Junior Achievement of Western PA Announces Kathryn Klaber as the New Chair of Its Board of Directors

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (June 15, 2022) – Junior Achievement of Western PA (JA), dedicated to teaching entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and career readiness, today announces Katie Klaber as the new Chair of its Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2022. Klaber was the former CEO of the Marcellus Shale Coalition and is currently the founder and Managing Partner of the Klaber Group. Katie has extensive board experience and also serves on the board of the Pittsburgh Branch of the Cleveland Federal Reserve and on the board of the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce.

Jim Nickel, Managing Director at CIBC and current chair of JA said “We are proud of the work JA has done throughout the pandemic – reaching students in new and innovative ways under the leadership of our President, Patrice Matamoros.  At our annual meeting, we set a course to build on past successes to reach more students in the classrooms, at JA BizTown and through programs in our community.”  

JA also appointed Sean Hoover, Partner and US Metals industry leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, as the Chair of the Governance Committee, Ron Celashi, President/CEO at Clearview Federal Credit Union, as the Chair of the Nominations Committee, Gina Dickson, SVP for Product Management at DDI, as the Vice Chair of the Communications Committee, and Bob Tiskus, Senior Market Executive at M&T Bank, as a Vice Chair of the Board.

The meeting was presided over by outgoing Board Chairman Jim Nickel of CIBC.

“My fellow board members and organizational leadership are energized to continue the unique and impactful work of JA in the coming year,” said Klaber. We are confident that JA’s value will be recognized by even more schools, business leaders, and most importantly, the students who represent the future.”

During a presentation to the Board of Directors and members of the corporation, JA President Patrice Matamoros focused on organizational shifts and the three key priorities of the Together initiative - new educational pathways, workforce readiness and achieving diverse and inclusive communities.

Student Tanya Gupta from North Allegheny School District provided her testament during the meeting, describing the impact of the slate of dynamic innovative programs. As a participant of the JA inaugural female empowerment program She Leads, She Learns, Gupta noted that the program gave her the confidence to network with people of influence and power.

“I reached out to Ms. Matamoros and told her that I am interested in computer science,” Gupta said. “She recommended me to the CGI Pittsburgh 2022 IT Girl Challenge. I don't know if I would have had an opportunity to participate otherwise."

Tanya Gupta and her classmate Sreeja were announced as the winners of the Challenge on May 24^th, receiving a $20,000 scholarship for their Safely Done app, which focuses on the safety of young college students.

Additionally, JA announced three new members to the JA Board of Directors including Katharine Perry,  CooksonPeirce; Clay Saftner, Simpson & McCrady LLC; and David Paulson, FHLBank Pittsburgh.

The meeting concluded by honoring the following individuals for their contributions to the mission of JA and for strengthening the communities that JA serves.

• Educator of the Year: Mark Grgurich, Principal for Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy
• Volunteer of the Year: Scott Harper, Director of Relationship Development for Clearview Federal Credit Union

About Junior Achievement of Western PA   

Board members who will continue serving in their leadership role on the Board of Directors will be Jim Nickel, immediate past chair, Mel Washington who is the previous past chair, Ray Bummer, Managing Director of Gleason as the Finance Chair and Treasurer, Rebekah Kcehowski, Partner at Jones Day as the Secretary, Jim Droney, Business Development and Membership Consultant at University of Pittsburgh’s Institute For Entrepreneurial Excellence as the Vice Chair of Development/Advocacy, and Caroline Johns who is the Superintendent of Northgate School District as the Education Chair.

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices.

JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship.

During the 2021-22 school year, JA impacted over 33,000 students across 56 counties in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. To learn more about Junior Achievement of Western PA visit westernpa.ja.org for more information.