Stay Connected!

Help us to stay connected with you. If you have recently moved, taken a new position, or changed your e-mail address, update your contact information through the Pitt Online Connection. Visit www.pitt.edu, click "Alumni," then "Online Services," then "Address Updates."

If you have a new job, recent promotion or publication, or if you have a special story to tell, share your news with fellow alumni. E-mail your update and any photos to gspia57@pitt.edu.

Alumni Gatherings

Over 30 GSPIA alumni and summer interns gathered at Bobby Vans Grille for the summer reception hosted by the newly formed Washington, D.C. GSPIA Alumni Chapter. Thanks to Bill Pierce (MPIA '85) and Jeff Romig (MPIA '85) for their donations to the event and to Mark Bittinger (MPIA '93) for spreading the word and helping to build attendance.

Alumni Workgroups Provide Recommendations

Reflection, renewal and new directions are often the hallmark of reaching one’s 50th birthday.  GSPIA is no different.  As we prepare to celebrate our 50th, it is time to revisit our key audiences, their needs, and to determine strategies that would serve our more than 6,000 alumni worldwide through better engagement and communication opportunities.

As was noted in the February issue of TheGSPIAN, two alumni workgroups were established to help GSPIA define meaningful programming and key information interests.  Under the respective leadership of chairs Marshall Bond (MPA ’69) and Keith Cameron (MPIA ’76), the Alumni Engagement and Alumni Communications workgroups developed recommendations to connect GSPIA alumni globally.

Engaging Our Alumni

The Engagement committee outlined four key strategies:

• Develop regional and international affiliate organizations.
• Develop virtual networks and clusters of career and academic interests.
• Refine awards and recognition for alumni.
• Develop programs and events that will drive interaction, but allow flexibility and creativity in regional/international affiliate organizations.

It was also recommended that the current structure of alumni awards needs to be simplified and incorporated into an ongoing event.  Using the Pitt Alumni Association regional affiliate concept as a model, the subcommittee recommended four signature programs to provide a base for ongoing alumni participation:

• GSPIA for Life Programs—annual receptions for students, faculty, staff and alumni.
• GSPIA Homecoming—social event coordinated with Pitt’s homecoming weekend.
• GSPIA Alumni Critical Issue Forum/Lecture—panel or lecture program co-sponsored by alumni and GSPIA.
• GSPIA Alumni Career Mentoring and Awards/Recognition Program—opportunities for alumni to interact with students about careers or employers, followed by an awards/recognition event.

Alumni Communications

The Communications committee addressed communication vehicles and frequency, recommending a regular electronic newsletter to complement the less frequently printed newsletter.  One significant advantage to the electronic newsletter is that the more than 1,000 alumni living outside of the US would receive regular communications from GSPIA. 

While alumni communications can typically be grouped into one of three categories:  fundraising, networking, and marketing GSPIA and its programs, the committee provided several other suggestions for preferred information:

• Topics and communication vehicles should connect alumni across the various GSPIA programs and majors to enable alumni to network and further their professional development.
• Communications should request alumni volunteers to serve as mentors to students and provide referrals of internship or employment opportunities.
• Recognize that alumni range of interests may become more narrowly focused as their careers progress.
• Topics should include allowing alumni to recruit students.
• Promote networking by including a feature on the electronic newsletter for alumni to post their contact information for their classmates.

Implementation plans are under development for a more frequent electronic communications vehicle and the roll out of regional chapters in Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., New York, and South Korea with other highly populated alumni geographic locations to follow.  GSPIA extends its appreciation to Marshall Bond, Keith Cameron and the alumni members of their committees for their commitment and meaningful recommendations.

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Alumni Updates

2000’s

 Evan Bambakidis (MPIA ’06) recently joined Applied Systems Research, Inc. as an Analyst. ASR is a government contractor located at the Missile Defense Agency site in Washington, D.C.

 Robyn Barber (MPA ’04) began a new position as Project Planner for T&B Planning, a firm specializing in planning and environmental consulting.  Before joining T&B Planning, Barber served as Director of Outreach and Administration for the Pittsburgh, PA non-profit commercial real estate organization Cool Space Locator. 

Trey Barbour (MPA ’03) and a colleague have established a real estate development and consulting firm, named Patrick Edelen.  Barbour was formerly with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh. 

JoElla L. L. Budzik (MPA/MSW ’01) is currently working as a Program Analyst for the Federal Investigative Services Division of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 

Stan Caldwell (MPPM ’03) recently accepted a position as Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Regional Office of U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. 

Marcus Catsam (MID ’04) has joined Save the Children U.S. in Guatemala and serves as their Deputy Director.  

Jann Chirdon (MPPM ’01) is the Legislative Director to Pennsylvania State Representative Lisa Bennington of District 21 and is also doing political training for Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund. 

SheaBrianna Christilaw (MPA ’06) accepted a position in April as Assistant Township Manager of Nether Providence Township in Wallingford, PA.  

Heain Chung (MID ’06) currently works as a Family Reunification Specialist for the International Children’s Center at Heartland Alliances in Chicago.  She deals directly with foreign children who have been smuggled or trafficked and are in the US without parents or legal documents. 

James Clark (MPIA ’03) was a three-time contestant on the television game show Jeopardy!  Betting more than his opponents, while in last place during the last round of questions, he provided the correct response and won nearly $45,000. (see photo)

Rachel Felver (MPA ’05) accepted a position as Program Analyst with the IT Strategic Planning Branch of the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C.

Yevhen Hrebeniuk (MPIA ’01) and Dr. Carolyn Ban had an opportunity to reconnect in Kiev this past summer.  Yevhen is working as an equity analyst for a Russian bank. (see photo)

Tom Keller (MPIA ’06) is a Regulatory Policy Specialist for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) within the Treasury Department in Washington, DC.

In July 2007, Kilkon Ko, (PhD ’06) was hired as an Assistant Professor of the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore. 

Jeffrey Ladik (JD/MPIA ‘02) was recently appointed as Special Assistant/Chief of Staff for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor. 

Debra Langer (MPA ’03) is a Policy Specialist at the Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions, located in Pittsburgh. 

Marcus Lubich (MPA ‘05) accepted a position in the Department of Planning and Land Use for San Diego County. 

Sean McCarville (MPA/MSIS ’05) has joined the US Department of Health and Human Services as a Budget Analyst. 

Shobha Mittal (MPPM ’03) is a Research and Evaluation Specialist at Pressley Ridge, a non-profit organization in Pittsburgh providing care and services to troubled and developmentally challenged children. 

Faith Myden (MPIA ’01) is working as an Adjudications Officer for the US Department of Homeland Security, USCIS, in Washington, D.C.

Jacqueline Noisette (MPA ’06) was named a Capital City Fellow in Washington, D.C. and is currently working with the Office of the Mayor/Regulations and Collective Bargaining Department.  As a fellow, she will work four six-month rotations in different city agencies. 

Julia Posteraro (MID ’06) is relocating to Washington, D.C. to work with Development Alternatives, Inc.  Julia will be Project Coordinator with the Crisis Mitigation and Democratic Governance Group. 

Christopher (MPIA ’01) and Martina Schwartz (MPIA ’01) visited GSPIA this summer on their way to Niagara Falls.  Chris is a Senior Analyst with DeticaDFI and Martina is a Senior Program Officer for the International Programs, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners in Washington, D.C. 

Chris Shorter (MPA ’04) has joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington as Operations Manager.  In this role, Chris will coordinate the business and strategic planning efforts of the organization. 

Jeff Smith (MPIA ’06) is a Research Associate at the American Foreign Policy Council.  Smith’s areas of expertise include Islamist ideology, Middle East politics, and international trade issues.  In July he wrote an article for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  discussing democratic reform in Pakistan. 

Hillary Stevenson (MPA ’05) completed her Presidential Management Fellowship in July and now works as an Ethics Program Specialist at the National Cancer Institute.  She analyzes financial disclosure statements, addresses conflict-of interest matters, and researches clinical protocols for conflicts-of-interest by NCI’s researchers. 

Gavin Weise (MPIA ’02) left his position as Deputy Director of the Ukraine Office of the American Bar Association to join the Eurasia Foundation as the Regional Director for Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. Based in Kyiv, Ukraine, Weise oversees the implementation of the Foundation’s diverse range of projects in the areas of civil society, private enterprise, and higher education development.

 Kelly Wolfe (MPA ’00) was promoted to Manager of North Huntington Township, one of the fastest growing areas in southwestern PA.  She is also a member of the North Huntingdon Municipal Authority board of directors.  

 Phillip Zanders (’06) works as a Membership Development Assistant for a non-profit public policy organization called NumbersUSA, based in Washington, D.C. The organization focuses on instituting better immigration reform and control policies. 

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1990’s

After 12 years of fundraising experience in the non-profit sector, Kristen Barden (MPIA ’94) is the Ward 3 Outreach Coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services in Washington, D.C. 

 Bethany Blakey (MPA/MSW ’96) accepted a position last fall as Special Assistant to the Administrator for Performance with the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, a relatively new component of the U.S. Department of Transportation. She will handle strategic and organizational planning, performance management and measurement, and general accountability issues.   

Jack Brice (MPIA ’96), Kate Freed (MPIA ’02), and Norm Howenstein (MPA ’62)had a chance meeting at the BeaveRun Motorsports Complex this past spring. Brice recounted their meeting while doing a tire pressure and brake check between driving sessions.  The conversation turned from cars to careers where they discovered they shared experiences at GSPIA. (see photo)

Andrew Brinser (MPIA ’99) continues to keep us informed of job opportunities from his US Forces Japan post. 

Chris Dishman (MPIA ’98) accepted a new position as the Branch Chief at the Department of Homeland Security’s Border Security Branch.  He was also named a finalist for the prestigious “Service to America Medal” award under the Justice and Law Enforcement category for developing “a new market-based strategy and information system that enables U.S. government agencies to more effectively target and disrupt illegal drug trafficking networks.”   

Michelle Fanzo (MPIA ’97) is Vice President of International Operations for Arzu, a non-profit organization that assists Afghan women in making an income by selling their hand-made rugs.  A first-hand account of Fanzo’s work was featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in August 2007. 

Dan Flaherty (MPIA ’99) will be participating in a panel discussion at the 39th National Convention of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies in New Orleans in November.  Dan will be presenting his paper, “Tough Choices:  Russia-Iran.” 

George Gitau (MPIA ’95) visited GSPIA this past summer and shared that he is working in Kenya for Compassion International Africa in the Africa Region-Complementary Programs. 

Carey Harris (MPIA/MSW ’95) was named Executive Director of A+ Schools, an organization that focuses on improving education in Pittsburgh public schools.  She also serves on the boards of the Birmingham Foundation and the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh.

 Frank Higdon (PhD ’97) works in the private sector as a Project Manager on a bio-diesel IP venture and is doing environmental contamination casework for a consulting firm.  He also teaches several courses a year at Penn State University in the Community and Economic Development program.  

Vanessa Lund (MURP ’96) recently relocated to Seattle, WA to accept a senior associate position at the public affairs firm, Cocker Fennessy.  Lund is managing a broad array of complex communications projects.   

Elizabeth Ramborger (MPIA ’99) was promoted to Section Head for South Central Asia in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.  Ramborger and her team work on democracy and human rights policy and programming for South Asia and former Soviet Central Asian nations. 

Billy Terry (MURP ’98) works with the Fenty administration in Washington, D.C. where he is involved in intergovernmental affairs and functions as a liaison to the US Department of Transportation and the D.C. City Council. 

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1980’s  

Martin J. Gorman (MPIA ’86) is serving as the Director of Forecasting and Evaluation in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Preparation and Warning/USDI in Washington, DC.

Joyce Robertson (MPA ’84) reports that she is living in Georgia and is the Academic Provost for the Atlanta English Institute. 

Dr. Paul Hennigan (MPA’86) was named President of Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to becoming president, Hennigan served as the university’s Vice President for Finance Operations.  He is also a member of the board of directors of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, The Pennsylvania Economy League, and the Rivers Club. (see photo)

Kiran Tewari (MPIA ’83) renewed acquaintances as he visited GSPIA this summer.  He is living is Islamabad, Pakistan. 

Eric P. Whitaker (MPA ’84) is a Foreign Service Officer for the Department of State.  He supervises a team of development specialists in Baghdad, helping to strengthen local governance capacity and facilitate economic and private sector growth to assist in stabilizing Iraq’s capital.  Whitaker also served as a counselor for political/economic affairs at Embassy Khartoum, Sudan. 

Jonita Whitaker (MPA ’84) began senior-level training at the National Defense University over the summer in Washington, D.C.  Whitaker recently concluded a tour of duty as management counselor at Embassy Khartoum, Sudan, where she coordinated a new embassy compound project and assisted in the establishment of the consulate general in Juba in late 2005.  

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1970’s

George Cretekos (MPA ’70) retired in 2006 after 35 years of service with Congressman C.W. Bill Young, a Florida Republican.  However, he recently stepped out of retirement and made a successful bid to serve a one-year term on the City Council of Clearwater, FL.

Ed Daley (MPA ’75) is the recipient of two distinctions.  In July 2007,  Daley was named City Manager of Hopewell, VA and, in October, Daley was installed as President for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) during ICMA’s 93rd annual conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

Jeff Dilley (MPA ‘71) is President and CEO of Exsero, a consulting, distributive and outsourcing firm that provides advisory and direct operational resources to companies looking to join in the emerged industrialization and investment space of Vietnam. He has a forthcoming article in Recycling Today.

Joanne Jackson (MURP ’77), the minority and small business enterprise coordinator for Anne Arundel County, MD, received a Carroll H. Hynson Sr. Award for her efforts to increase the amount of county procurement dollars awarded to county women and minority owned businesses in the region. This award was presented by the Anne Arundel County Black Chamber of Commerce. (see photo)

Martin McDaniel (MPA ’72) received the Sewickley Herald’s Man of the Year Award this April.  He has been Borough Manager of Edgeworth, PA since 1999.   

Bruce Murphy (MPA ’77), President of Community Development for KeyBank in Cleveland, OH, was featured in an article in the March 16, 2007 issue of The Wall Street Journal for a special banking program he has developed for low to moderate income customers.

 Raymond E. Urgo (MURP ’77) received the Distinguished Service Award by the Board of Directors of the Society for Technical Communications in Arlington, VA.  He is principal of his own management consulting company in Los Angeles, CA.  

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1960’s

The biography of Dorothea de Zafra Atwell (MPIA ’65) has been included in the 2007- 2008 edition of Marquis Who’s Who of American Women. Dorothea was the commencement speaker at GSPIA’s 2006 Honors and Graduation Ceremony and was the recipient of the 2006 GSPIA Alumni Volunteer Service Award. 

The Pitt Alumni Association Board of Directors appointed Marshall Bond (MPA ’69) as the new GSPIA Representative to the Pitt Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

Celebration of Life Fund

Friends of Stephanie Weekes Williams (MPA ’75) have established the “Stephanie Williams—Celebration of Life Fund” to remember her life and one of her favorite “life experiences”—her time at GSPIA.  The award, created for a GSPIA student from Western Pennsylvania who has “devoted him or herself to the building of our communities, was presented to Lori Howard (MPA ’08). Williams worked as a consultant, supervisor and manager for Highmark/Blue Cross in Pittsburgh for 25 years and passed away in 2005.  Her friends remember her love for the communities and schools that helped form her values; she left each as better places for having the ability to “dream big and reach for the stars.”  Williams’ intelligence, warm demeanor and a love for life endeared her to many; through the auspices of this fund, her legacy can continue.

Last updated on November 19, 2007