Dateline Pittsburgh
Accounting
Brunner, Blackstone & Associates PC hired Dylan Nock as a tax associate in its department of taxation.
Engineering
Allen & Shariff Engineering LLC promoted Diane Bookwalter to vice president and hired Angela Bickford as a mechanical designer.
Health
Dr. Naudia Jonassaint, M.D., M.H.S., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, was appointed as the Department of Medicine’s first vice chair for diversity and inclusion. Ms. Jonassaint, who also is the medical director of clinical hepatology at UPMC Presbyterian, will work to develop programs to enhance diversity and inclusion across the department.
Insurance
Henderson Brothers hired Noelle Hoguet-Singer as an account analyst in its commercial lines department.
Law
Sherrard, German & Kelly PC announced the addition of Richard W. Kelly Jr. as a member of its Real Estate, Litigation and Construction Services Groups. Christine Boronyak Bowers
joined Eckert Seamans. She has a broad tax practice covering domestic and international tax planning for businesses and individuals, employee benefit plan counseling and nonprofit organizations.
Pollock Begg Komar Glasser & Vertz LLC has named Stephanie L. Jablon and Heather Trostle Smith as partners. Ms. Jablon holds certifications in both mediation and collaborative law and is an executive committee member of the Collaborative Law Association of Southwest Pennsylvania. Ms. Trostle Smith is focusing her practice on high net worth individuals and complex financial cases.
Nonprofit
Susan Manzi, M.D., M.P.H., was named chair of the Lupus Foundation of America’s national board of directors. Dr. Manzi is a board-certified rheumatologist and co-founder of the Allegheny Health Network Lupus Center of Excellence at the Allegheny Health Network Autoimmunity Institute.
Pittsburgh Opera announces four new members to its board: Bill Hillgrove, Thomas James III, M.D.,
Brian Binkley and Cindy Kerr.
Mr. Hillgrove is a sportscaster who has served as WTAE-TV’s Steelers Insider since 1994. Dr. James is senior medical director of medical management and quality at Highmark Inc., providing clinical oversight to Highmark’s Quality and Wellness departments. Mr. Binkley is a founding partner and managing partner of The Binkley Kanavy Group LLC (”BKG”), a CPA firm. Ms. Kerr is a strategic leader committed to communications.
Business notes
Maher Duessel, a regional accounting firm specializing in services to governments and nonprofits, was certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council PADE-sNJ (WBEC). The WBEC is a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. The certification was awarded in November. The process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.
Awards and Honors
Susan Fullerton, assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, is tackling a challenge to develop next-generation electronics based on all two-dimensional materials. These “all 2D” materials are similar to a sheet of paper — if the paper were only a single molecule thick. Her research into these super-thin materials was recognized by the National Science Foundation with a $540,000 CAREER award. Elizabeth DeChurch Strenkowski, director of admissions at CCAC Boyce Campus, was named the Pennsylvania School Counselor Advocate of the Year by the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association (PSCA). She was honored at the Recognition Banquet of the 63rd Annual PSCA Conference, held in Hershey, Pa., on Nov. 29.
Alice Sacks Johnston, chair of the Product Liability practice group for Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, was selected to join the Fellows of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society, recognizing excellence among American litigation and trial counsel and promoting superior advocacy and ethical standards in the practice of law.
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