The Advanced Leadership Initiative and Carnegie Mellon University Launch 2020 Cohort of the Executive Leadership Academy: Cohort Roster Expands to 28 African American Leaders

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After a successful inaugural year, The Advanced Leadership Initiative (TALI) and Carnegie Mellon University have officially launched the 2020 cohort of the Executive Leadership Academy. There are 28 members, which is an expansion from last year. They represent some of the finest talent in Pittsburgh and come from a broad spectrum of industries.

"The vision of The Advanced Leadership Initiative is to build the pipeline of African American executive leadership in our region. This investment in talent will help Pittsburgh become a more diverse, inclusive and prosperous community," says Evan Frazier, Founding Director of The Advanced Leadership Initiative and Senior Vice President of Community Affairs at Highmark Health.  

"Opportunities that are being created through this effort are unprecedented, which is a testament to the quality of the cohort, curriculum, and The Advanced Leadership Initiative. Cohort members have already experienced advancement; and we are expecting no less from the 2020 cohort," says Greg Spencer, Founding Board Co-Chair of The Advanced Leadership Initiative and President and CEO of Randall Industries.

Executive Leadership Academy – 2020 Cohort:

Lincoln Acholonu, Director, Strategic Partnerships and Strategic Insights, Highmark
Shannon Austin, Executive Director, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, PA Dept of Labor and Industry
Carla Biaggi, Store Leader, Giant Eagle
Bobbi Britton Tucker, Employment and Labor Litigation Attorney, Cozen O'Connor
Richard Butler, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager Downtown Pittsburgh, PNC
Charles Carrier, Business Line CFO/ FP&A Leader, BNY Mellon
Dr. Elizabeth Carter, Director, Market Segment Finance, Highmark
Rhonda Curry, Chief Human Resources Officer, Gateway Health
Jeff Davis, Senior Director, Public Relations, UPMC Health Plan
Audric Dodds, Political Programs Manager, EQT 
Leslie Britton Dozier, U.S. Head (Director), Contract Management Operations, Bayer 
Amber Farr, Director, One Northside, The Buhl Foundation
Stephanie Herring, Vice President, Human Resources, Dollar Bank
Nafis Hill, Director of Finance, Physician Compensation, UPMC
Jerome Jackson, Executive Director, Operation Better Block, Inc.
Aaron Lockhart, Head of Industrial Coatings, North America, Covestro
Tracey McCants Lewis, Deputy General Counsel and Director of Human Resources, Pittsburgh Penguins
Chinedu Okorafor, Senior Vice President, Business Information Officer, Retail Bank Technology, PNC
Ayana Ledford, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Executive Director of PROGRESS, Carnegie Mellon University
Krista Smalls, Program Director, Member Services, UPMC
Andréa Stanford, Assistant County Manager, Allegheny County
Bryan Stout, Manager, Class 1 Sales Railroad Products and Services, North American Operations, Koppers
Maisha Sturdivant, Vice President, Strategic Portfolio Management, Highmark
LaToya Warren, Assistant Deputy Director, Allegheny County Department of Human Services
Joe Washington, Senior Vice President, Senior Data Manager, Enterprise Testing Services, PNC
Tishekia Williams, Director, Regulatory Legal Group, Duquesne Light
Lucius Williams, Director Inside Sales, Comcast
Nicole King Yohe, Corporate Secretary, EQT

"African Americans represent only 1% of executive leadership in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, and our goal is to significantly improve that number. That's why we are very excited about the 28 individuals that have been added to the cohort. Along with last year's members, that brings the TALI Cohort Community to over 50 African American executives and mid-level managers," says Robert Young, Managing Director of The Advanced Leadership Initiative.

The Advanced Leadership Initiative is made possible through support from: Lead Contributors – The BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA, The Heinz Endowments, The Hillman Foundation; Presenting Sponsors – EQT Foundation, Highmark Health, PNC, and UPMC; Gold Sponsors – BNY Mellon, Gateway Health, Giant Eagle Foundation, Koppers and Covestro; Silver Sponsors- FHL Bank Pittsburgh and PPG; Contributors - The Buhl Foundation, plus a number of other corporate and foundation supporters.  The POISE Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor.

The Executive Leadership Academy is a 7-module Executive Education program offered in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University to prepare African American leaders for advancement.

For more Information, visit www.advancedleadershipinitiative.org/executive-leadership-academy/.

SOURCE The Advanced Leadership Initiative