Chris Cooke, Vice Chair, serves as Director of Campus
Ministry Resources for the CCO, a campus ministry organization in Pittsburgh.
Originally from Southern California, he came out to Pittsburgh eight years ago
to work with Carnegie Mellon University students out of Shadyside Presbyterian
Church. Chris likes playing basketball, reading Wendell Berry, following the
stock market and traveling. He has enjoyed getting to the PULSE program and
participants over the past couple years and is excited to be a part of the
board.
Dianne Miller has a background in
farming, business, medicine, and motherhood.Her daughter was a participant of the PULSE program.She and her husband have been constant
supporters of PULSE since that time.Dianne
enjoys walking, bike riding, movies, and entertaining.
Lucas Miller is an attorney in the General Counsel's office at the law firm of K
& L Gates in Pittsburgh. Lucas came to
Pittsburgh 6 years ago in order to attend law school at the University of
Pittsburgh. Prior to that, Lucas grew up in Goshen,
IN and attended Goshen College. In his spare time, Lucas
enjoys carpentry and is currently renovating a 19th century row house in the
Alpha Terrace Historical District of Pittsburgh with his friend and former
PULSE participant, Justin Rothshank. Through his time in Pittsburgh, Lucas has known many PULSE participants and witnessed the
positive effect that the program has had on their lives and futures. He
is excited to be able to participate in the PULSE mission through Board service
Jessica Obergas, Chair of the Board, is an Associate at Dewey & Kaye, a nonprofit
consulting firm in downtown Pittsburgh. Jessica came to Pittsburgh from
Cleveland for the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs in the fall of 2005.
Jessica is also the cofounder of PGH Party for a Purpose, a venture that
sponsors fun events that benefit small nonprofit organizations in our region.
Jessica loves music and the outdoors and is a proud captain of a Pittsburgh
Sports League dodgeball team. Jessica is passionate about the PULSE mission,
and is proud to be a part of this dynamic organization.
Allison
Sanders is a graduate of Hope
College in Holland, MI. She currently works with Teach For America where
she serves as the Director of Institute Operations for the NYC Institute, a
five week intensive training program in NYC. Allison spent two
years teaching 5th grade in Tolleson, AZ with Teach For America before moving
to Pittsburgh in 2005. She enjoys running and hanging out with her
husband, Jeff and dog, Scout. Allison is looking forward to working with
PULSE board members and participants.
Brent Showalter, secretary, spends much of his time on the
North Shore serving at the Lexus Club at PNC Field and also serving at Heinz
Field for all Steelers home games.He
came to Pittsburgh in 1990 through Mennonite Voluntary Service, volunteering
for a year with the Pittsburgh Hospitality House. During the first two years of
PULSE's existence, he was a boarder in the PULSE house while helping to
informally introduce participants to the city. He is an active member of Pittsburgh
Mennonite Church and enjoys reading, memorizing, sports, and taking his dog
Rika on long walks.
Karen Johnson, PULSE participant representative,
graduated with a degree in anthropology from Ohio Wesleyan University.She has an interest in outdoor education and
has spent this past summer working with a youth service program in Green Bay,
WI.She will be working for the
Storehouse for Teachers, a new program emerging from the Pittsburgh Leadership
Foundation.
