and the IronPigs as a Game Day intern in 2012. From Pottsville, PA, she graduated from DeSales University in 2013 with a degree in Sport Management and a minor in Marketing.

Billy Misiti -- Manager, Group Sales

Billy enters his third season with the IronPigs (and 4th in sports overall) after interning with the club in the ticketing department in 2015. Prior to rejoining the IronPigs, Billy worked as a Group Sales account executive for the Bridgeport Bluefist. He's a graduate of Dowling College Sport Management Program in Long Island. Billy was born and raised in Brooklyn and resides in Nazareth, Pa.

Chad Mazepa -- Manager, Group Sales

Chad enters his third season with the IronPigs (and first with the Group Sales Department) in 2017 after serving as an intern in 2015-16. He's a graduate of Lock Haven University with a degree in Sport Administration. A Pennsylvania native, Chad was born and raised locally in the Slatington area. In his spare time, he enjoys watching and rooting on Notre Dame, the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Derek Tellinghuisen -- Manager, Group Sales

Derek Tellinghuisen enters his first season with the IronPigs in 2017. A Rochester Hills, Michigan native graduated from Northwood University in Midland, MI in 2013 with a degree in Business/Sport Management. Derek has spent time with the Frederick(MD) Keys Baseball team, Peoria(IL) Chiefs Baseball team, Peoria(IL) Rivermen Hockey team, and Youngstown(OH) Phantoms Hockey team with roles in either Sales or Ticketing. In Derek’s spare time he can be found cheering on his favorite teams; Minnesota Twins, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Vikings and Michigan State Spartans! Derek also enjoys traveling to sporting events; his main bucket list item is to visit every MLB Ballpark at least once in his life. Derek currently resides in Allentown with his soon to be wife Cassandra.

Pat Walker -- Manager, Memberships

Pat joined the IronPigs as a full-time staff member after a successful 2015 season in the ticketing department. Pat is a graduate of California (PA) University and is a native of nearby, Hamburg, PA. Prior to working for the IronPigs, Pat interned and worked at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center (The Velodrome) in 2014.

Mike Moneta -- Manager, Memberships

Mike enters his first season in the Lehigh Valley after joining the IronPigs in November of 2016. A native New Yorker, Mike graduated from Towson University in Maryland with a degree in Sport Management. He joins the Pigs after successful stints with the New York Islanders and the New York Cosmos Soccer club in their sales departments. In his spare time, Mike enjoys rooting for the New York Yankees, Knicks, and Islanders as well as the Dallas Cowboys.

Nick DiChristofaro -- Manager, Memberships

Bio coming soon.

media & broadcasting

Matt Provence -- Director, Media Relations & Broadcasting

Matt Provence embarks on his 21st season in minor league baseball following stints with the Norwich Navigators (1997), Lynchburg Hillcats (1998-2004) and Daytona Cubs (2005-2006). The New Jersey native will continue to serve as the "Voice of the IronPigs" on the IronPigs Radio Network while maintaining an on-air presence on all TV broadcasts. In addition to calling more than 1,500 minor league baseball games, he currently handles play-by-play for NJIT Division I men's and women's basketball games in Newark, New Jersey. In 2001, Provence represented the Carolina League as a broadcaster for the California/Carolina League All-Star game in Stockton, Calif., in 2001. The James Madison (Va.) University graduate began his broadcasting career interning for the New York Yankees Radio team in 1995.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Diane Donaher -- Executive Director, IronPigs Charities

Diane joins IronPigs Charities with a career in non profit leadership, fund raising, and marketing for youth development , business/education partnerships and community development. She served many non profit clients in her consulting business and has worked in economic development in Bethlehem and Northampton County. She is an active Rotarian and spends her free time volunteering for community projects and visiting her daughter Darah and son Drew. She’s a native of Quincy, MA, has a Master’s degree from St. Joseph’s University and lives in Hanover Township with her husband Dean and dog Duffy.

Jeffrey Draluck -- Manager, Community Relations

Jeffrey enters his first full season with the IronPigs in 2017 as the Community Relations Manager after joining the team part way through the 2016 season. A native of Atlanta, GA, Draluck graduated from the University of Tampa in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. Draluck got his start in the sports industry as a Gameday Operations Intern for the University of South Florida Athletic Department followed by a Community Relations Internship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Entering his fourth full season in baseball, Draluck has spent time with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL. In his spare time, Jeffrey enjoys watching Atlanta and Tampa Bay sports teams as well as traveling.

special events

Allison Valentine -- Director, Special Events

Allison is entering her second season with the IronPigs organization. She comes to us with ten years event management experience. Her previous experience includes Director of Thompson College Center at Cedar Crest College and most recently Director of Special Events at Delaware Valley University, Doylestown.

As the Director of Special Events, Allison is responsible for planning and executing all non-traditional, non-game events at Coca-Cola Park. Such events include the Bacon and Brews Bash, The Lehigh Valley Cider and Wine Festival, 4th on the Field, and our newest event premiering here in the spring of 2016 - the Lehigh Valley Food Truck Festival. She also oversees all community events held here at the ballpark.

Allison received a BA in Business Management from Moravian College in Bethlehem where she was a member of the Women's Track and Field Team. Allison is a longtime fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Philadelphia Eagles, and also follows Penn State Football. In her spare time she enjoys riding their Harley Davidson with her husband Jim, and spending time with her daughters Makenna and Mallory.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Alex Rivera -- Director, Food & Beverage

Alex Rivera, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, enters his tenth season with the IronPigs in 2017 after nearly ten years of service with Centerplate food and beverage management. Alex most recently worked as General Manager of Food and Beverage for the Newark Bears. He also worked as Catering Director at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City New Jersey. Before his Food and beverage career, Alex worked as a Loan Processor and Marketing. Alex also provides voice work for the IronPigs promotions department and you can hear him as the narrator of "As the Bacon Turns" during most home games this season.

Brock Hartranft -- Senior Manager, Concessions

Brock enters his tenth season with the IronPigs after interning in the Food & Beverage department in 2008. Brock has a bachelor's degree in sports management with a minor in business management from East Stroudsburg University. Brock graduated from Northhampton High School in 2002 and can't remember a time when he wasn't playing sports. A lifelong Phillies fan, Brock jumped at the opportunity to work for the newest team in the Philadelphia organization.

Jerry Rogers --Executive Chef

Jerry Rogers enters his fourth season with the IronPigs as the Executive Chef in 2017, bringing 22 years of culinary and hospitality experience with him. For the last 14 years, Jerry has been both an Executive Sous Chef and Executive Chef for contract foodservice provider Parkhurst Dining Services at Washington & Jefferson College (7 yrs), Cedar Crest College (5 yrs), and Philadelphia University (2 yrs). Accolades include 2004 Parkhurst Dining Associate of the Year, 2008 Pocono Produce Company/Pillsbury Cook-off 3rd place winner, and the 2010 Penn State Chefs Symposium winner for Ingenious Ingredient Usage and Aesthetic Plate Design. A Bluegrass and Old-time musician, Jerry's other hobbies include hiking, camping, fishing, gardening, and all things outdoors. Jerry loves spending time with his wonderful wife Andrea, two children, Matthew and Anabelle, and Jack Russell, Lula.

Steve Agosti -- Manager, Catering & Hospitality

Steve Agosti enters his sixth season with the IronPigs and third as Manager of Catering/Hospitality in 2017. He spent the 2013 season as an intern in the Catering/Events Department. Steve started working on the Club Level with the Catering Department during the 2012 season. Steve is a Schuylkill County native, graduating from Tamaqua Area High School in 2007. He then graduated from DeSales University in 2011 with a BS in Sports Management.

FIELD & OPERATIONS

Ryan Hills -- Director, Field Operations

Ryan returned to the Lehigh Valley in 2013 after spending each of the last four years in an identical role with the Trenton Thunder (Double-A, New York Yankees) of the Eastern League. Ryan worked as an assistant on the Field Operations staff at Coca-Cola Park during the IronPigs' inaugural season in 2008.

Jason Kiesel -- Director, Stadium Operations

Jason (aka Diesel) enters his tenth season with the IronPigs in 2016 after completing his internship during the club's inaugural season. Diesel is a graduate of both Southern Lehigh High School and East Stroudsburg University, where he received his degree in Sport Management. Diesel and his wife Tessa reside in Pennsburg, Pa. Away from work Diesel enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible. Camping, fishing and hiking are some of his favorite outdoor activities.

Justin Kulhamer -- Manager, Stadium Operations

Bio coming soon.

Matt Cheesman -- Manager, Stadium Operations

Matt Cheesman joins the IronPigs as a Manager, Stadium Operations after serving as an Operations intern with the Reading Fightin' Phils in 2015. The Harrisburg, South Dakota native also has experience working for the Sioux Falls Canaries and the University of Minnesota men's basketball team. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Matt currently reside in Bethlehem, Pa.

merchandise

Dennis Soden -- Director, Merchandise

Dennis enters his second season with the IronPigs in 2017 after having spent the last 12 years working in Merchandise for the Philadelphia Eagles. Dennis began as an Assistant Store Manager at the Rockvale Outlets in Lancaster, Pa. During his Eagles tenure, he grew to eventually become the Merchandise Operations Manager, a split role overseeing the department. Some responsibilities included managing the merchandise transitions from soccer sales to concert sales and ultimately to Eagles merchandise sales over the course of the summer.

Now with the IronPigs, Dennis directs all functions of the merchandise department, from being a Buyer, to managing the Online Store, and overseeing a game day staff of roughly 15 with 2 seasonal associates. If you have any merchandise requests, Dennis is sure to listen!

Dennis is a graduate from DeSales University in 2003 with a degree in Sport Management. In Dennis’ free time, he is a Philly 4 for 4, cheering all the teams on; Dennis also likes to cook and spend time with his family. He currently resides in Bethlehem with his wife Kim, and daughter Kelby.

reception

Pat Golden -- Receptionist

Pat Golden is in her eighth season as a full-time employee of the IronPigs in 2017 after serving a variety of game day roles during each of the club's first two seasons at Coca-Cola Park. A native Lehigh Valleyan, she was born and raised in Catasauqua and currently resides there as well. Pat is a long-time Phillies fan and loves attending games and listening on the radio. In her spare time, she can be found at the Jersey Shore; surf-fishing, crabbing, clamming or just hanging around. Pat has three children, Emily, Michael and Marty.

seasonal associates

Jon Bodack -- Social Media

Erin Day -- Food & Beverage

Eric Hall -- Media Relations

Kevin Jennings -- Merchandise

Maddison Kendrick -- Ticketing

Joseph King -- Ticketing

Mackenna Lynch -- Ticketing

Jeffrey Maris -- Food & Beverage

Dean May -- Ticketing

Josh Mullin -- Ticketing

Brian Osteen -- Ticketing

Adam Puskar -- Ticketing

Quillan Toler -- Community Relations

Front office email: firstinitiallastname@ironpigsbaseball.com (ex. John Smith is jsmith@ironpigsbaseball.com) unless otherwise noted below.