College Series Legal and Human Resources Night

Sponsored by Temple University's Fox School of Business

On Wednesday, September 24, college students, recent graduates and professors are invited to go behind the scenes with Phillies’ legal and human resources executives at this exclusive College Series pregame event at Citizens Bank Park. The event takes place 4-6:15 p.m., with the game time 6:45 p.m.

Event Details

  • Learn from HR and legal leaders from the Phillies during a moderated question-and-answer session in the Media Room at Citizens Bank Park. Panelists will provide excellent insight into their areas of business, as well as share their career experiences, including from the team's 2024 postseason run. Speakers (subject to change) to include Leslie Safran, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Phillies; Jon Madden, Vice President, Human Resources, Phillies; Frankie Garland, Deputy General Counsel, Phillies; Janelle Kahn, Manager, Human Resources & Benefits, Phillies; and Lisa Knechtel, Director, Human Resources, Phillies (moderator).
  • Practice networking with Phillies executives and other special guests during a Phillies Networking Hour. Meet informally with front office personnel from various departments. Attendees are invited to bring their resumes. During this time, attendees are also welcome to take photos with 1993 National League champions Mickey Morandini and Milt Thompson (also a coach for the 2008 World Champion Phillies), as well as 1980 World Series champion Dickie Noles.
  • Meet members of Temple University's Fox School of Business, who will be on-site to share information about their graduate programs.
  • Cheer on the Phillies with a ticket to that day's 6:45 p.m. game against the Miami Marlins. Your game ticket also includes a $12 concession credit.

Additional Details

  • Check-in begins at 4 p.m. and features an hour-long Networking Hour, as well as the opportunity to take photos with 1993 National League champions Mickey Morandini and Milt Thompson (also a 2008 World Series champion coach), and 1980 World Series champion Dickie Noles.
  • The panel portion of the program officially starts at 5 p.m., and continues until 6:15 p.m.
  • The event is limited to 140 students. Interested professors, recent graduates, and parents of students are welcome to attend.
  • Dress is casual to business casual.
  • Students are urged to ask questions throughout the program.

Program cost: $35. In addition to the above networking hour and panel, the program cost includes a Phillies game ticket with $12 concession credit to that night’s 6:45 p.m. game against the Miami Marlins, with seat location in Sections 429-434.

Speaker Bios

Speakers are subject to change.

Leslie Safran, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Phillies

Leslie Safran joined the Phillies in December 2014 as the club’s associate general counsel. She was promoted to her current position in July 2021. In this role, she oversees the legal department as well as the human resources department.

Before joining the club, Leslie was the vice president & corporate HR business partner, and previously senior attorney, labor and employment, for Gardner Denver, Inc., a global manufacturer of industrial compressors, blowers, pumps, loading arms and fuel systems. Her work history also includes serving as senior counsel at Sunoco, Inc., a labor and employment associate at Ballard Spahr LLP and a federal judicial law clerk to the Honorable Clifford Scott Green, United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Leslie graduated from Franklin & Marshall College cum laude with a double major in English and Spanish. At Franklin & Marshall, she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, a three-year captain of the softball team and a member of the volleyball team. She received her JD, cum laude, as well as her LL.M. in trial advocacy, from Temple University School of Law.

Leslie and her husband Scott reside in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., with their two daughters, Quinn and Kendall. She serves on the board of Phillies Charities, Inc., for which she is the secretary.

Lisa Knechtel (moderator), Director, Human Resources, Phillies

Lisa is a strategic and results-driven HR professional with over 15 years of experience in the field. She joined the Phillies in November 2024, combining her passion for both human resources and baseball to become an HR leader for her favorite baseball team in Major League Baseball.

Before joining the Phillies, Lisa made significant strides in her HR career at Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technologies. During her tenure there, she successfully led the implementation of early careers and leadership development programs and initiatives, as well as several global diversity initiatives. Her expertise spans Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, and Leadership Development, with a particular expertise in performance management. Notably, Lisa spearheaded the global rollout of a cutting-edge performance management system that drove organizational success.

A passionate advocate for employee engagement, Lisa has a proven track record of turning engagement initiatives into measurable business outcomes. She holds both her PHR certification and EMCC Coaching designation, further enhancing her ability to develop and empower talent at all levels.

Lisa is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College where she majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. In addition to her various HR certifications, Lisa obtained a certification in Event Management through George Washington University.

Special Networking Hour Guest: Mickey Morandini, 1993 National League Champion and Phillies Club Ambassador

Mickey Morandini transitioned to his role as club ambassador in 2018. He had spent the previous two years with the team as first base coach and baserunning instructor.

Prior to joining the major league staff, Mickey spent five years in the Phillies minor league system as a coach for triple-A Lehigh Valley and double-A Reading and manager for single-A Lakewood and single-A Williamsport. He also spent four years as head coach for the Valparaiso High School varsity baseball team.

A 1995 National League All-Star, Mickey played nine of his 11 major league seasons (1990-2000) with the Phillies and was a member of the 1993 NL champions. He ranks fourth in Phillies history in most games played at second base (926) and was the recipient of the Paul Owens Award in 1989 as the best player in the Phillies minor league system. Mickey was originally selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the June 1988 draft out of Indiana University. As an amateur, he won a gold medal as a member of the 1988 Olympic baseball team.

Born in Leechburg, Pa., Mickey and his wife Peg currently live in Glen Mills, Pa. They have three sons: Jordan, Griffin and Braydon.

Special Networking Hour Guest: Dickie Noles, 1980 World Series Champion and Club Ambassador

The 2025 season marks Dickie Noles' 34th with the organization after rejoining the Phillies in 1992. Prior to becoming a club ambassador, he spent 28 years as an employee assistance professional and, before that, four years in the community relations department.

Dickie pitched for parts of 11 major league seasons with the Phillies (1979-81; 1990), Chicago Cubs (1982-84; 1987), Texas Rangers (1984-85), Cleveland (1986), Detroit Tigers (1987) and Baltimore Orioles (1988) and finished his career at 36-53 with 11 saves and a 4.56 ERA in 277 games (96 starts). Selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the June 1975 draft, Dickie was a member of the 1980 World Series champions, pitching in relief.

In 1989, Dickie won the Texas Rangers Community Service Award and in 1992 he was honored as the International Christian Athlete of the Year. Other awards he has won include the Humanitarian of the Year by the Sunshine Foundation in 1997 and the Humanitarian Award from the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association in 2010. In 2019, he won the Richie Ashburn & David Montgomery Special Achievement Award, given annually to a Phillies employee who has demonstrated loyalty, dedication and passion for the game. Dickie was inducted into the All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey in October 2021.

Dickie was born in Charlotte, N.C., and currently resides in Aston, Pa. He has one daughter, Brittany, twin sons, Christopher and Nicholas, and five grandchildren.

Special Networking Hour Guest: Milt Thompson, 1993 National League Champion, Coach for 2008 World Champion Phillies and Phillies Club Ambassador

An outfielder for the 1993 National League champs and hitting coach for the 2008 World Series champions, Milt Thompson returned to the Phillies organization as a community club ambassador in March 2022. In this role, he serves as a club resource for community outreach with an emphasis on youth baseball and softball development, working with the Phillies RBI program and the Phillies Urban Youth Academy.

Milt previously served the Phillies as major league hitting coach (2005-10) following one season as first base coach (2004). From 2005-09, Milt guided Phillies hitters to the National League lead in home runs, RBI, runs, extra-base hits and total bases. He also served as a coach on the NL All-Star team in 2009.

Originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves out of Howard University in 1979, Milt played 18 years of professional baseball, including 13 seasons in the majors with the Braves (1984-85), Phillies (1986, 1993-94), St. Louis Cardinals (1989-92), Houston Astros (1994-95), Los Angeles Dodgers (1996) and Colorado Rockies (1996). He hit .313 with six RBI in 1993 World Series and set a Phillies record with five RBI in Game 4 at Veterans Stadium.

Milt began his coaching career in 1997 as minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator for Tampa Bay before joining the Phillies minor league system as a coach at Reading (1998-99) and outfield/baserunning coordinator (2001-03).

Born in Washington, D.C., Milt lives in Sewell, N.J. with his wife Carole. He has four daughters: Torri, Jennifer, Courtney and Alyssa.

Networking Hour Participants

Leslie Safran, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Phillies

  • Master of Laws, Trial Advocacy & Doctor of Law, Temple University
  • B.A., English & Spanish, Franklin & Marshall College

Lisa Knechtel, Director, Human Resources, Phillies

  • B.A., Business Administration with a concentration in Management, Franklin and Marshall College
  • Event Management certification, George Washington University

Tim Watson, Director, Partnership Marketing, Phillies

  • Master’s Degree, Sport’s Management, Columbia University
  • B.S., Business Marketing & Economics, Marist University

Caroline Weirich, Ownership Representative, Phillies

  • B.S., Sport and Fitness Administration, Arcadia University

Group 2

Jon Madden, Vice President, Human Resources, Phillies

  • M.S., Human Resource Management, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  • B.A., Communication, Rowan University

Rob Holiday, Director, Amateur Scouting Administration, Phillies

  • B.A., Hotel/Motel Administration, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Marisa Weisbaum, Associate General Counsel, Phillies

  • Doctor of Law, Harvard Law School
  • B.S., Political Science & B.A., English, The George Washington University

Group 3

Janelle Kahn, Manager, Human Resources & Benefits, Phillies

  • Master of Science, Human Resources Management, Temple University
  • B.S., Psychology, Penn State University

Zack Carr, Special Events Representative, Phillies

  • B.B.A., Sports Marketing, Saint Joseph’s University

Carolyn Coyne, Season and Group Sales Representative, Phillies

  • B.S., Economic History, University of Pennsylvania

Jack Glenn, Business Communications Assistant, Phillies

  • B.A., Political Science, Stockton University

Group 4

Frankie Garland, Deputy General Counsel, Phillies

  • Doctor of Law, University of California, Berkeley – School of Law
  • B.A., African American Studies & Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

Andy Mosiondz, Manager, Ballpark Operations/Staffing, Phillies

  • B.A., Communications, Rowan University

Thomas Walker, Assistant HR Manager for Aramark at Citizens Bank Park

  • B.A., Labor and Human Resources Degree, Penn State University

Group 5

  • Meet representatives from Temple University's Fox School of Business including Jean Akingeneye, Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions.

Summer and Fall College Series Sessions

Inside Tickets