IronPigs Front Office Staff Directory

Lehigh Valley IronPigs

1050 IronPigs Way
Allentown, PA 18109
Map

610-841-PIGS (7447)

Info@IronPigsBaseball.com

Ownership

Joe Finley

Craig Stein

Management

Kurt Landes | President & General Manager

KLandes@IronPigsBaseball.com

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.

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 $1.3 million 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. Under Landes' direction, the Pigs have won five golden bobblehead awards, more than any other organization, including two from the viral #LVWantsLeBron campaign during the 2018 season.

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 2019 season will be his 26th in Minor League Baseball.

Pat Golden | Administrative Assistant

PGolden@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: February 2010

Finance

Denise Ahner | Director, Finance

DAhner@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: September 2017

Michelle Perl | Director, Administration

MPerl@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: August 2008

A hometown girl, Michelle Perl joined the IronPigs with a variety of experiences ranging from her nine years in office management at Bed Bath and Beyond to her previous work in the family entertainment field as Manager of Discovery Zone in Whitehall. Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, she married her High School sweetheart, Bob and has two sons, Ryan and Robbie. 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!

Communications, Digital Media

Chris Dunham Jr. | Director, Digtal Media/Communications

610-841-1244
CDunham@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: September 2017

Mike Ventola | Manager, Media Relations

610-841-1317
MVentola@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: February 2019

IronPigs Charities & Community Relations

Diane Donaher | Executive Director, IronPigs Charities

DDonaher@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: May 2017

Maddison Kendrick | Manager, Community Relations

MKendrick@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: September 2018

Special Events

Allison Valentine | Director, Special Events

610-841-1214
AValentine@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: May 2015

Allison started with the IronPigs in May 2015. She arrived with ten years of 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.

Merchandise

Mike Luciano | Director, Merchandise

MLuciano@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: February 2018

Food & Beverage

Alex Rivera | Senior Director, Food & Beverage

ARivera@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: November 2007

Alex Rivera, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, joined the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2007 after nearly 10 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.

Brock Hartranft | Director, Concessions

BHartranft@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: September 2008

Brock started with the IronPigs in 2008 after interning in the Food & Beverage department. Brock has a bachelor's degree in sports management with a minor in business management from East Stroudsburg University. Brock graduated from Northampton 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.

Heather Williams | Executive Chef

610-841-1240
hwilliams@ironpigsbaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: July 2019

Jared Takacs | Manager, Catering & Hospitality

JTakacs@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: March 2018

Field & Operations

Jason Kiesel | Senior Director, Stadium Operations

JKiesel@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: September 2008

Jason (aka Diesel) has been with the IronPigs full-time since September 2008 after interning 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.

Ryan Hills | Director, Field Operations

RHills@IronPigsBaseball.com

FULL-TIME IRONPIGS DEBUT: November 2012

Ryan returned to the Lehigh Valley in 2013 after spending each of the previous 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.

Chris Kiefer | Manager, Stadium Operations

CKiefer@IronPigsBaseball.com