OUR TEAM
Our Team
Jenn Beer
LDI XVII, YALP IV
Jenn Beer
LDI XVII, YALP IV
President & CEO
Jenn Beer joined Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. (LPInc.) as President & CEO on June 13, 2022.
Prior to that she served the region for fifteen years at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development where she most recently was vice president for government affairs. In that capacity, she supported the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce by directing state and regional public policy issues that aligned with the strategic priorities of the organization. She was instrumental in the efforts to secure state public pension reform, increase tax credits for community development initiatives, garner comprehensive state transportation funding, and numerous other business climate and local government initiatives. Jenn has been a re-occurring guest representing the business community on “Our Region’s Business”, a weekly Sunday-morning business affairs program co-produced by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and WPXI-TV.
Before joining the Conference, Jenn spent four years in Washington, D.C. as government affairs manager with the Society of Interventional Radiology, and previous to that she was a legislative assistant for Pennsylvania State Representative Dan Frankel.
Jenn graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a concentration in Russian Studies. She also has a Graduate Certificate in Political Management from The George Washington University. Also a proud graduate of LPInc.’s Leadership Development Initiative (Class XVII), the program was a catalyst for Jenn’s career and solidified her passion for working to make the Pittsburgh region a better place.
Recently appointed to the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics’ Board of Fellows, Jenn is also a Commissioner on the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the Pittsburgh region’s metropolitan planning organization. In addition, Jenn also sits on the board of directors for the Latino Community Center, the Local Government Academy, and is Vice Chair of Trying Together. She also mentors women in the region through PA Women Work’s “Three Cups of Coffee” program.
Jenn was named to Pittsburgh Business Times’ Power 100 list in 2022. She was also honored in 2022 as one of forty women across Pennsylvania by City & State PA with their Above & Beyond Award, given to women in Pennsylvania that have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their field, combined with having made significant contributions to society.
Jenn lives with her husband and two kids in Mt. Lebanon.
Krissy DeShetler
LDI XXIV
Krissy DeShetler
LDI XXIV
Senior Manager, Programs & Strategic Initiatives
Krissy DeShetler joined the LPInc. team in November, 2018 and currently serves as Senior Manager of Programs and Strategic Initiatives.
In her role, Krissy manages all activities related to the Community Leadership Course for Veterans™ (CLCV), LPInc.’s program that is aimed at leveraging the skills and knowledge of high potential post 9/11 veteran leaders in service of the betterment of the broader Pittsburgh region. She manages recruitment, executes the design, planning and implementation of the program and oversees partnership development and cultivation, event planning, management and evaluation of CLCV. In addition to her CLCV duties, Krissy also leads several other LPInc. initiatives, including Board Matching and the Annual Champagne Luncheon. Krissy is also working closely with the President and CEO on research and planning of future strategic initiatives.
Krissy brings more than fifteen years of experience in nonprofit administration and management. Prior to joining Leadership Pittsburgh Inc., Krissy spent nine years at Family House where she held a few different positions. As Shared Services Manager she oversaw IT for five locations and approximately 50 staff members; processed deposits and payroll; supervised the processing of accounts payable and donations; created organizational reports and managed several other technology and operations related projects. Prior to moving into the Shared Services Manager position, her primary focus was in development where she streamlined data entry and reporting in The Raiser’s Edge database, oversaw the organization’s website and managed direct mail and newsletter campaigns. Krissy has served as a Raiser’s Edge consultant for the Jewish Association on Aging and a few other organizations.
Before moving back to Pittsburgh in 2009, Krissy spent six years working at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland where she held various positions including Development Events Coordinator, Assistant Director of Development and Business Manager. Krissy holds a BFA in Theatre Design and Technology from Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. Prior to her career transitioning more towards nonprofit administration and management, Krissy had worked in a variety of local and regional theatres in positions ranging from stage manager and production manager to wardrobe crew and light/sound board operator.
Krissy is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh Inc.’s Leadership Development Initiative program. As a member of LDI XXIV Krissy helped with the planning and installation of the Inside Out photo project as part of LDI XXIV’s PopUp! Pittsburgh event.
Krissy is a founding board member and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Mon River Arts in Elizabeth, PA. Krissy also served as a volunteer and board member for Partnership for Animal Welfare (PAW) in Greenbelt, MD.
Krissy grew up in South Park and currently resides in Jefferson Hills with her husband, George, and their nine-year-old son.
Jasmine Morris
Jasmine Morris
Business & Operations Manager
Jasmine Morris serves as Business and Operations Manager to LPInc., managing many key operations of the organization.
Additionally, Jasmine provides support to the board of directors as well as the marketing and recruitment efforts for Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. and its programs. Previous to her current role, Jasmine served as Program Manager for Community Leadership Course for Veterans™ (CLCV). Prior to her role as Program Manager, Jasmine served as Programs Associate supporting the Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. (LP) program and other strategic initiatives, as well as worked closely with “Executive Welcome”, a key program presented in partnership with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Jasmine joined the team in 2013 as Office Coordinator.
Before joining the Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. team, Jasmine served as Administrative Coordinator at Hilltop Community Childcare Center in the Knoxville neighborhood where she grew up. Jasmine managed the front office, as well as assisted in classrooms of various age groups. She obtained a number of Early Childhood Education related certifications and worked vigorously to ensure that the facility met all requirements for top accreditations. Jasmine served as a liaison for childcare funding and food program sources and was responsible for enrolling all children and families into the center and affiliated programs.
Jasmine holds a B.A. in Professional Communication and Business Marketing from Chatham University. A Pittsburgh native, Jasmine attended Schenley High School and was among the first class of high school graduates to receive a Pittsburgh Promise scholarship award. Jasmine has remained involved with the Pittsburgh Promise as a founding member of the Promise Legacy Alumni Association.
Shawna Gugliuzza
Shawna Gugliuzza
Program Manager
Shawna Gugliuzza joined the LPInc. team in July of 2013 and currently serves as Program Manager.
As Program Manager, Shawna is responsible for the coordination and day-to-day management of LPInc.’s flagship program, Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. (LP). Additionally, she maintains LPInc.’s database and provides editing support for the organization’s communication materials.
Prior to her current role, Shawna served as Assistant Program Manager, supporting the LP program and several other LPInc. strategic initiatives, including The Leader’s Brain. Shawna has also provided support for Leadership Development Initiative (LDI), LPInc.’s program for high-potential, emerging leaders, and has previously maintained responsibility for many key operations of the organization, including providing financial administrative support for the tuition-based programs.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Shawna graduated from Carrick High School and is a proud Pittsburgh Promise Alumna. After graduating from Carrick, Shawna attended Slippery Rock University for two years before transferring to Penn State University, Greater Allegheny where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. While attending Penn State, Shawna tutored students at a local intermediate school, middle school and high school through Penn State’s Educational Partnership Program and was also involved with Penn State’s Psychology Club. Throughout college, Shawna also worked part-time as a server for Brookdale Senior Living at The Devonshire of Mt. Lebanon. During the summer of 2012, Shawna had the opportunity to study abroad in London, England where she interned with the area’s leading provider of voluntary sector mental health services, City and Hackney Mind and I.R.I.E. Mind. Before joining the LPInc. Team, Shawna interned with The Pittsburgh Promise and continues to support their mission as a founding member and former events chair of Promise Legacy, The Pittsburgh Promise’s Alumni Association.
Shawna is a devoted fan of all things Pittsburgh, especially sports, and has a passion for traveling, animals, and dance. She has been dancing for most of her life and is actively involved with Co. Motion independent competitive dance team as a Head Instructor.
In her free time, Shawna enjoys reading, camping and spending time with her family, friends, and fur-babies.
Sarah Jugovic
Sarah Jugovic
Program Manager
Sarah manages all activities related to the Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) program.
LDI is a program designed for investing in the future leader, using data-driven training models and access to experts who share their experiences as our community grooms the talented professionals who will lead this region in the coming years. She executes program design, planning and implementation of the program in addition to partnership development and cultivation, event planning, management and evaluation. In addition to her LDI duties, Sarah also develops communication materials and maintains theLeadership Pittsburgh Inc.’s social media channels.
Previous to her Program Manager role, Sarah served as the Outreach and Programs Coordinator. In that role, she provided support for both the LDI and Community Leadership Course for Veterans (CLCV) programs. Sarah also coordinated event logistics to engage LPInc. alumni through outreach such as the Annual Champagne Lunch and Alumni Connection Event. She has been a part of the LPInc. team since January 2021.
Sarah’s experience in the Pittsburgh nonprofit community started in 2014 when she assisted Bike Pittsburgh in their efforts to host the first ever Women and Biking Forum, now known as the Women & Non-Binary Bike Summit. Following, she spent over 5 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in various roles after originally starting with the team as an intern in the Community Relations department. She primarily worked with Pirates Charities, the philanthropic arm of the MLB team, to execute fundraising activities, grant distributions, and programming that improved the lives of children and adults in thegreater Pittsburgh region. Sarah also spent time with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership as their Member Relations Manager. She was responsible for planning and implementing programs and projects that engaged members, cultivated new members, and enhanced volunteer participation.
Sarah holds a B.A. in both Communications and Media Arts with a minor in Public Relations from Chatham University. She is a proud Girl Scout Gold Awardee and Chatham Alumna – having previously served as the first Young Alumni Trustee on the Chatham University Board of Trustees. When Sarah isn’t touring the city by bike, you might find her kayaking the Three Rivers.
Laura Ruschak
Laura Ruschak
Alumni Engagement & Outreach Manager
Laura joined the Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. team in June 2023. As the Alumni Engagement and Outreach Manager for LPInc., Laura shapes the Alumni experience for a coalition of 3,500 Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. graduates across diverse industries, regions, and demographics, as well as spearheads external communications for Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. through digital storytelling.
Prior to her role at LPInc, Laura served as Director of The Women’s Leadership and Mentorship Program at Robert Morris University. As Director, Laura empowered students to thrive in spaces of leadership and to simultaneously lift while they climb. To do this, she connected students, mentors, and professionals with tools to succeed in their civic and professional lives, as well as simultaneously empowered students to identify and dismantle systemic barriers to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Laura’s work has included nonprofit leadership as well as strategic communications projects for Fortune 100 and 500 companies, startups, and NGOs. Laura is proud to have worked as Associate Director for Ripple Effect Images, a creative collective of National Geographic Photojournalists documenting the global power of women. As Associate Director, Laura managed a portfolio of twenty-six partner organizations in sixteen countries, leading documentary storytelling projects in Myanmar, Cambodia, Guatemala, and India that highlighted the urgency of investing in women leaders internationally. She fiercely believes in the power of storytelling to grow solidarity amongst leaders and historically marginalized communities.
In 2019, Laura thru-hiked all 2,192 miles of the Appalachian Trail, becoming one of only 20,000 people to do so in the world. She hopes to inspire leaders to follow their passion down their own unique path. In 2023, she earned her Master’s in Organizational Leadership with a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Robert Morris University, and enjoys continuing her education through professional development groups and learning opportunities in the Pittsburgh region.
Emily Roush
Emily Roush
Program & Outreach Assistant
Emily Roush joined Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. as Program & Outreach Assistant in November 2023.
In this role, Emily supports programming and planning efforts for the Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) program. In addition to supporting LDI, she assists in alumni outreach efforts and develops communications collateral for the organization.
Before becoming a part of the LPInc. Team, Emily Roush was previously an Administrative Coordinator at James Gallery for 2 and a half years. James Gallery is a leader in the fine art and framing industry in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Emily assisted the Director of the Gallery to coordinate with artists, plan exhibitions, and manage inventory entry. Emily also worked alongside the project managers to assist with art placement projects from start to finish in various sectors. She assisted with Corporate, Healthcare, Sports Venues, Residential, and Senior Living projects. In addition to providing project support, she lead media initiatives with implementing and scheduling social media posts and newsletters, as well as updating the website.
In addition to her time at James Gallery, Emily was awarded as Contemporary Craft’s Cheteyan Scholar in 2020. Emily worked in collaboration with the Director of Exhibitions to aid in the planning and preparation for two exhibitions. The program gave insight into an arts-based nonprofit at a nationally and internally renowned arts organization based in Lawrenceville.
Emily graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Gettysburg College in May 2021. She pursued a double major in Art History and Organizations and Management Studies. During her time there, she was involved with the Management Department as a Peer Learning Assistant, the Schmucker Gallery as a Gallery Attendant, and with Residential Life as a Resident Assistant and a Resident Coordinator.
Emily was born & raised in Pittsburgh, but lived in San Jose, CA for a few years. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, visiting museums, getting outside, and spending time with friends and family.