president's newsletter - Community College of Allegheny County

PRESIDENT’S NEWSLETTER 

NOVEMBER 2012 

Last week, I received news that Allegheny County’s proposed 2013 budget includes a reduction of 

approximately $2.5 million in the county’s funding to CCAC. While this was disappointing news, 

I am resolved to continue working with County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and the members of 

Allegheny County Council, who remain staunch advocates of the college. We will of course be 

asking them to reconsider this funding reduction to help to keep a CCAC education more 

affordable. 

At the same time, we must undertake steps to bolster our finances. Our response in this regard is 

still being formed, but I must ask you to continue to be conscious of our existing costcontainment 

measures. And we must move forward on our strategic initiatives, particularly those 

directly related to the success of our students. 

We will not stop exploring 

alternative options to provide 

for these initiatives. This point 

was emphasized on October 20 

as we dedicated the Gambino 

and Petrelli Families Science 

Laboratory at CCAC–West 

Hills Center. While private 

giving and public grants do not 

substitute for our regular 

allocations from the county 

and the state, these additional 

funding streams do enable us 

to undertake improvements to 

our infrastructure and 

programming that we could 

not otherwise pursue. 

Thank you for your continued 

support of our mission, even in 

the midst of these challenging 

circumstances. I will of course 

keep you apprised of 

developments in this area. 

—Alex Johnson, president 

Learning: Promoting Educational Excellence 

CCAC President Alex Johnson and CCAC Educational Foundation Board 

Member Charlene Petrelli (’85 & ’12) unveil the plaque for the science 

laboratory at West Hills Center that honors the families of Ms. Petrelli and her 

husband, Dominic, right. For more, see page 7. 

Early Childhood Education program earns national accreditation 

CCAC’s Early Education and Child Development (ECD) program has earned national 

accreditation for its A.S. degree program in Early Childhood Professional Preparation. CCAC is 

the first community college Early Childhood associate’s degree program in Western Pennsylvania 

to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

Accreditation was awarded after a NAEYC team site visit. The Accreditation Commission also 

reviewed an in-depth self-study and report conducted and prepared by ECD faculty Richard 

Carney, Stephanie Goloway, Bonnie Ordonez, Cyndi Syskowski and Melanie Yeschenko. 

That report focused on program content, learning activities, field experiences, rubric and student 

PRESIDENT’S NEWSLETTER, NOVEMBER 2012 PAGE 1

outcomes documentation and alignment with NAEYC Goals and Standards for Early Childhood 

Professional Preparation Programs. In addition to being highly prepared and qualified to work in 

and improve the field of early childhood education, students and graduates of CCAC’s ECD 

program seeking teacher certification will now experience a seamless transfer to four-year colleges 

and universities across Pennsylvania that are aligned with NAEYC standards. 

Endorsement prepares students for national Advanced Manufacturing credential 

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has endorsed CCAC and six other 

Pennsylvania providers of an Advanced Manufacturing/Integrated Systems Technology 

curriculum. As a result, students who complete CCAC’s Mechatronics program will be prepared 

to test for a nationally recognized credential provided by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturing 

Institute (PMMI). The PMMI certification is part of the NAM-endorsed Skills Certification 

System, a series of stackable credentials that meet the skill needs of manufacturers in highdemand 

occupations. More than 500 students are projected to earn PMMI certifications in the 

next two years across the Industrial Maintenance Training Center of Pennsylvania consortium, 

of which CCAC is a part. As this pilot is replicated across the country, the partnership will 

contribute toward the institute’s goal of issuing 500,000 manufacturing certifications by 2016. 

HVAC curriculum aligns with additional industry certification 

CCAC will partner with the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada 

(HRAI) to deliver SkillTech Academy US Residential Mechanical Ventilation Training 

certification through the college’s HVAC curriculum. Arthur Miller, professor, Heating and Air 

Conditioning, attended a Train the Trainer session provided by HRAI at the HVACR & 

Plumbing Instructor Workshop in Lansdowne, VA, to become certified to deliver the HRAI 

training program. 

Skilled Trades and Services Fair comes to West Hills Center 

West Hills Center will host the sixth annual Skilled Trades and Services Fair on November 20. Last 

year, this event attracted more than 600 participants from regional career and technical centers, 

high schools, other organizations and the community. The event features more than 20 exhibitors 

and gives current or potential students the opportunity for exposure to a variety of skilled trades, 

all of which align with training at CCAC. Students can earn certificates in a short period of time 

so that they are able to begin work in well-paying positions in their fields as they continue at the 

college to fulfill the requirements for degree programs. Visitors to the fair may practice skills used 

in the trades and speak with those experienced in the fields. 

Community Education develops prep course for IBEW apprenticeship exam 

CCAC Community Education has partnered with the International Brotherhood of Electrical 

Workers (IBEW) to develop a preparation course for students interested in taking the IBEW 

apprenticeship examination. The course is being developed to provide students an opportunity to 

strengthen their basic skills prior to taking the exam in order to increase the exam success rate, 

which may also result in a more diverse pool of apprentices. 


Partnership with Mason University aids nursing faculty 

The HRSA Geriatric Education grant program at CCAC has partnered with the School of 

Nursing at George Mason University to offer the Partners for Education in Geriatrics (PEG) 

program free to nursing faculty at CCAC and Westmoreland County Community College. 

Developed by physicians, nurses, social workers, allied health professionals and communication 

specialists from the university, the program consists of 11 seminars covering aging topics from 

the physical, psychological and cognitive function of older adults to skin care, urinary 

incontinence and palliative and end of life care. The PEG program will be offered online for 

faculty during the spring semester. The Geriatric Education program is also working to adapt 

parts of the PEG program to provide training for other health care workers on site in nursing 

homes and hospitals. 

New cohort prepares for Project Management Boot Camp 

Registrations are currently being accepted for the next cohort for the Center for Professional 

Development Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional (PMP) program, 

which is scheduled to begin on February 9, 2013. The ―boot camp‖ is designed to prepare 

professionals to sit for and pass the exam to become a PMP. Since the fall of 2009, 85% of 

course completers who have sat for the exam have passed. 

HIT grant opens to 10 th cohort 

The Health Information Technology (HIT) grant began its 10 th cohort of students on October 

15. This group will complete their training on March 3, 2013. Thirty-three students were accepted 

into this cohort. Additionally, three other cohorts are running simultaneously for a total of 75 

students. A new addition to the program is a module developed to assist students with their job 

search in the HIT field. The new module is available to both current and past students. 

Renewable/Alternative Energy Technologies Program partners, presents 

The Renewable/Alternative Energy Technologies Program has participated in two new 

partnerships. In connection with Pittsburgh Green Innovators, CCAC will offer an after-school 

college-level introduction to renewable and alternative energy at the University Prep at Milliones, 

a Pittsburgh Public School in the Hill District. Students attend class two days per week after 

school. The college also partnered with G-tech strategies to provide a workshop in renewable 

and alternative energy careers to individuals participating in the A. Phillip Randolph Institute 

workforce development program. In addition, representatives of the program have been chosen 

to present at the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Integrated Learning: The School-to-Career 

Connection conference in November. The topic of the presentation is: ―A Model for Success: 

Renewable and Alternative Energy Technologies Program.‖ 


College Life: Enriching the Experience 

CCAC golfers take conference, state honors 

In both team and individual 

competition, CCAC golfers 

distinguished themselves at the 

regional and state levels. At the 

Western Pennsylvania Collegiate 

Conference Championship 

September 28 and 29 at the 

Links at Spring Church in 

Apollo, PA, the CCAC–South 

Campus team placed first. 

From North Campus, golfer 

Eric Poplowski won the 

individual championship, while 

teammates Ben Kennedy and 

Paul Ajak III finished second 

and fourth, respectively. All 

three North Campus players 

were named to the Western 

Pennsylvania Collegiate 

Conference All-Tournament 

First Team. Shortly after the 

Members of the North Campus golf team (from left) Dan Blahnik, Coach 

Chuck Bell, Ben Kennedy, Eric Poplowski and Paul Ajak III 

celebrate their success at the Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association 

State Championship October 8 and 9 in Fayetteville, PA. 

regional competition, the North Campus Golf Team won its eighth Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic 

Association State Championship at the Penn National Golf Club in Fayetteville, PA. Mr. Poplowski 

was again the individual medalist in the two-day event, while Mr. Ajak and Mr. Kennedy finished 

in the top five. Teammate Dan Blahnik also represented CCAC–North Campus at the event. At 

the tournament, CCAC Coach Chuck Bell was named Coach of the Year. He has coached all 

eight of CCAC’s championship teams, and has the distinction of coaching the college with the 

greatest number of wins in the tournament’s history. 

WAMO broadcasts from South Campus 

Local radio station WAMO 100.1 FM visited South Campus on October 17 as part of their 

2012 School Tour. The WAMO team broadcasted from the campus cafeteria, where they interacted 

with students, held contests and gave away promotional items. The broadcast was coordinated by 

CCAC’s Office of Institutional Advancement and External Relations and coincided with the 

South Campus Student Life department’s faculty and staff dodgeball tournament, which was held 

in the gymnasium. Several hundred students attended the combined events. 


Community: Reaching Out to the County & Beyond 

Odyssey Day features alternative fuel vehicles 

The annual Western Pennsylvania 

Odyssey Day on October 19 

drew more than 150 people to 

West Hills Center to learn 

about alternative fuel 

vehicles. Speakers, including 

Allegheny County Executive 

Rich Fitzgerald, presented on 

technology and policy 

surrounding electric, hybrid, 

bio-fuel, propane, natural gas 

and other powertrains. Nearly 

40 vehicles—from motorcycles 

to tractor trailers—were on 

hand for viewing and test 

drives. Partners in the event 

included Pittsburgh Regional 

Clean Cities and the National 

Alternative Fuel Training 

Consortium of West Virginia 

University, of which CCAC is 

a member. 

Donna Imhoff, PhD, campus president, North Campus, and Gretchen 

Mullin-Sawicki, PhD, dean, Academic Affairs, North Campus, prepare to 

test drive a Mitsubishi electric vehicle at Western Pennsylvania Odyssey Day 

on October 19 at West Hills Center. 

CCAC participates in One Young World Summit 

From October 18 to 22, South Campus Theatre student Terrell Grayson attended the One Young 

World Summit, an international conference that brought together more than 1,300 delegates from 

180 countries to discuss and debate major issues addressed daily by the world’s governmental, 

business and academic leaders. The CCAC Educational Foundation sponsored Mr. Grayson to 

attend the conference. One Young World, founded by a London-based charity in 2009, was first 

hosted in London in 2010 and then in Zurich in 2011. Pittsburgh is the first US city to host the 

conference, which took place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Tara Zirkel, 

director, Student Life, South Campus, and George Jaber, professor, Theatre, South Campus, 

joined Mr. Grayson at the conference’s opening ceremonies at Heinz Hall for the Performing 

Arts, which featured former President Bill Clinton as keynote speaker. In addition, following the 

conference, two students from the United Kingdom toured Allegheny Campus for an overview 

of facilities, program offerings and student activities. 


CCAC club aids fellow veteran 

Representatives of CCAC’s 

collegewide chapter of Student 

Veterans of America (SVA) 

volunteered at the home of a 

local veteran in Wilkinsburg 

on October 13 to assist with 

much-needed yard work. 

Coordinated through the 

nonprofit Christian housing 

ministry Habitat for Humanity, 

nine members of the club 

helped to remove fallen leaves, 

garbage and general debris 

from the home’s steep wooded 

hillside. Student veterans 

volunteering included, from 

CCAC–Allegheny Campus, 

Jeremy Chauvin, John Corl, 

Eric Corbin, Josh Fales, 

Johnny Vasquez and Evan 

Weaver; and from South 

Campus, Adam Kukic, Chris Members of CCAC’s Student Veterans of America chapter participate in a service 

Lawson and James Young. day with Habitat for Humanity to assist a fellow veteran in Wilkinsburg. 

Also volunteering were Cory 

Shay, coordinator, Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, and Karen Boston, 

student success coach, Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, and advisor, 

Veterans Club. 

Single mothers learn at South Campus event 

South Campus hosted a summit of Sisters Saving Ourselves Now (SOSN), a single-mother 

empowerment initiative unveiled at First AME Church in Clairton earlier this year. The summit 

on October 12 and 13 provided young, single mothers with information on topics including 

career development, computer training, job readiness, entrepreneur training, financial literacy, 

relationships and health and nutrition. 

At Allegheny Campus, Jesse Jackson encourages voting 

Rev. Jesse Jackson, two-time candidate for president and founder of the National Rainbow 

PUSH Coalition, spoke on October 15 in the Allegheny Campus Foerster Student Service Center 

Auditorium at a nonpartisan rally to encourage people to vote. 


Stewardship: Managing Our Resources 

Science lab honors alumna, Educational Foundation board member 

The CCAC Educational 

Foundation celebrated the 

dedication of the Gambino 

and Petrelli Families Science 

Laboratory on October 20 at 

West Hills Center. The facility 

honors the Gambino and 

Petrelli families as part of the 

Imagine & Achieve campaign. 

Charlene Petrelli received an 

Associate of Arts in Business/ 

Public Administration from 

CCAC in 1985 and an 

honorary Associate of Arts in 

Humane Letters in 2012. 

Dominic Petrelli attended 

CCAC in 1993. A member of 

the executive committee of the 

Attendees at the dedication of the Gambino and Petrelli Families Science 

Laboratory at West Hills Center tour the lab on October 20. 

CCAC Educational Foundation Board of Directors and the Imagine & Achieve Steering 

Committee, Ms. Petrelli has helped to secure contributions to the campaign—including her 

family’s generous personal support. 

Automotive program receives new vehicles 

The Automotive Technology department at West Hills Center has received $225,372 in vehicle 

donations in 2012, thanks to the generous support of industry partners Chrysler, General Motors 

and Ford. Donated vehicles include: 2011 Dodge Durango, 2011 Jeep Compass, 2011 Chrysler 

300S, 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2012 Jeep Wrangler, 2012 Fiat 500, 2013 Ford Edge and 2012 

Buick Lacrosse. 

Labor–Management Institute benefits from major gift 

The CCAC Educational Foundation has received notification of a $500,000 gift from Peoples 

Natural Gas, LLC, as part of the college’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, Imagine & 

Achieve. The gift is designated for the Robert M. Mill Lecture Series & Endowed Chair. 

AFT approves travel funds for initiatives of collegewide benefit 

The AFT Executive Committee has approved the use of $5,000 of AFT travel funds to support 

employees who participate in statewide or national initiatives that benefit the college as a 

whole. Travel identified as part of this category includes meetings of the Developmental Studies/ 

Placement Testing Statewide Committee; Achieving the Dream and related student success and 

developmental studies groups; and The Democracy Commitment. Faculty members participating 

in these initiatives may do so without using their personal allocated AFT travel funds, 

encouraging more faculty members to support student success through participating in activities 

that can stimulate student engagement and move the college’s policies and practices in ways that 

enhance student learning. 


New member joins Educational Foundation Board, others give to college 

The CCAC Educational Foundation has added a new member to its Board of Directors. Edward 

Karlovich, chief financial officer for UPMC’s Hospital and Community Services Division, 

received an Associate of Science degree in Accounting from CCAC in 1980. In addition, several 

current and former board members have recently contributed to the college personally or through 

their employers. Manny DiNatale contributed $10,000 to establish the Manny and Carla DiNatale 

Endowed Scholarship Fund. This scholarship will be awarded to a CCAC student who is enrolled in 

an associate’s degree program. John Dziak, assistant professor, Biology, Allegheny Campus, who 

recently stepped down from the foundation board, contributed $10,000 to the Blaine Falk Endowed 

Fund for Veterans Programs. Mr. Dziak established this fund in 2009 to support the needs of 

CCAC’s Veteran’s Program. Finally, the EQT Foundation, through Charlene Petrelli, has made 

a gift of $25,000 to the CCAC Educational Foundation as part of the Educational Improvement 

Tax Credit Program (EITC). 

Recognition: Celebrating Our Milestones 

President’s Innovation Award team earns national honors 

The team that won the college’s 2011 President’s Innovation Award has now been recognized with 

the League for Innovation’s 2012 Innovation of the Year Award. The new Graduate Tracking System 

was selected for the award based on quality, cost effectiveness, timeliness and efficiency. This 

CCAC team developed and implemented a tracking system that integrates information from 

multiple sources about recent graduates. The information generated by the new tracking system 

will help students make better informed career choices and enhance employment reports. 

Members of the team included Charles Bostaph, PhD, Yvonne Burns, Renee Clark, PhD, 

Giovanni Garofalo, Mary Lou Kennedy, EdD, Bob Kmetz, Jason Lander, Pam Nichols, 

Melanie Porach, Kevin Smay and Michelle Talbert-Horsey. 

FireVEST graduates honored by county council 

Graduates of the FireVEST program were honored by Allegheny County Council for their 

achievements and service to the community. A partnership between CCAC and Allegheny 

County, the FireVEST program provides scholarships to residents of Allegheny County who are 

either current volunteers or who join a volunteer fire department in Allegheny County. More than 

170 Allegheny County volunteer firefighters have participated in the program since January 2009. 

Recent graduates who received the FireVEST scholarships were honored at a regular meeting of 

the Allegheny County Council. The graduates include: Nathan Abbott, Monroeville VFC #5; 

Kenneth Carroll, Citizens Hose VFC #1 (Glassport); Mathew Davis, Dormont VFD; Vincent 

Gelpi, North Bessemer VFC #3 (Penn Hills); Zachary Harrington, McKees Rocks VFD; 

Melissa Hey, Peebles VFD (McCandless); Christopher Lau, Moon Township VFD; David Jon 

Newman, Gallatin-Sunnyside VFD (Forward Township); Gregory Porter, Etna VFD; Gary 

Punzak, Quaill VFD (Ross Township); Mitchell Soman, Fair Oaks VFD (Leet Township); and 

Travis Staudt, West Homestead VFD. The graduates majored in programs such as Fire Science 

Administration, Criminal Justice & Criminology, Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, 

Nursing and Surgical Technologist. Scholarship recipients can choose any CCAC degree program. 


Kelly honored by county council for service in radiation therapy 

Allegheny County Council 

recently honored Frances 

Kelly, a 1984 graduate of 

CCAC, by presenting her with 

a proclamation during the 

body’s Regular Meeting of 

Council. In 1968, with the 

encouragement of her 

supervisor, Ms. Kelly became 

registered in radiation therapy. 

At the time she was the only 

registered therapist in the City 

of Pittsburgh. After earning 

her associate’s degree from 

CCAC and a bachelor’s degree 

from the University of 

Pittsburgh, she served as 

supervisor of the radiation 

oncology department at Mercy 

Hospital and, from 1999 to 

2006, clinical coordinator for 

CCAC’s Radiation Therapy 

Technology program. In 2007, 

she established the Edward 

Rogow, MD, Memorial Scholarship, 

in memory of her husband. 

The scholarship is available for 

a full-time Radiation Therapy 

Technology student. 

Frances Kelly ’84, former clinical coordinator, Radiation Therapy Technology, 

receives a proclamation from Allegheny County Council. Sponsoring members of 

council include Charles Martoni, PhD, campus president, CCAC–Boyce 

Campus, third from left, and William Russell Robinson, chair, CCAC 

Board of Trustees, far right. 

Young ranked among Men of Excellence 

David Young, associate dean, Academic Affairs, North Campus, has been selected as one of 

the New Pittsburgh Courier’s 50 Men of Excellence for 2012. He received the honor at a ceremony 

October 25. 

Newkirk recognized with Circle of Courage Award 

Charlene Newkirk, campus president, South Campus, received one of the Circle of Courage 

Awards presented by BBC Ministries for individuals who have displayed faith and courage in 

their careers, ministries and other aspects of life. She was one of three honorees in the Education 

category. 


Retirements 

CCAC thanks the following retirees for their service to the college and wishes them the best in 

their retirement. 

Employee Position Campus 

Jacqueline Connolly Director of Registration SO 

Patricia Hartman Sr. Bookstore Clerk NO 

Kathleen Niederst Accounting Clerk OCS 

Virginia Stein Professor of English AL 

Thomas Turich Professor of CIT SO 

Personnel appointments 

Please welcome the following individuals to the college community and extend congratulations to 

those who have received a new position and/or promotion. 

Employee Position Department Campus Effective 

Andre Blackston Sr. Accounting Clerk Student Accounts AL 11.15.12 

Alicia Booker Vice President, 

Workforce Development 

Workforce 

Development 

WHC 10.1.12 

Marie Dailey Instructor Mathematics AL 9.20.12 

Anthony DiTommaso Assistant VP for 

Procurement, Compliance 

& Legal Services 

Business & 

Administration 

OCS 10.1.12 

Judith Dyda Assistant Professor Mathematics AL 9.24.12 

Eileen Edwards Sr. Secretary Academic Affairs AL 11.5.12 

Jayne Hogue Educational Technician, 

Assistant Instructor 

Jason Lander Lead Developer & 

Database Administrator 

Raymond Marks Assistant Director, 

Facilities Management 

Linda Munoz Program Instructor, Nurse 

Aide Training Program 

Chemistry/Physics BO 10.22.12 

ITS OCS 10.22.12 

Facilities 

Management 

OCS 10.29.12 

Workforce Training AL 10.8.12 

PRESIDENT’S NEWSLETTER, NOVEMBER 2012 PAGE 10 

Continued...

Employee Position Department Campus Effective 

Sharon Nepomuceno Sr. Secretary Institutional 

Advancement & 

External Relations 

Enrollment Updates 

Fall headcount down 6.65% as of October 21 

Headcount, Fall 2011 vs. Fall 2012 

As of 10.23.11 As of 10.21.12 +/- (%) 

College 20,963 19,595 -6.53 

Allegheny 8,835 8,519 -3.58 

Boyce 5,501 5,144 -6.49 

North 6,021 5,579 -7.34 

South 5,725 5,135 -10.31 

Full-time Equivalent (FTE), Fall 2011 vs. Fall 2012 

OCS 11.15.12 

Lina Ott Switchboard/Receptionist Business Office SO 10.15.12 

Clyde Pickett Special Assistant to the 

President for 

Diversity & Inclusion 

Diversity & Inclusion OCS 10.1.12 

Daniel Russell User Support Analyst ITS AL 10.29.12 

Christine Sapinsky Switchboard/Receptionist Business Office BO 10.22.12 

William Shepherd II Custodian/Laborer Housekeeping WHC 10.22.12 

Bonnie Tuttle Custodian/Laborer Housekeeping SO 10.9.12 

As of 10.23.11 As of 10.21.12 +/- (%) 

College 15,281.5 14,127.9 -7.55 

Allegheny 5,334.7 5,114.0 -4.14 

Boyce 3,197.2 2,930.7 -8.34 

North 3,372.4 3,082.2 -8.61 

South 3,607.6 3,242.2 -10.13

president's newsletter - Community College of Allegheny County

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