Meet The
Board Members

Jesús is the founder and president of La Promesa Foundation. He is an audit manager for PNC Bank. In September 2023 Jesús finalized filming for a reality TV Show called Local Love. Jesús was raised in San Juan, PR and a graduate of Penn State University majoring in Accounting with a minor in Business Law, and a concentration in Finance. He had the opportunity to travel with a professional basketball team from Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Jesús also played at Penn State Greater Allegheny before transitioning to University Park.

Laura is a Content Operations Strategist at Indeed. Before joining Indeed, Laura spent six years at Penn State Greater Allegheny. During her time at Penn State, she was the Director of Alumni Relations and Stewardship and previously, served as the Director of Campus Development. Prior to Penn State, Laura was the Director of Alumni Relations and the Annual fund at the Clarion University Foundation, Inc. Laura has an extensive background in board development,  people management, process & strategy, project & event management, and donor & foundation relations. 

Susan Baida joined Carnegie Mellon University as the inaugural executive director of the Collaboratory Against Hate, a joint effort between CMU and University of Pittsburgh. The center aims to “develop and support innovative multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and cross-university research aimed at understanding how extremist hate is generated, how it circulates in online and real-life spaces, and how it polarizes society and provokes harmful and illegal acts, especially toward communities of color and other minoritized groups.”

In her new role, Baida will work with leadership to build multidisciplinary research, foster growth and manage daily operations. Before joining CMU, Baida worked as the director of the Center for Engagement and Inclusion at UPMC. She currently sits on the board of directors for La Promesa Foundation, Pittsburgh Women’s Alliance, and Women’s Center & Shelter of Pittsburgh.

A first-generation Ecuadorian, she graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, GA and the first in her family to graduate from college. She is a mother to 3 children, all of whom enjoy playing basketball. 

Bill Flanagan, an experienced broadcast journalist, has told the story of the transformation of the economy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for more than 40-years, originally for KDKA-TV. He serves as host and producer of “Our Region’s Business,” a weekly business public affairs program now in its 19th year on WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, PA, WPXI.com/ORB, the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel (PCNC), and YouTube.

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The program is produced in partnership with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, where Bill works as Chief Corporate Relations Officer, where Bill works as a special advisor after 21 years as Chief Corporate Relations Officer. The non-profit civic leadership organization has brought together public and private sector partners for more than 75 years to improve the economy and quality of place across the Pittsburgh region.

William is a Wealth Management Consultant for Capital Group Companies, home of the American Funds. He graduated from Monmouth University with a finance degree and has worked for several top-tier asset management firms, including J.P Morgan Asset Management, Wells Fargo and UBS. With over 20 years of experience in the field, William has experience covering a wide range of financial services roles, including working as a financial advisor for individuals and families. He obtained his Chartered Financial Analyst designation, CFA®, in 2019. 

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​When he's not working alongside financial advisors, helping produce better investor outcomes, Willian enjoys traveling, fishing, and spending time with his family. He currently lives in Canonsburg with his wife Christina and two sons, William IV and Gavin.

Tony Gomez is a first-generation college graduate with a bachelor's degree in Spanish from Westminster College, a masters of education in higher education from Penn State University, and he is currently pursuing a doctor of education in higher education administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He currently serves as an associate director of masters admissions at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business and works to provide great access to historically underrepresented populations to graduate business programs. He also volunteers with the Latino Community Center.

A native to the island of Kauai, Hawaii, Intachai brings her supporting family mindset to the Saint Vincent College. Lee Intachai is the Assistant Director of Community Relations and Outreach. Intachai supports the President’s Office and continuously strengthen relationships between Saint Vincent College and the community. Intachai received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University – Hawaii in Laie, Hawaii in 2002. Intachai is a resident of Latrobe. She has two sons: Cody, an incoming freshman at Saint Vincent College, and Kayden. Intachai enjoys music, especially listening to the violin, which her son Kayden plays. She also enjoys Hula dancing and teaching Hula classes on campus, which are open to the public.

During season 28 of CBS’s international survivor reality competition television franchise, Brice Izyah competed as a contestant on “Survivor: Cagayan – Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty.” Survivor is one of the longest-running reality tv shows, airing over 40 seasons. Brice Izyah also hosts his own podcast, named the “Purple Pants Podcast”. He is originally from Philadelphia, PA and works as a social worker.

Heidi holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and a Masters in Information System Management from Marist College, NY. Currently, Heidi is the Software R&D Manager for the Data Science group at HP Inc. developing Data Science & AI solutions for their clients. Heidi has a big passion for innovation and always looks forward to new opportunities.  She currently has over 40 granted patents. During the last few years, Heidi got the IBM Eminence & Excellence Award, a Technology Rising Star Award and a President’s Volunteer Service Award (USA) for her community work.

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Heidi was the runner up (2nd place) contestant of the Emmy nominated reality tv show Survivor Season 44. Heidi now holds the record for the fastest fire making in the history of the show (3 minutes 2 seconds) that has been running for 45 seasons in 23 years. Heidi was a strong female character representing the LatinX community and empowering minorities to pursue STEM careers.

Benito Rivera is the Senior Regional VP and Business Banking Team Leader at Northwest Bank and been for 5 years. Prior to Northwest Bank Benito was a relationship manager at First Niagara/Key Bank and he has been in the Banking Industry for over 20 years. Benito is responsible for leading a team of lenders who are assigned to assist clients in the manufacturing, medical, non-profit and professional industries in the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. He also counsels business individuals and corporate clients with regard to investment opportunities, risk analysis, monetary returns as well as SBA lending for startups, acquisitions construction and equipment purchases. Benito is currently a member of the Diversity Inclusion Council at Northwest Bank focused on the attraction and recruitment subcommittee.

Monica Ruiz-Caraballo is the Executive Director at Casa San José. Mónica has been working with Casa since 2014 when she started as an intern, then moved to service coordinator and then community organizer. Casa San Jose connects, supports, and advocates with and for the Latino community. She was born in Cleveland Ohio and has Latino roots from Guatemala and Puerto Rico, where her mom and her dad are originally from.

William P Pecora is currently the owner and President of Excel Glass and Granite Co, Inc. of Jeannette PA. In 2003, William Pecora acquired Excel Glass, Co., Inc. Mr. Pecora was committed to growing customer satisfaction and expanding the residential and commercial capabilities. Mr. Pecora is on the board of St Anthony’s School and is an avid golfer.

Originally, from the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Mr. William has over 25 years of experience in the fields of finance and accounting.  He commenced his career in the United States at PricewaterhouseCoopers’ South Florida practice, and then spent several years working for Harsco Corporation. While at Harsco, Blair held various accounting and finance roles, ultimately becoming a Division Controller, supporting operations in Africa, Europe, North America and South America. Blair joined The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (“UPMC”) in May 2009, working four years as the Controller of the International and Commercial Services Division and another 5 years as the Corporate Director, Financial Compliance. In October 2018, Blair joined AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, a Walgreens subsidiary, as Vice President, Controller. Blair is currently serving his second term as a Board Member of The Neighborhood Academy. Additionally, Blair served as an Adjunct Accounting Faculty at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.