Phillies Promote Michael Stiles To Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The Phillies announced Tuesday that Michael Stiles has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer. Stiles previously served as senior vice president for administration and operations, a position he held since 2007.  He joined the Phillies front office staff in 2001 as vice president for administration and operations.

In his new leadership role, Stiles will spearhead all business operations and supervise the general administration of the club.

"Mike is highly respected by the Philadelphia business community, Phillies staff and those in baseball who have come to know him since joining the Phillies 14 years ago," said Phillies President Pat Gillick.  "Mike has proven himself to be a strong leader on a wide variety of critical business issues.  He is a trusted advisor to many, but particularly to me, David Montgomery and our ownership group."

"I greatly appreciate the opportunities afforded to me by the Phillies and the confidence they have shown in me," said Stiles.  "It is a privilege to work with the exceptionally fine people in this organization and in an industry as exciting as Major League Baseball."

Prior to joining the Phillies, Stiles, an attorney by profession, held significant positions in public service for almost 30 years. He served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for eight years after being appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1993. While U.S. Attorney, Stiles was appointed by Attorney General Janet Reno as Chairperson of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee.  He also spent 10 years as an elected trial judge in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia County, and 12 years before that as a trial attorney and supervisor in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. During this time, he served in various trial and supervisory positions under District Attorneys Arlen Specter, F. Emmett Fitzpatrick and Edward G. Rendell, for whom he served as First Assistant District Attorney before resigning to run for judge.

Stiles received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree, with honors, from Villanova University School of Law.

In addition to several board appointments, Stiles serves as a member of the executive board for the Committee of Seventy, a good government, political watchdog organization.