Dr. Goldfarb, the Chairman of the Board of Veterans Place, is a graduate of The Chicago Medical School and completed a surgical residency at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has served as the Director of the hospital’s Burn Center and as the Vice-Chair of the Department of Surgery. He has held numerous administrative positions including, serving as the Chief Medical Officer at both The Western Pennsylvania Hospital and Allegheny General Hospital. Dr. Goldfarb served in the U.S. Army at the rank of Major. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health.
Mark Wechsler graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Computer Science. He has worked for major technology vendors and consulting organizations such as Hewlett Packard, Ernst & Young, and KPMG. He is currently Vice President of Advisory Services and Vertical Industries at ConvergeOne (formerly Arrow Electronics). Mark has a clear understanding of the practical contribution technology can make to successful business solutions. In his current role at ConvergeOne, he provides guidance that bridges the gap between IT/Telecom and business founded on deep industry knowledge acquired over his 40 years of experience.
Bradley D. Harrison graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree and received a Masters degree from Washington, D.C. based Catholic University of America in Engineering Management. Bradley served in a variety of positions in the U.S. Navy following graduation, including as the Officer of the Deck/Ship’s Duty Officer on the USS Oklahoma City and as a Department Head at Strategic Systems Programs. He briefly served in the United States Congress as the District Director for Representative Timothy F. Murphy and as the Military Legislative Assistant for Representative Robert J. Wittman.
Bradley is currently the President and Managing Partner of the boutique real estate and investment firm Creekside Capital as well as the Vice President of Procurement and New Business at E. H. Schwab Company.
Bradley’s other community activities include membership on the Board of Deacons at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church and a life member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation. He is also a proud father to three children ages 6, 8, and 11.
Marva L Brown, CPA, is a native Pittsburgher, having graduated from Duquesne University with a degree in accounting. Prior to attending university, Marva was a Sergeant in the US Marine Corps for six years. She currently works at PNC Bank, as a Risk and Control Advisor and prior to that spent 18 years in Corporate Risk and Compliance at BNY Mellon. Marva has served on several boards in Pittsburgh, including the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and is a past President of the National Association of Black Accountants. She is currently a mentor in the Reading is Fundamental program.
Michael is a Pittsburgh native. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army for two years, including one year in Viet Nam. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, and the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, with a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning. After graduate school, he worked at the Pittsburgh Department of City Planning for 13 years as a principal planner. He then joined the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh as senior development manager. He retired in 2017. He joined the board in 2015 and has served as past vice-president and president.
Mike is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Highmark Health. He has been there since 2015 after moving to Pittsburgh from Cleveland where he worked in strategy roles at the Cleveland Clinic and McKinsey & Company. He is married and has 3 teenage boys.
In September 2016, Hank Beukema retired as a thirty-seven-year western Pennsylvania grant maker, having spent more than 12 years with the Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation as a Program Officer, and 24+ years at McCune Foundation as Executive Director. Since January 2000, he had also been Executive Director of the Pitcairn-Crabbe Foundation, a philanthropy associated with Shadyside Presbyterian Church. After graduating from Yale in 1968, and receiving a reserve commission from the Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport, he served as Gunnery and Missile Officer on the guided missile light cruiser USS Leahy. After two at-sea tours on the Leahy, Hank taught military history and naval science at Vanderbilt University’s Naval ROTC unit, before leaving naval service in 1975. In addition to his position as a board member of Veterans Place, Hank’s volunteer work includes Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Winchester Thurston School, and Eye and Ear Foundation.
Steve Crary is a graduate from the University of Pittsburgh and received his MBA from Colorado Christian University. As Director of Commercialization at Highmark Health Solutions, he works to reinvent the health care experience and enrich the relationship between people and their clinicians. He served in the U.S. Army at the rank of Specialist in the Medical Corps. Steve is passionate about helping others and started Brand You School to change lives through personal branding.
Augustine D. Faucher did his undergraduate work at Cornell University and received a Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh, PA. His impressive career includes a Senior Economist position in the Office of Economic Policy at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., and a Director and Senior Economist position at Moody’s Analytics. Augustine is currently a member of the American Bankers Association Economic Advisory Committee, on the Board of Directors of the Economic Club of Pittsburgh, and a member of the National Association for Business Economics.
Lauren Heaton, MS, ICAADC, CMHIMP, LPC graduated from Carlow University with an MS in Professional Counseling. She also received her License in Professional Counselor, and is an Internationally Certified Advanced Drug Alcohol therapist, Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider, and co-owner of Pittsburgh Psychotherapy Associates, LLC. With over 15 years of experience working in medically monitored, residential, outpatient, and forensic settings.
Mary Robb received both her M.A. and B.A. degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. She retired from KDKA-TV News (CBS) in January 2014 after nearly 40-years as a General Assignment Reporter, Anchor, and Host of Evening Magazine, and has been recognized with community and professional awards, including two Emmy awards.
Since 1980, Mary Robb has been privileged to work with many local veterans organizations. Her work with the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program (now VLP) led to a 1995 assignment of a series of stories in Vietnam with a Pittsburgh veteran.
Over the years Mary Robb has served on the Boards of Friends of Danang which has built schools throughout Vietnam, and most recently Pittsburgh Hires Veterans.
Kevin L. Jenkins is currently the President & CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation (MBC) and has over thirty years of management experience in community development, nonprofit and philanthropic direction, and human service. Prior to joining MBC, Kevin was named Vice President for Public Policy and Civic Leadership at The Pittsburgh Foundation. Kevin holds a B.A. in Psychology from Penn State University and a MSW from the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds a Certificate of Labor and Industry, is a Certified Trainer in Cultural Competency.
In addition to his professional background, Kevin currently sits on the board of the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE), the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics Board of Fellows, and the Duquesne University School of Education Advisory Board.
Chris Jordheim graduated from the University of Maryland. His career was spent in the United States Air Force, where he served in active duty, as a civil engineer and as a Russian and Arabic linguist. Chris served in Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, while in the Air Force. After leaving the US Air Force in 2004, Chris worked at PNC Wealth Management as a Team Director. He is currently a Resident Manager with Stratos Wealth Partners and a Program Manager for NexTier Wealth Management. Chris was a member of the Leadership Pittsburgh Class of XXXI. Along with Veterans Place, Chris also serves on the boards of Teutonia Mannerchor and Lutheran SeniorLife.
Dr. Kabazie is a graduate of the Medical College of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh. He is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology and is also the Program Director of the Pain Medicine Fellowship at Allegheny Health Network. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Pain Society. Along with a specialty in Anesthesiology, Dr. Kabazie holds a sub-specialty in Addiction Medicine. He served in the United States Special Forces (Green Berets) with several Special Qualifications.
Brian J. Leshko received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). He then went on to receive an accelerated master’s degree in structural engineering at the University of Connecticut and a second Master of Civil Engineering degree in Structural Dynamics from The Johns Hopkins University. Brian served in the United States Air Force as a design engineer, project manager, and Instructor of Civil Engineering at USAFA, among other roles. His military work included extensive travels throughout the world including a year in Greenland as a Civil Engineering Quality Assurance Evaluator. He has received multiple U.S. Air Force Commendation Medals.
Brian is a registered professional engineer in 16 states and is currently a Principal Professional Associate and Vice President at HDR, Inc., one of the leading engineering and design firms in the country. He is HDR’s Global Infrastructure Inspection and Management Program and Practice Leader. In 2013 he was named a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – a top honor bestowed by that organization. Brian was more recently inducted into the University of Connecticut’s Academy of Distinguished Engineers in 2017.
James Moyer graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Master’s in Business Administration and received an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Duquesne University. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ Practitioner and Investment Relationship Manager with Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors. He served in the Air National Guard for seven years, working in Communications Cable and Antenna Systems, earning the award of Outstanding Airmen of the Year for the state of Pennsylvania.
J. B. Wilcox graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in aerospace engineering, and from the U.S. Navy Flight School as a naval aviator. He is currently the Pittsburgh Region Director/General Manager of Breakthrough Performance Group to drive business opportunities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. J.B. retired from the military as a Major in the U.S. Marine Corps. He continues to assist and counsel candidates interested in pursuing an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of Veterans Place, J.B. is the President of the Peters Township High School Girls Lacrosse League.
Robert (Rob) Hamilton, Executive Director of Veterans Place, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Public Service and has recently completed a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) in Public Policy and Management. Prior to attending Pitt, Rob served in the United States Army National Guard as a military police officer, where he worked in crime prevention and emergency response throughout the state of Pennsylvania. He also holds a Supervisor/Manager Certificate from Penn State University and a Non-Profit Management Certificate from the University of Pittsburgh. Rob is an elected official of the Lower Burrell City Council in the Public Works Department. He is the Co-Chair of the leadership portion of the Allegheny County/Pittsburgh Veteran Homeless Boot Camp Committee. Rob received the 2018 prestigious Salute Our Heroes Recognition from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Who’s Next 2019: Community Leaders & Activists Award from the Under 40 and Making a Difference: The Incline Award. In 2019 Rob received the VA Challenge Certificate of Appreciation.