Q: When did you graduate from Waynesburg University, and what was your major.
Class of 2014: Department of Communication, Sports Broadcasting.
Q: Where has life taken you since graduating from Waynesburg University?
After graduation, I began working as a district staffer and a communications director for now retired State Rep. Pam Snyder, serving all of Greene County, and parts of Washington and Fayette Counties. During her tenure, we focused on rural broadband expansion, and I helped create the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority. With her retirement, Comcast hired me to be the southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia government affairs representative. After a great year with Comcast, their consultant, McNees GR, asked me to join their team.
Q: What is your current job/title, and what is your current location?
Currently, I am the Pittsburgh Regional Director for McNees Government Relations - a lobbying, advocacy, and consulting firm.
Q: Can you describe your typical day?
My day can take any number of directions. I manage a large client portfolio where I help organizations create public relations strategies and connect with government officials. My currency is my relationships, so managing personal connections to generate positive outcomes is time consuming, but very intentional. Some days are full of planning meetings and Teams calls; others are in the field with clients making introductions and hosting meetings. McNees GR subscribes to a doer-seller model, so not only do I have the workload, but it’s also incumbent upon me to attract and retain my client base.
And sometimes for fun, when I have the time, I still work broadcasts for Greene Sports and WJPA Radio covering high school sports for Greene and Washington Counties. While that might not be my main source of income, it’s a passion of which I’ll never let go.
Q: Can you describe your time as a student at Waynesburg and how it shaped you as a person?
Waynesburg has been so important in my development as a professional. I remember graduating thinking I’ll never see the campus again – only to work in an office right across the street from my former dorm room. Waynesburg is special – a close knit community of students, professors, and staff that care so deeply about the work that they do or want to do. It’s all about the people. The folks I met at Waynesburg led me on a path of relationships that set up my career. From the Communication Department, to the cafeteria workers, to President Lee himself – you really never know when the connections you make will come back into your life and have impact on your journey. I learned so many lessons from the people on campus. I made many mistakes as a student and just as a human, and they treated me with such grace. I have tried to mimic that grace extended me throughout my personal and professional life.
Q: What is your favorite memory as a Waynesburg student?
I spent many nights in Buhl Hall preparing for a broadcast, writing for the newspaper, or hosting a radio show. I hold many of the late nights on the 4th Floor close to my heart. All of that work led to great productions, but it was always teamwork that I cherished. We all had a piece of the puzzle to make a broadcast come together. Some of the best experiences were our road trips with the WUSN production crew to cover away games and events.
Q: Who was your favorite professor at Waynesburg, and why?
It’s hard to pick just one. The entire Department of Communication taught me something different, about broadcasting, journalism, public relations, and how to be an adult in this ever-growing complex world. Richard Krause, Lanny Frattare, Bill Molzon, and Brandon Szuminsky were tremendously influential along my journey both in school and after graduation.
Q: Why is staying connected with your alma mater important to you?
I owe much of my professional success to the people and time at Waynesburg. They helped to shape me into the professional I am, but the lessons learned along the way have made me a better father, husband, and human. This institution is special. The least I can do is stay involved so that I can help Waynesburg guide another generation along their own path.
Q: What does your role as an Alumni Council member entail, and what motivates you to give back to the University in this way?
Dave Floyd and Stacey Brodak do a tremendous job of managing the Alumni Council to ask for feedback from our group and inform us on the direction of the University. My favorite part is being part of events on campus to see the vibrant student life during the first week of classes, or catching up and celebrating alumni during Homecoming. I find myself as a constant ambassador for the University at every turn.
Q: What advice do you have for current students? For recent graduates?
Stay engaged. Waynesburg has a wide range of alumni. You just never know when you may run into someone that has a connection with the University – and what relationship that can shape both professionally and personally. We must never forget where we come from. The humble roots of this small University in Greene County have produced incredibly successful professionals that have gone on to do great things. Now it’s your turn.
