Board of Trustees

Executive Committee

List of 5 members.

Dennis Zeitler, Chair, P '25
Bio
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.
Rachel Lorey Allen, Vice Chair, P '23
Bio
A summa cum laude graduate of Allegheny College with a BS in Economics, Rachel earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Virginia, Order of the Coif. In her career, she has been Vice President at DQE Enterprises and a Partner with Jones Day’s private equity practice. She has acted as the principal outside lawyer in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity transactions in more than 35 years of practice. Since retiring from Jones Day, Rachel started her own outsourced general counsel business through which she is serving as the Chief Legal Officer for Microbac Laboratories, Inc. and the General Counsel for Encentiv Energy. She served as the General Counsel for ALung Technologies, Inc. until its acquisition by LivaNova in 2022.

Rachel serves as the chair of the board of the National Association of Corporate Directors, Three Rivers Chapter. She is a board member for the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh where she founded their Celebrating Survivors event in 1990 to raise money and to raise awareness about domestic violence. She has also served as the Chair of the Board for Community College of Allegheny County Educational Foundation and is an honorary director of Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh. She was awarded the National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser through the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Rachel lives with her husband, Brian, and their daughter, Kathryn ‘23, in Sewickley.
Divya Thadani, Secretary, P '31, '34
Bio
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.
Roberto Ortiz, Treasurer, P '23
Bio
Roberto W. Ortiz is the United States (U.S.) CFO for Palace Entertainment, the parent company of Kennywood, Sandcastle, and Idlewild Parks. Palace Entertainment is the U.S. subsidiary of Parques Reunidos, which is the largest owner-operator of theme parks, water parks, and
zoological parks in the world.

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 spent over 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.
Brad Busatto '88, Officer-at-Large, P '16, '25
Bio
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.

Members

List of 11 members.

Ashley Birtwell '00, Head of School, P '35
Bio
Dr. Ashley (Brown ’00) Birtwell became the first female Head of School at Sewickley Academy in 2022 in its 185-year legacy. Under her leadership, Sewickley Academy has committed to educating tomorrow’s leaders with a focus on academic excellence, enhancing campus facilities investing nearly $6.5 million in improvements including state-of-the-art computer science and robotics spaces, and fundraising to be able to deliver innovative programming for students and professional development for faculty and staff.

With an extensive academic background, Dr. Birtwell has taught classes in power and negotiation, managerial psychology, and leadership at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her research, which centers on the role of emotions in interpersonal negotiations and international leadership, has earned recognition in prominent media outlets such as the New York Times and the Atlantic, as well as in esteemed academic journals including Psychological Science. She has been a regular presenter at the Annual Conference for the Academy of Management and a guest lecturer at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Returning to her alma mater as a Trustee and subsequently assuming the role of Head of School, Dr. Birtwell is a summa cum laude graduate of Middlebury College, where she majored in economics and minored in mathematics. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from the Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and a PhD in Organizational Behavior from the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Residing in Sewickley with her husband, Ryan, and two young children, Dr. Birtwell enjoys being active in the community and spending time outdoors with her family. She serves on the Board of Directors for Laughlin Children’s Center.
Dave Hammel, P ’33, ‘35
Bio
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.

Having called Sewickley home for the last ten years, Dave and his family have come to appreciate the area's history, traditions, and strong sense of community. Outside of work, Dave and his wife Elizabeth keep busy. They enjoy outdoor activities, love to explore new destinations through travel and like to remain engaged in the community. They have two children, Olivia '33 and Miles '35.
Lisa Hernandez
Bio
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.
Robert James '85
Bio
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.
In addition to serving as a Trustee for Sewickley Academy, Robert is on PA Governor Wolf’s Advisory Council for Diversity, Inclusion, and Small Business Opportunities and a board member with the Three Rivers Chapter of the National Association for Corporate Directors, Riverside Center for Innovation, Pittsburgh Opera, and Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation. He has received DiversityPlus Magazine’s Top 30 Champion of Diversity Award and the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Men of Excellence Award, among others. He has completed Northwestern University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) certificate program, Highmark Health’s Higher Mark leadership development program, and the Executive Leadership Academy through Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business/The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI).
Sonia Khanna, P ‘30, ’32
Bio
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.
Jane Kirkland
Bio
Jane Kirkland leads 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.
Stephanie Menzock, P '19, '21, '22, '27
Bio
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.
Ashvin Ragoowansi, P '14, '16, '19, '21, '23
Bio
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.
Peter Schramm '10
Bio
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.
Stephanie Sciullo
Bio
Stephanie L. Sciullo serves as President of the Americas for MSA Safety Inc. (MSA), and in this role, she is responsible for overseeing all of MSA’s business interests in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. She also continues to act as executive sponsor and spokesperson for the company’s corporate social responsibility programs.

Stephanie most recently served as MSA’s Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Affairs. Additionally, she led MSA’s efforts to divest a wholly-owned subsidiary that held legacy exposures, the single largest strategic transaction in the company’s 109-year history.

She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she also graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and economics. Additionally, Stephanie is an alumna of Harvard Business School’s General Management program. Before joining MSA Safety in 2010, Stephanie practiced law with Reed Smith LLP, and she also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University Schools of Law.
Rodney Smith, P '20, '23
Bio
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.