Cynthia L. Roth Appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Planning, Organization Development, and Quality Improvement in Pitt's Office of Institutional Advancement

PITTSBURGH-University of Pittsburgh alumna Cynthia L. Roth- former executive director of Family House, Inc., of Pittsburgh and a former Pitt trustee-has joined the staff of the University's Office of Institutional Advancement (IA) as associate vice chancellor for planning, organization development, and quality improvement, IA Vice Chancellor Albert J. Novak has announced.

In her new role at Pitt, Roth will serve as an internal consultant to the IA management staff in the planning and development of quality improvement initiatives. Roth's appointment comes as Pitt is more than four-fifths of the way toward meeting the goal of its $1 billion Discover a World of Possibilities fundraising campaign, the most successful fundraising campaign in the history of Western Pennsylvania; during the course of the campaign, Pitt has grown from an institution raising $55 million a year to one raising a record-breaking $103 million last year.

"In her professional roles, Cindi has held senior management positions at Family House, Inc., West Penn Allegheny Health System, South Hills Health System, and Sharon Regional Health System, where she has gained expertise in management, business planning, and leading multidisciplinary teams to ensure quality improvement," Novak stated in announcing the appointment. "At Family House, Cindi also was intimately involved in the fundraising process. She is a member of the National Committee on Planned Giving, the Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council, and the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy.

"Cindi's expertise and knowledge will be extremely valuable in helping us strategically manage growth and design and implement effective processes to take our operation to the next level of fundraising so crucial to the University's long-term plans," Novak added.

"I am so honored to have this opportunity to join such a strong management team at my alma mater," said Roth. "After nearly 20 years as a loyal volunteer helping in many capacities to advance higher education and research, it's a thrill to now formally join the 'Pitt Family' and express this passion each day as part of my professional career. The University is a highly respected institution steeped in rich traditions and is a powerful economic driver in this region. Any part I can play in further promoting its mission will bring me great personal satisfaction."

As executive director of the nonprofit Family House from 2002 to 2005, Roth was credited with cultivating new partnerships within the business and corporate community, achieving a rise in fundraising totals of 21 percent in a single year for the nonprofit organization, which provides a "home away from home" for patients and their families who must travel to Pittsburgh for medical care of life-threatening illnesses.

At Monroeville's Forbes Regional Hospital of the West Penn Allegheny Health System, where Roth served as vice president for patient care services from 1999 to 2001, she was recruited to restore infrastructure and efficiency in a newly merged, 347-bed hospital with a division of 500 employees and a budget of $33 million; in the same position at the 390-bed South Hills Health System from 1995 to 1999, she was responsible for a division of 900 employees and a $42 million budget and, among other achievements, was credited with improved outcomes in key clinical services, earning for the system two national Solucient Leadership Institute awards as a "top 100 hospital" in the areas of stroke and of patient care in the intensive care unit.

At the 290-bed, suburban Sharon (Pa.) Regional Health System, where Roth was patient care systems vice president from 1992 to 1995, she created a comprehensive business plan for cancer care, resulting in the development and construction of a 13,000-square-foot cancer center. She worked in various managerial positions at the 568-bed Western Pennsylvania Hospital from 1986 to 1992, including manager of the neuroscience department, budget manager of finance, and director of new program development. She began her career as a critical care nurse in the Intensive/Coronary Care Unit of Allegheny General Hospital (1981-84) and director of nursing at Greensburg Nursing Center (1985-86).

Roth earned the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at Pitt, where she was president of her senior class, in 1981; she received the Master of Public Management degree with highest distinction from Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy in 1987. She is a Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Roth was a Pitt trustee from 2000 to 2004, serving on the Institutional Advancement Committee and co-chairing the three-day, fall 2000 Discovery Weekend that kicked off the Discover a World of Possibilities fundraising campaign. She is chair of the Board of Visitors in Pitt's School of Dental Medicine and a member of the Board of Visitors in Pitt's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She served as president of the University of Pittsburgh National Alumni Association from 1998 to 2000.

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9/19/05/tmw