Carlotta Paige – Co-chair/Secretary – Officer
Founder
Carlotta Paige is co-founder and co-chair of the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition and a native of Westmoreland County. Carlotta was a senior executive in New York City for 20+ years where she held senior executive positions managing some of the largest workforces and government funded programs and budgets in the country. She is an accomplished practitioner in health care administration, human resources, workforce development, human capital planning and nonprofit management. Carlotta studied Business Management and Human Resources at Pace University; attended Cornell University School of Labor Relations, and the Senior Executive Program for State and Local Government at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. Carlotta initiated and coauthored with Seton Hill University the research study entitled Confronting the Challenge of Diversity in Westmoreland County.
Rabbi Sara Perman – Co-chair – Officer
Founder
Rabbi Sara Rae Perman is co-founder and co-chair of the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition. She served as the Rabbi of Congregation Emanu-El Israel in Greensburg, Pennsylvania from 1986 – 2017. Rabbi Perman also served as the Jewish chaplain at the State Correctional Institute at Greensburg for 28 years and then at SCI Fayette. She has also served as chair of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association; President of the Great Lakes Ohio Valley Association of Reform Rabbis; and twice as the chair of the Greensburg Ministerium. She also has served two terms as head of the Reform Rabbis of Greater Pittsburgh and is now co-chair of the Pittsburgh Area Reform Clergy. A graduate of Goucher College, Rabbi Perman did graduate work at SUNY at Buffalo and was ordained by (H.U.C.-J.I.R.). She received an Honorary Doctorate from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in May 2006 for “25 years of distinguished service to the Jewish people”.
James Galik – Vice chair – Officer
LGBT County Leadership/Advocate
Jim Galik is a U.S. Army veteran and was employed as a social worker at Torrance State Hospital for 30 years. In addition to being Vice Chair of the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition, he is president of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ligonier Valley and the Westmoreland LGBTQ Inter-Faith Network. He is a member of the executive committee of the Greensburg-Jeannette Branch NAACP and is a founding member of PFLAG-Greensburg.
Imogene L. Cathey, Esq.
Vice President and General Counsel
Seton Hill University
Imogene L. Cathey has more than 20 years of experience in the legal profession, primarily representing and advising institutions of higher education. She currently serves as the inaugural Vice President and General Counsel for Seton Hill University. In that role she oversees the General Counsel Department which consists of the Office of General Counsel, Human Resources and Payroll Office, and the Title IX Compliance Office. She came to Seton Hill in 2015 following related professional experience in the Office of the General Counsel at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Florida. Her legal practice focuses on university policy and governance issues, diversity initiatives, athletics and regulatory compliance, contracts, and employment law. Prior to specializing in higher education law, she was in private practice with regional and national law firms in Florida where she represented employers in complex employment and business-related litigation matters. Ms. Cathey holds a B.A., summa cum laude, from Florida A & M University and a J.D., with honors, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Florida, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Jeff Abramowitz – Trustee
Director of Employee Engagement & Culture
Westmoreland Food Bank
Jeff began working with the Food Bank during the pandemic after retiring full time to be with family. He decided to rejoin the workforce as he realized that food insecurity had become a prominent issue within his community. He decided to join the Westmoreland Food Bank as the Human Resource Director, and due to his vision, he changed the department’s name and is honored to serve as the organization’s first Director of Employee Engagement & Culture. Before joining the Food Bank, Jeff worked as a consultant for 15 years on multiple projects – both domestic and international. In addition to his legal training and work as an attorney, he believes that his experience in working in the for-profit sector provides him with a unique skill set, which allows him to think critically and strategically from a perspective that will help advance diversity in the region.
Sheila Cuellar-Shaffer – Trustee
Visual Artist | Activist
Colombian-American artist Sheila Cuellar-Shaffer graduated with a degree in Architectural Design from the Fundación Academia de Dibujo Profesional and studied Fine Arts at the Instituto Departamental de Bellas Artes in Cali, Colombia. Sheila’s practice represents her interest in identity, diversity, and human rights. Her work has been shown at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Susquehanna Museum of Art, Kniznick Gallery at Brandeis University, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, and The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Sheila has been invited to show her work at the Pennsylvania State Capitol and the United States Department of Energy. In 2018, her design Democracy is Power was chosen by the Amplifier Foundation curatorial team, which includes Shepard Fairey and America Ferrera, to travel around the country with #powertothepolls. In 2020, Sheila was awarded funds from the Heinz Endowments Just Arts program as Lead Artist of the recently completed Billboard Art Project. She serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. Her work has been mentioned in publications including Forbes.com, Bloomberg CityLab and The Boston Globe.
Kristine Demnovich – Trustee
Westmoreland County Juvenile Probation
Kristine is a Supervisor at Westmoreland County Juvenile Probation. She brings 30 years of experience in drug and alcohol treatment, mental health advocacy, and juvenile justice. Her specialty is restorative practices and restorative justice. While serving as Community Liaison at the Juvenile Court, she has collaboratively developed a number of programs and services based on community needs utilizing her skills in the areas of strategic planning, program, policy and process development. She is currently serving on the Westmoreland Criminal Justice Advisory Board as part of the Mental Health and Re-Entry Sub-Committees and works with the Southwest Regional Crisis Intervention Team to bring training to the area. She is a certified CIT member. She served for many years on the Board of Directors of Mental Health America in Westmoreland County, ultimately receiving the Fred Funari Award of Distinction for her dedication working toward mental wellness.
Danny Diveley – Trustee
Vice President & Senior Relationship Manager
Danny Diveley is a long time resident of Westmoreland County. He has worked for First Commonwealth Advisors, the Wealth Management subsidiary of First Commonwealth Bank since 2008. As a Vice President & Senior Relationship Manager he is an integral part of the Wealth Team, he works closely with clients on their financial plans utilizing various types of trust, estate, guardianship, investment & IRA accounts. Danny also collaborates with the client’s attorney, accountant, and other professionals to implement estate and financial planning techniques. Danny also holds the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation offered through the American Bankers Association. In addition to his professional role with First Commonwealth Advisors, Danny also helped implement and co-chairs the Employee Resource Group for the banks LGBTQ+ employees and assists in the coordination of First Commonwealth Banks involvement with various Pride events throughout the year. Danny lives in Greensburg, and attended Clarion University. In addition, he serves as a board member of The West Place Clubhouse, another local nonprofit that provides life and job training skills to individuals with intellectual disorders.
Marty Haykin, MD – Trustee
Neurologist
Excela Health
Marti Haykin, MD, is a neurologist with Excela Health. She has been providing neurologic care in Westmoreland and Somerset counties since 2009. She graduated first in her class with an MD degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 2001. She completed her residency in neurology at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she was the first resident to serve on the hospital’s medical ethics committee. Dr. Haykin also holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Virginia and a master of fine arts degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.
Denise Holmes – Treasurer – Officer
First Energy
V. P. NAACP
Denise is a Supervisor for First Energy Corporation with 40+ years’ experience in various departments. She currently works in the Tort, Litigation, & Claims department addressing customer concerns. Her background also includes experience in Accounting and Human Resources. She is a graduate of Saint Vincent College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Denise is a member and former executive committee member of the Greensburg-Jeannette Branch NAACP and former board member of the YWCA Westmoreland County.
Ciara LaVelle – Trustee
Branch Manager & D.E.I. Officer
Pheple Credit Union
Ciara is the Branch Manager of Pheple Federal Credit Union’s Eastgate Office in Greensburg, PA, and also serves as Pheple’s D.E.I. Officer. Pheple currently serves over 16,000 members with over $107 million in assets. Ciara drives financial inclusiveness and diversity within the credit movement by both advocating for and developing diverse employees while also understanding the needs of diverse members. As a young, African American woman in leadership, Ciara uses her voice to champion the underserved, moving the diversity, equity and inclusion needle from intention to action.
Rev. Debra L. Mason – Trustee
Senior Pastor
Otterbein United Methodist Church
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Debra Mason has worked in large corporations, nonprofits, higher education, and as a business owner. She relocated to Pittsburgh in 1993 with the Xerox Corporation, where she worked as a senior staff member in sales, staffing and development, and client operations. She has also served as the Director of the Office of Racial Diversity and Inclusion for the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh. In 2004 she started her own firm, Victory Management, an organizational management and employee consulting/training business specializing in diversity, leadership, and process improvement. In 2011, Debra began work at Seton Hill University’s Woman Business Center as their Education and Training Manager. In 2015, she became Seton Hill University’s first Diversity & Inclusion Officer. The highlight of Debra’s career, however, was when she was appointed pastor of John Wesley UMC in Washington, PA in 2013 and she served there for 10 years. As of July 1, Pastor Mason has been appointed the Senior Pastor of Otterbein United Methodist Church in Greensburg, PA. Rev. Mason will continue her role in administration, preaching ministry, teaching and providing pastoral care for her congregation as well as th surrounding community. Preaching, teaching and providing pastoral care has created a desire for Debra to be in full-time ministry. Debra was appointed Coordinator of Diversity Development and Inclusion for the Western PA Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2020.
Theresa Matson – Trustee
Vice President, Community Based Services Adelphoi Village
Theresa is a 35-year employee with Adelphoi Village. Theresa oversees Behavioral Health programs, the Foster Care and Adoption Department, along with the in-home, family counseling and community-based services, including the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Aftercare and Multisystem Therapy. She received her undergraduate degree in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Pennsylvania for the last 18 years.
Sean Sullivan – Trustee
General Manager
Live! Casino
In his role as General Manager, Mr. Sullivan provides oversight of the day-to-day management and operations of the first Live! branded gaming facility to open in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A gaming industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience, Mr. Sullivan has held leadership positions with several prestigious gaming companies in a variety of U.S jurisdictions, including Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, California, and Colorado. Before joining Live!, he served as General Manager at Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Red Wing, Minnesota. Prior, he was the Vice President of Special Projects at Pinnacle Entertainment in Las Vegas, Nevada. During his career, he also spent nearly a decade as Vice President and General Manager of Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington, Pennsylvania, located just 25 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.
Albert Thiel – Trustee
Director, Student Activities
University of Pittsburgh/Greensburg
Albert Thiel has worked in universities in Pennsylvania and New York for over a decade. He has worked as a graduate assistant, practicum student as well as assistant director/director for a myriad of departments. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Specialization in Actuary Science from Bowling Green State University as well as a Masters of Arts in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. During his years of experience, Albert filled the position of Director of Student Activities at the University of Pittsburgh/Greensburg where he currently still holds that position. In 2017 he became a member of the Fearless Advocate for Men’s Engagement (FAME) group at the Blackburn Center. Albert is an ordained minister and has performed at multiple weddings. Yours could be next.
Lynn Wackenhuth – Trustee
HOPE in Life Program Manager
Westmoreland County Housing Authority
Lynn has worked for the Westmoreland County Housing Authority since November 2000. She was in the Section 8 Department before being named Supportive Services Director in 2006. She oversees their Service Coordination Program at the Housing Authority and we provide services in 11 senior high rises, as well as after school programming in 5 locations. Their newest endeavor, Grand View Senior Residences will be ready for leasing in Spring 2024 and will be located in North Huntingdon. As part of their application, they wrote a Diversity Plan which was very well received by Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. They look forward to working with many agencies and the Coalition to foster inclusion throughout the community.