YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh



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	YMCA Metro Staff Leadership

	Senior Management	Back to List


	Eric K. Mann President and CEO	Back to List



	Eric Kevin Mann is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. Under Eric’s leadership, the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh’s vision is to Create Hope for Children, Engage Families and Promote Balanced Health for All. Since coming to the Pittsburgh Y in March of 2003, Eric has overseen an ambitious $32 million building plan to expand and improve Y facilities. The Y recently opened new Wellness Centers at the Allegheny YMCA in the Northside, the North Boroughs YMCA in Bellevue, and the Penn Hills YMCA, which has added an additional 25,000+ square feet through recent renovations. Newly constructed YMCA facilities opened in Homewood-Brushton and the North Hills, both extremely successful and widely used by the local community. The YMCA is also making major renovations to other area facilities and moving toward another phase of significant capital development with plans for new construction in other parts of the area. A new vision for the YMCA has been developed, resulting in two new Downtown YMCA locations, including the recently opened YMCA at U.S. Steel Tower and the new Market Square YMCA, which is due to open in the Summer of 2009. This vision also includes a significant investment in the Hill District, with a new 42,000 square foot YCMA, named after community treasure, Mrs. Thelma Lovette, as well as the $2 million expansion of the Centre Avenue YMCA, which will add 20 rooms of resident housing. Last, but not least, there are plans for a new YMCA in the South Hills community, replacing the existing branch. Eric has also thrust the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh into the center of international YMCA efforts, with partnerships with the Jerusalem YMCA, and leading Pittsburgh YMCA programs to help South Africa YMCA. Eric has held a variety of executive positions with YMCAs in multiple cities throughout his YMCA career. He came to Pittsburgh following a five-year post at the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, where he served most recently as Senior Vice President/COO, and prior to that, as Vice President of Operations and Special Services. During his tenure in Charlotte, he gave leadership to the association’s strategic planning process, which resulted in numerous improvements and initiatives throughout the organization in the areas of finance, technology, human resources, and volunteer support. Consistently producing and balancing a million dollar budget surplus, within a five-year time span he generated a near 20% increase in membership revenues - from $27 million to $32 million. Prior to his assignment in Charlotte, Eric served as Associate Vice President in the Cincinnati, Ohio YMCA, and as Branch Executive at the Westchester YMCA in Los Angeles. He also held other positions with the New Haven Central YMCA in Connecticut. His YMCA career began at the Market Street Y in Asheville, North Carolina as a Youth Director. Eric also holds a number of national YMCA of the USA board positions and serves on the YMCA Retirement Fund Board, Activate America Steering Committee, the Y-USA International Committee, and NAYDO Council. In addition to his expansive involvement in YMCA work, he is active in many civic and community interests, including Omega Psi Phi, Iota Phi Chapter, Rho Boule, Board of Trustees of Point Park University, Civic Light Opera, Board of Directors, WQED Multimedia Board of Directors, the Graduate School of Public Health Board of Visitors, and the Board of Directors of NEED.

	Stephan Davis Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Leadership	Back to List



	Mr. Stephan Davis,SPHR, is the Vice President of Human Resources for the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. Mr. Davis is a proven results-driven leader with many years experience as a seasoned executive, senior coach and human capital leader. He has more than 18 years of experience in the Energy Services industry, including key executive positions at two Fortune 100 firms. At Dominion Resources (formerly Consolidated Natural Gas Company), Mr. Davis held a variety of operational, marketing and human resources roles, culminating in the role of Director of Organizational Development, where he helped reorganize the 5,200+ employee organization to realize savings of several million dollars in operating and maintenance expenses, as well as setting the human capital strategy around recruiting and diversity for the regulated business units of Consolidated. As Vice President, Human Resources for Equitable Gas, Equitrans LLC, Equitable Homeworks and Equitable Energy, he directed the restructuring of the entire organization, including reworking roles of top leadership to build high-performing teams and value drivers. Mr. Davis played a key role in assisting Equitable Resources become the top-ranked utility in the country in financial performance for 2002-2003. Mr. Davis is also Founder, President, and Principal Consultant of Davis & Associates, a human resources and business consulting firm specializing in executive coaching, human resources intervention and organizational planning. Mr. Davis is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources, (SPHR) and is certified as an executive coach. Mr. Davis is very active in the community with a variety of boards, and has a passion for organizations that focus on youth mentoring. He is married and has three children who all reside in Imperial, Pa.

	William F. Jones, Jr. Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh	Back to List



	William Jones is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. Mr. Jones took the position with YMCA in June 2005 and brings over 20 years of high level financial experience and success that includes expertise in areas of financial/capital planning and analysis, organizational planning, business development, strategic planning and negotiation. His career previous to the Y includes eleven years as the Chief Operating Officer for Schneider's Dairy, five years as the Executive Vice President of Equibank and two years with Mid Atlantic Capital. "I will work to provide the YMCA with a financial roadmap to allow the Y to be successful in its strategic direction," Jones notes, referring to what he wants to accomplish while at the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. Jones' YMCA experience began when he was a child and continued as he became an Indian Guide Dad and a member of the Downtown YMCA Board of Management. 'I want to work with a non-profit agency because I want to try something different, something where I can have an impact,' said Jones. William Jones is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Gretchen of 32 years reside in Wexford and have three sons; Bret, Todd and Lee.

	Patricia L. Siger Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer	Back to List



	In August of 2008, Patricia Siger joined the executive leadership of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh as as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “Pat’s 18 years of experience as a development executive in Pittsburgh and her in-depth understanding of our mission are what we need to help us meet our development goals,” said Eric K. Mann, chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. Prior to working as a fundraising and public relations consultant, Siger served as Chief Development Officer for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation and Executive Director of Family House. She earned a bachelor of arts in education from Duquesne University. Siger currently serves on the executive boards for the Magee Women’s Hospital Foundation, Gilda’s Club of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Race for the Cure advisory board and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. She is vice-chairwoman of the board for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, founder and chairwoman of the Jewish Women’s Foundation and co-founder and member of the Gateway Bank of Pennsylvania board of directors.

	Kevin Bolding Downtown District YMCA Vice President	Back to List



	The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh has announced the appointment of Kevin Bolding as Downtown District YMCA Vice President. Bolding will manage the corporate wellness and other downtown programs. He will oversee both the YMCA at U.S. Steel Tower and the Downtown YMCA, including managing the grand opening of the new Downtown YMCA location on Fifth Avenue, adjacent to Market Square, in the spring of 2010. “Kevin’s wealth of leadership experience will help the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh become an even more valuable resource for the downtown community.” said Eric K. Mann, President & CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh YMCA. “Everyone at the YMCA especially looks forward to working with him on the opening of the new Downtown Y.” Kevin has been with the YMCA since 1996 and served as District Vice President in Metropolitan Detroit and Miami. Bolding oversaw the opening of a major downtown branch of the Detroit YMCA. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. He currently lives downtown with plans to relocate to the North Hills area in the spring. The YMCA has made a major commitment to making downtown a much better place to live and work, including a major multi-million dollar commitment to two new downtown facilities: • The YMCA at U.S. Steel Tower opened in August 2008 and is strategically located to serve the uptown business district. This Y offers a full staff of wellness professionals and an extensive array of classes and services, including nutrition, weight loss, personal training and more. • The new full-service Downtown YMCA will replace the current Boulevard of the Allies location. The facility will house a 25-meter indoor pool, a comprehensive weight and strength training center, an expansive selection of cardio equipment, dedicated studios for spinning, Pilates, group exercise and more all within the 42,000 square foot space centrally located in the heart of town.

	Rick Deer Vice President, Camping Services, Executive Director, Camp Kon-O-Kwee/Spencer	Back to List



	Vice President of Camping Services, Executive director, Camp Kon-O-Kwee/Spencer Rick Deer is responsible for directing and supervising all programs and facilities for Camp Kon-O-Kwee/Spencer, Deer Valley Family Camp and the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh day camps. He previously served 13 years as Executive Director of the Deer Valley Family Camp. Prior to working at the Deer Valley YMCA, Rick was the executive director for Richland Youth Foundation in Gibsonia, PA and served as a program director from 1975-1978 for the Wilmerding and Penn Hills YMCAs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University and is currently pursuing graduate work in Parks & Recreation at Slippery Rock and in the MBA program at Frostburg State University.

	Aliya Durham Urban District Vice President	Back to List
	Aliya Durham, Urban District Vice President of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, provides strategic leadership and support to inner-city branches to advance urban initiatives that meet the growing health and human service needs of the under-resourced communities of Homewood-Brushton, Hazelwood, the Hill District, and the North Side. Prior to joining the YMCA movement, Aliya served as Executive Director of Operation Better Block, Inc., a not-for-profit agency that works to improve the living conditions of residents in Homewood-Brushton by promoting community growth and stability. For over a decade, she has worked in community development spanning the Mon Valley with Penn State Greater Allegheny, as a state-wide Community Organizer with Good Schools Pennsylvania, and other community-based organizations in capacities ranging from providing health education to youth to program management. An emerging servant-leader, Aliya gives back to her beloved Pittsburgh by serving on various community boards, as a member of the Urban League Young Professionals of Pittsburgh (ULYP-Pittsburgh), and as an active member of the Mount Ararat Baptist Church family. She serves the Lord through the Mount Ararat Community Activity Center (MACAC) mentoring program and through song with the Majestic Praise Mass Choir and The Remnant travel ensemble. A proud University of Pittsburgh alumnae, Aliya has earned baccalaureate degrees in both psychology and Africana studies, respectively. She also holds a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW), in Community Organizing and Social Administration, as well as a Master's degree in Public and International Affairs (MPIA), with special emphasis on Economic and Social Development. Through her graduate studies, she has traveled to various villages and cities in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Mozambique, Africa. In 2004, Aliya was recognized by the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP), receiving the coveted 40 Under 40 award, an honor bestowed upon the region’s forty emerging and distinguished leaders. A devoted wife and mother, Aliya and her husband, Aki, are the proud parents of an outgoing and musically gifted son, Deacon Charles Durham. The Durhams reside in the Penn Hills community.

	William Kunert District Vice President	Back to List



	District Vice President, of the Baierl, North Boroughs, South Hills, Cloverleaf and Western Area YMCA’s, Bill provides leadership support for the executive directors in board development, capital projects, member services, program services, fundraising and strategic planning within the district. Bill began his career with the North Boroughs YMCA in 1974 as a part-time staff person while attending the University of Pittsburgh on an academic scholarship. After graduating with a Degree in Psychology he became program director at the North Boroughs YMCA overseeing Hot Stove Baseball and floor hockey as well as initiating soccer, YBL, and kinder-sports. In 1980 he was named Executive Director of the North Boroughs Branch. In January 1986 he became the executive director of the then North Hills branch and served there for twenty years culminating in the capital campaign and move of the branch to a brand new full-facility branch located in Franklin Park. The new Baierl Family YMCA named after the late William Baierl opened in May 2006. The success of the branch with over 15,000 members has necessitated a planned expansion with a targeted opening of Winter 2009. In July 2008 Bill moved to full-time work as the district vice president. He lives in Cranberry Township with his wife of 28 years Jan, a dental assistant and together they have two daughters and two granddaughters.

	James H. Needles III Vice President, Business Information Systems	Back to List



	James H. Needles III has recently been appointed to the newly-created post of vice president of business information systems. Needles will be responsible for evaluating and implementing technology systems for the entire YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh computer system. He will manage computer training, the accounting, membership and branch databases, scheduling and other corporate functions that depend upon information technology. “We are continuing to evaluate available technology to help us to better communicate our mission and become more efficient,” said Eric Mann, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. “Jim is a wonderful addition to our staff. He will certainly help us achieve our technology goals.” A resident of Mt. Lebanon, Needles previously served as the director of information systems for Fisher Scientific and as chief operating officer for Acusis, a Pittsburgh medical transcription company. Needles is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor of science degree in computer science.

	Gary Nowading District Vice President, Executive Director of the Penn Hills YMCA	Back to List



	Gary has been with the YMCA for 21 years, 18 years as an executive. Gary is former executive director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southwestern Pennsylvania and was also a caseworker for Catholic Charities and a counselor at Auberle Home. Gary's community service includes a stint as president of both the Penn Hills Chamber of Commerce and the Penn Hills Kiwanis. He is president of the First United Methodist Church in McKeesport and former treasurer and board member of Chapter 15 of the Association of YMCA Professionals. Gary has a bachelor's degree in Administration of Justice from the University of Pittsburgh. He lives with his wife and children in North Versailles.

	Richard Perallo Vice President, Facilities and Construction	Back to List



As Vice President, Richard Perallo will oversee capital project management and facility and property management of all 17 YMCA properties in the greater Pittsburgh area. “Richard is a highly capable executive with substantial property management experience,” said Eric Mann, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. “He will help the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh become an even more valuable resource for the people of our region by leading our efforts to improve our facilities and make them more cost-effective.” Mr. Perallo previously served as Senior Operations Manager for MOC, Inc., where he assisted in or managed the facilities of the Mellon Financial corporate headquarters, Gateway Center, Steelworkers Building, Verizon Building, the Carnegie Science Center and UPMC Sportsworks. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Association of Energy Engineers, among other professional affiliations. Richard Perallo and his wife Elizabeth are residents of North Strabane Township, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Canevin High School and Point Park University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology.

Jennifer Papale Rignani Vice President of Development and Communications	Back to List



Jennifer Papale Rignani has been a development and communications professional since 1992. She began her career as the Director of Development and Communications for Pittsburgh Hearing, Speech and Deaf Services and progressed toward increasingly larger leadership roles within area nonprofits including: St. Edmund’s Academy and The American Cancer Society. In 1999 Rignani launched PR/PR a consulting practice specializing in nonprofit communications and fundraising. Clients included The Pittsburgh Council on Public Education, The Dollar Energy Fund, Youthworks, The Pittsburgh Technology Council, The Mammogram Voucher Program and the Community Education Alliance of West Philadelphia. For these and other organizations, Rignani spearheaded copywriting, annual giving, major gifts, grant writing, donor relations, marketing campaigns, special events and a range of initiatives. Ms. Rignani is also professional freelance writer. Her feature stories have appeared in Pittsburgh Magazine, Mt. Lebanon Magazine, South Jersey Magazine, Edible Jersey, The Sandpaper, Monmouth County Voice, The Press of Atlantic City and others. She was recognized for her humor column, “Hip Momma” that was published in two states for 4 years and broadcast on KDKA. Her first nonfiction book, “New Jersey Wineries” was published by Arcadia Publishing as part of their Images of America series in July 2008. She is at work on a second book, “Red: A Curious History of the Rarest Hair Color” to be published by the University of Florida Press in 2011. She is a former Associate Editor of Pittsburgh Magazine. Rignani has been recognized for her writing with 4 Golden Quill nominations, an International Association of Business Communicators Award for Marketing and an Educational Press Award. Additionally, she was honored for her advocacy and testimony for fair housing practices by the YWCA Racial Justice Awards, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and HUD. Rignani is a wine and food enthusiast and enjoys traveling, reading and coaching youth sports. She is married to her husband Jay, a information technology engineer; together they have 3 daughters: twins, Lili and Sofia and Violet.

Christian A. Willitts vice President of Finance	Back to List



Vice President of Finance, Christian A. Willitts, CPA, oversees the association’s accounting functions, including financial statement preparation, budget development and grant and contract reporting. “Chris’ experience as a public accountant for both for-profit and non-profit organizations, and as a manager of a non-profit organization gives him a synergy of skills that matches our needs," said Eric A. Mann, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh YMCA. ”It is a wonderful opportunity to hire a professional who has demonstrated his devotion to providing important social services.” Willitts previously served as a manager for McCrory & McDowell LLC, where he oversaw accounting, auditing and tax services. Before that, he coordinated family and liaison services for the Pressley Ridge School at Ohiopyle. He earned an MBA from California University of Pennsylvania in 1997 and a BS in Education from Slippery Rock University in 1987. He lives in South Park.