Pitt Alumni Association Elects New Board Members

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association recently elected eight alumni as members of the association’s Board of Directors. Elected as directors at large are Daniel Armanios, Nitin Madhav, Valerie Njie, Thomas Slone, Joan Snyder, Peter Stopp, Nishan Vartabedian, and Deborah Walker. Armanios and Stone are serving a second consecutive term as directors at large. In addition, Charles Isler has assumed the role of director at large, completing the term of the association’s newly elected vice president, Kathryn Bryson, and Erik Rodenberg was named regional director, completing the term of the newly elected secretary of the association, Gary Brownlee. 

The positions carry a wide range of responsibilities, including serving on Alumni Association committees and as hosts at Alumni Association events. 

Biographical information on the newly elected officers follows. 

Daniel Armanios is a PhD student at Stanford University. He received a BA in political science from Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences and a BS in mechanical engineering from Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering in 2007. Armanios, the most academically honored student in Pitt history, is the only Pitt alumnus to have received Rhodes, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships. 

Nitin Madhav works for the U.S. Agency for International Development as an officer in charge of Tribal Areas of Pakistan Affairs. He earned a BA in political science from Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences in 1990, a master’s degree in public and international affairs from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) in 1992, and a master’s degree in public health from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health in 1994. 

Valerie Njie is executive director and senior vice president of the Bidwell Training Center in Pittsburgh. She serves as vice president of membership for Pitt’s African American Alumni Council. Njie received a BS in education from Pitt’s School of Education in 1971. 

Thomas Slone is cofounder, chair, and CEO of Touchstone Communications in Colleyville, Texas. He serves on Pitt’s College of General Studies (CGS) Board of Visitors. An executive volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Slone established a scholarship to benefit CGS students who volunteer with the organization. Slone earned a BS degree in psychology from CGS in 1988. 

Joan Snyder is a senior manager of Managed Care Segment Marketing at Forest Laboratories in New York City. She received the Pitt Alumni Association Ivan and Mary Novick Award for Young Alumni Leadership in 2009. Snyder earned BS in business administration and marketing from Pitt’s College of Business Administration in 2001. 

Peter Stopp is a manager at Accenture LLP in New York City. A Pitt Career Network volunteer, Stopp was in a dual major program in Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences and College of Business Administration, earning a BA and a BS in business administration and accounting in 2004. 

Nishan Vartabedian, executive vice president, retired from Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company in 2008. He is a Golden Life Member of Pitt’s Alumni Association. Vartabedian earned a BS in industrial engineering from Pitt’s Swanson School in 1967 and an MBA from Pitt’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business in 1969. 

Deborah Walker is student conduct officer and assistant to the dean in Pitt’s Office of Student Affairs. She also serves as project director of Student Affairs’ RISE: Reaching Inside Your Soul for Excellence Program. Walker received a BA from CGS in 2001 and a master’s degree in public policy administration from GSPIA. 

Charles Isler served as a consultant at Cemex Foundation, Inc., in Houston, Texas, before his retirement. He served on Pitt’s Alumni Leadership Council before becoming a member of the board. Isler earned a BA and an MA in education from Pitt’s School of Education in 1961 and 1964, respectively. 

Erik Rodenberg is founder and CEO of DRC Solutions, a retail management consulting firm with offices in Pittsburgh and Florida. Before becoming a member of the Alumni Association’s board, Rodenberg served on Pitt’s Alumni Leadership Council. A veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves, Rodenberg received an MBA from the Katz School in 2008. 

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