April 18, 2019

On April 18, alumni, students and faculty from the Paul F. Harron Graduate Program in Television Management gathered for their annual networking event. This year's reception marked a special occasion, the retirement of TVMN Associate Professor Phil Salas.

At the reception, Program Director, Al Tedesco and Associate Director, Michelle McHugh, presented Professor Salas with a plaque recognizing Phil for his ten years of service to the program. Students also spoke about the impact Professor Salas has had on their careers.

"Phil has been an amazing mentor to me. As soon as I was getting close to the end of classes, he didn’t think twice about setting me up with people he knew in the industry, and before I knew it, I had met with NBC, FOX and CBS News. Now that I’m an Account Executive at CBS, Phil has continued to be a mentor to me. He is always right there, ready to help. I am truly grateful for his mentorship."

-Gary Newman
Account Executive, KYW Television

"I just have so much to thank Professor Salas for - everything he taught me in class, but also the life lessons he taught me outside of class. He once told me that 'You can teach someone how to do the job, but you can't teach them how to be a hard worker.' This is something I keep in my mind as I approach every professional situation. Thank you."

-Alessia Porcari
Executive Assistant, SUGAR MUSIC

During the event, Professor Salas was surprised by his wife and family, who attended the reception. During his time at the podium, Professor Salas thanked everyone for their support through his years with Drexel, especially Professor Al Tedesco.

Salas’ career prior to Drexel spanned 30 years in audience research, media sales and sales management. He began his career as a research analyst at Blair Television before moving to WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, where he worked in several roles, including Research Director. Salas later worked in New York as a National Sales Manager, where he led a sales team that negotiated the purchase of television advertising by the largest advertising agencies in the world. He also led teams at Metrobase Cable Advertising, WPSG-TV, and KYW-TV.

Salas is a member of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia, and serves as an early career mentor and teen advisor for the Philadelphia Advertising Club (PAC).

Congratulations, Professor Salas! We wish you the very best in your retirement.