By JOY HART

The University of Pittsburgh Staff Council is pleased to announce the newly elected Officers for the 2025–27 term:

President: Lindsay Rodzwicz, director of special projects and strategic initiatives, Swanson School of Engineering, Department of Bioengineering

Executive Vice President: Christine Jackson, associate dean of business and finance, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Vice President for Public Relations: Sarah McMullen, director, project management office, University Communications & Marketing

Vice President for Finance: Suzanne Lynch, business administration manager, University Center for Teaching and Learning

Vice President for Membership: Marcie Johnson-Spratt, director of special projects, School of Public Health

Parliamentarian: Caitlin McCullough, web content manager, School of Public Health

We congratulate these incoming leaders and thank them for their dedication to advancing Staff Council’s mission and supporting the University’s staff community.

A legacy of staff advocacy

Established in 1970, Staff Council serves as a forum for staff members and helps amplify staff voices and foster engagement across the University community. Over the past five decades, Staff Council has helped shape University policy on salary, medical benefits, parking, and vacation, while fostering a strong sense of staff community and engagement.

One notable example of Staff Council’s longstanding impact came in 1994, when staff advocacy through the council helped ensure that Winter Recess remained in place, preserving this valued time off between Christmas and New Year’s Day for the University’s staff community.

In more recent years, Staff Council has continued to contribute to critical staff-focused initiatives:

• In 2023, the University established the Employee Emergency Fund, which provides critical financial assistance to employees facing unexpected hardships — a long-standing priority championed by the Staff Council.

• In 2022, the University implemented a permanent Volunteer Policy, giving staff members dedicated time to participate in community service activities — a result of collaborative efforts between Staff Council and University leadership.

Staff Council also fosters staff connections through professional development programs, staff recognition, and social events, such as the council’s tradition of hosting annual picnics at Kennywood Park.

Recognizing the Elections Committee

The 2025 Elections Committee provided thoughtful leadership and dedicated effort to ensure a smooth and successful election process. Special thanks to Kathryn Ferguson (chair), committee members Tricia Connell, Joy Hart, Debbie Whitfield and Jess Townsend, and to Staff Council manager, Bob Slepsky, whose behind-the-scenes administrative work was instrumental in supporting the committee’s efforts and bringing the process to a successful close.

Looking ahead

As we welcome the new officers, we celebrate Staff Council’s ongoing advocacy, collaboration and community-building legacy. Congratulations again to the 2025–27 officers — here’s to a strong start and a successful term ahead!

Joy Hart is Staff Council’s outgoing vice president of public relations, and manager, strategic initiatives, University Center for Teaching and Learning.