Board of Trustees

Growing up in western Pennsylvania, Dennis attended St. Vincent College for economics and earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He began working in finance by creating a computerized accounting system for Pittsburgh’s iconic Isaly Company. He then joined the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Pittsburgh before moving to MSA Safety as Manager of Financial Services where he climbed over 37 years to eventually retire as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. While with MSA, Dennis performed a variety of responsibilities with a particular focus on the company’s global business development, investor relations, and corporate strategy.

Though his career led him to travel extensively and globally, Dennis has always been active in the local community, having served as director of the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, treasurer of the Pittsburgh Pension Fund Group and Economics Club of Pittsburgh, and chairman of the Regional Learning Alliance as well as the Butler County Community Development. He was also treasurer of the National Kidney Foundation located in New York. 

Dennis has four children and four grandchildren, and he resides in Edgeworth. His youngest daughter, Chiara ’25 is enrolled at the Academy.

A Sewickley Academy lifer, Brad is now president of Industry Terminal & Salvage (ITS), a company started by his father that is a leading cargo carrier on inland waterways nationwide offering barge, terminal, marine, and industrial services. He purchased ITS in 2006, launching an extensive expansion plan.

Brad is also president of Energy Insight Technologies, a boutique firm offering patented energy saving and efficiency technologies. He has previously served as president of The Edgeworth Club and was Vice Chair of Sewickley Academy’s Board of Trustees 2017 - 2022.

Brad met his wife, Marne, while earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management at the University of Denver, bringing her to Pittsburgh after graduation. They have two daughters, Kate’16 and Brooke ‘25.

Roberto W. Ortiz is the Senior Vice President for Finance Operations at Auberge Resorts Collection, which manages a portfolio of extraordinary hotels, resorts, residences, and private clubs. With 26 hotels and resorts across three continents, Auberge invites guests to create unforgettable stories in some of the world’s most desirable destinations.

Roberto has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance as well as managing complex commercial operations, both in the U.S. domestic and international settings. Previously, Roberto held the position of Vice President & CFO at Palace Entertainment, the parent company of Kennywood and Sandcastle. He also spent more than 20 years at Marriott International, where he held the position of Vice President, Finance for the Caribbean and Latin America region. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (Isenberg School of Business), and conducted post-graduate executive education at Cornell University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Roberto and his wife, Marisol, are residents of Wexford and have been members of the Sewickley community since 2021, when their daughter Lillian (Lilly), Class of 2023, enrolled at the Academy.

Divya is the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at BlueScope Steel where she is responsible for working with leadership to set enterprise strategy and lead transformation efforts. Prior to this, Divya had a dual role as General Manager of PPG Services and Paintzen (an online paint service company that was acquired by PPG in 2018) and Head of Strategy for PPG’s US and Canada Architectural Coatings business. Before coming to Pittsburgh to work for PPG, Divya spent 13 years in various roles at J.M. Huber Corporation, a privately owned $2B engineered materials and specialty chemicals company. She has also worked in strategy consulting at KPMG, LLP, and the Mitchell Madison Group. She recently joined the board of ABARTA, Inc. as a Board Advisor.

After earning a BA in mathematics and international relations from The College of Wooster, Divya completed an MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University. She lives in Sewickley with her husband, Barry, and two sons, Narayan ‘31 and Neel ‘34. The family enjoys bicycling together.

Jane Kirkland is currently the Head of Asset Manager Regulatory Communications at Broadridge, a financial technology partner powering investing, corporate governance, and communications. Jane has also held positions as a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Co. and previously led Kirkland Partners, LLC., a consulting practice focused on strategy, organization, and post-acquisition integration for private equity-backed companies and financial service firms. She has performed engagements with more than 25 portfolio companies at several leading private equity firms and has served major financial institutions. Jane brings to bear her experience as an operating executive and a partner at a top-tier consulting firm to help companies sharpen strategies and drive execution against operating plans.

Jane started her career as a Senior Software Engineer in the Defense and Information Systems Division at Lockheed Sanders. After attending business school, she spent 11 years at McKinsey & Company, where she was a partner in the Cleveland/Pittsburgh office as well as a leader in the Strategy and Financial Institutions Practices. Jane concluded her career at McKinsey serving as Director of Knowledge Management.

From 2014-2023, Jane was a Senior Vice President at State Street Corporation, which is a leader in asset servicing and management. Jane ran the asset servicing business for midsized US asset managers and ran the strategy function for State Street’s largest business.

Jane has been active on several boards and is currently a member of the Business Practice Advisory Board at Strategic Management Review. Jane previously served on the Executive Committee of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and chaired the board of the Carnegie Science Center.

Jane earned her MBA with Highest Distinction from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and an MS in computer science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her undergraduate BA degree with Honors was obtained at Smith College. Jane and her husband live in Sewickley and have three children.

Professionally, Dave brings over a decade of experience in operations leadership at PITT OHIO, an established transportation and logistics provider. Currently serving as Vice President of Operations, Dave supports the strategic initiatives of PITT OHIO and its subsidiary businesses.

 

Dave's academic background lies in understanding human behavior and organizational dynamics. Obtaining his degree from John Carroll University, Dave majored in Organizational Psychology and minored in Business.

 

Lisa Hernandez serves as the vice president of people and culture at Robert Morris University (RMU), where she oversees Human Resources; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; and Title IX/Student Equity. Previously at RMU, she held the positions of Chief Human Resources Officer and Title IX Coordinator.

 

Before transitioning to higher education, Lisa was a civil rights litigator, spending 13 years as a Senior Trial Attorney with the Pittsburgh office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Before that, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Gary Lancaster of the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Honorable Joseph Moschetta and Janet Moschetta-Bell, both of the Washington County Court of Common Pleas.

 

She began her career as a litigator for the labor and employment group at Reed Smith.

 

Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and a juris doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing an MBA from Robert Morris University.

A Sewickley Academy lifer, Robert played baseball and was active on the Curriculum, Activities, and Fundraising committees. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Boston College before completing a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He then pursued dual Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Administration degrees from the University of Pittsburgh.  

A leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as well as corporate strategy, Robert has been Vice President for Allegheny Health Network/Highmark Health since January 2021. He had previously spent five years as Supplier Diversity Program Director with Highmark Health during which the program was recognized with the Procurement Leaders Americas Supplier Diversity and Inclusion Award. He has also worked as a practicing lawyer for more than 20 years, general counsel for a physicians’ practice, and as an advisor with the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion in the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission.

Sonia is a wealth management licensed professional with multiple years experience in financial planning, portfolio management, client relationship management, and investment planning. She is currently an Investment Management Consultant at Fidelity Investments with a focus on conducting annual reviews and financial planning for clients in the Fidelity Advisory Services Model. Prior to her work at Fidelity, Sonia was a Financial Services Consultant at Thakar Financial LLC/Raymond James an independent wealth management firm with $225 million assets under management, with a focus on physicians and non-profits.

 

Sonia earned her Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Mathematics at the Jesus and Mary College of Delhi University in New Delhi, India. She then went on to complete her Masters in Business Administration with a Major in Finance at ICFAI Business School in Hyderabad, India.

 

Sonia lives in Moon Township with her spouse, Dr. Gunjan Khanna, and their children, Daksh ’30 and Garv ’32.

Stephanie has been part of the Sewickley Academy community since 2006. She has three daughters, all of whom started at Sewickley Academy in Kindergarten: Autumn '19, Brooke '22, and Bella '27.

 

Stephanie has performed various Home & School volunteer roles at Sewickley Academy, including Vice President, Lower School Representative, and Logo Wear Founder and Chair. She also served on the Above & Beyond Committee, By-laws Committee, and Clothesline Sale Committee. Stephanie also participated in the Envision Sewickley Academy 2024 Conference. She is currently the Home & School Association President. 

 

Stephanie's professional background is in human resources, payroll, and office management. She has worked for various companies in the Pittsburgh area, including Affiliated Building Services, ARC-Allegheny, and Three Rivers Recycling.

Pallavi is a consultant and EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) implementer, guiding middle-market organizations to grow strong, healthy, and mission-aligned businesses. With expertise in operations, finance, marketing, and team leadership, Pallavi has built and led companies ranging in size from 15 to 100 employees.

She began her career as an investor for hedge funds in New York and Los Angeles. As an entrepreneur, she founded a California-based wine company and an activewear brand in Pittsburgh known for its innovative bamboo-cotton textiles. Her work has been featured in several publications, including Forbes, Parents, and Vogue.

Pallavi holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the New York University Stern School of Business and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Pallavi resides in Upper St. Clair with her husband, Mukul, and their two children, Vyan '34 and Kalyan '36.

Board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgeons, Ashvin has worked with Heritage Valley Health System for nearly 30 years and has been the Director of Neurosciences since 2018. He specializes in providing surgical treatment for conditions affecting the nervous system, such as spinal diseases and brain tumors. Ashvin has also held faculty appointments at the Drexel College of Medicine branch at Allegheny General Hospital and at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Ashvin earned a bachelor’s degree in science at Johns Hopkins University and then pursued his medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed a neurosurgical residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He has been a Sewickley Academy board member since 2011.

Ashvin lives in Sewickley with his wife, Beth, and their six children: Olivia ‘14, Evan ‘16, Kieran ‘19, Aidan ‘21, Ashton ‘23, and Ava.

Pete is passionate about bringing people together. He is an entrepreneur, engineer, motivator, TED speaker, author, and experienced leader who grew up working on his family’s farm in Butler, PA. 

As an Academy student, Pete was active on the basketball and track teams, participated in many clubs, and enjoyed pottery and stone carving. He went on to study mechanical engineering earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Catholic University in Washington, DC, where he continued to play basketball and track and kickstarted a golf team. 

Pete began his professional career at Lockheed Martin where he held roles as proposal analyst, environmental sustainability engineer, supervisor, supplier quality, and manufacturing engineer. He led an effort to design and implement Florida’s largest solar carport in 2017. In 2018, Pete went to MTEQ (now QinetiQ), where he led a team of more than 100 engineers and scientists, along with a $30M+ portfolio of multiple programs, to build robots for the U.S. Army that “keep the good guys safe from far away.”

Pete is now growing his own business, Latitude, which is a software platform helping medium and large companies increase internal engagement to amplify retention to attract the talent they need. He also stays balanced and active playing basketball, hiking, cycling, doing farm work, and traveling the globe.

Currently CEO of Z(AEM) in Pittsburgh, Rodney began his career in Washington, DC, with Andersen Consulting, where he focused on IT and management solutions for Fortune 500 clients, primarily in telecommunications. In less than a decade, he had moved on to CFO of Krone Global (the Communications Segment of GenTek) in Denver, CO. He later served as president of several divisions within Thermo Fisher Scientific including four years leading their global Environmental & Process Instruments division from its headquarters located in Shanghai, China. 

In addition to his work with AEM, a private-equity-backed roll-up focused on helping companies facing escalating environmental risks, Rodney is currently an independent director on the board of PharmaJet Inc., an advisory board member at the McGowan Institute within UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, and also works as a private investor. 

Rodney attended Cornell University earning a bachelor’s degree in operations research and industrial engineering. He also achieved a Masters of Engineering from Cornell and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He now lives in Sewickley Heights with his wife, Kristene, and their two children, Kylie ‘20 and Garrett ‘23.