— AmeriServ Financial has announced a pair of staff additions.

Kevin Reighard of Salix has joined the organization as a mortgage loan originator. His office is located in the Carrolltown AmeriServ bank on South Main Street.

Reighard has 12 years of experience in the mortgage lending industry including owning his own mortgage company. In his new position with AmeriServ, he is responsible for the northern region of Cambria County. He will help consumers find the mortgage product to best fit their individual circumstance.

Reighard is an active board member at the Pleasant Hill Church of the Brethren, located on Benshoff Hill Road in Johnstown.

Adia Dobbins of Johnstown has joined the bank as a market sales officer.

She previously was employed as a branch administrator and customer service associate for Somerset Trust Co.

Dobbins will be responsible for business development for downtown Johnstown, as well as the 8th Ward, Westmont and West End sections of town. Her office is located at the bank’s headquarters at 216 Franklin St.

Dobbins earned a bachelor’s degree in music education and jazz voice from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. She also earned a master’s of business administration degree in marketing from the University of Cincinnati.

From 2003-05, Dobbins played the role of Nala in the West Coast Tour of Disney’s “The Lion King.” After returning to Johnstown, she became an integral founder of the Young Professionals of the Alleghenies.

She is a board member and treasurer for Natural Biodiversity, a Moxham-based, emerging nonprofit dedicated to healing and supporting the biodiversity of the Allegheny mountains region. She is also a board member for the Greater Johnstown YMCA. In addition, she has been on a volunteer committee for the annual Richland Community Days fundraiser for the past three years.

She is also a graduate of the 2009-10 John B. Gunter Leadership Program, during which her group project focused on small business development within the city of Johnstown.

UPJ professor presents manuscript at conference

A Pitt-Johnstown associate professor presented a manuscript at Atlantic Marketing Association’s annual conference in Charleston, S.C.

Professor John McGrath’s manuscript was titled “Using Market Research and Positioning Techniques to Create IMC Campaigns for Private, Charter, or Public Magnet Schools.”

The manuscript was accepted after blind peer-review process. It provides a “how to” guide for elementary schools to adopt effective marketing techniques. It is based on research and integrated marketing efforts that were implemented at Our Mother of Sorrows elementary school.

Business publication lauds Johnstown native

Johnstown native Jodie Dello Stritto, vice president of consulting services at Affinity Connection, a State College-based company, was chosen by the Pennsylvania Business Central publication as one of the women “making a difference” in the business world.

She has been a leader at Affinity Connection since the time she joined the company in 2002.

She manages a range of areas including content services and strategic consulting and product development along with marketing communications for HappyValley.com.

“Jodie Dello Stritto has been an amazing help to Bishop Carroll Catholic High School,” said Roy Holtz, board chairman of Bishop Carroll Catholic High School. “The company she works for (Affinity Connection) was hired to assist us with our marketing efforts but through Jodie’s guidance, she and her associates have been much more than that. Jodie makes a total commitment to her clients and has been there for us, morning, noon and night. Her attention to detail is unmatched and her insight and focus on new ideas is very fresh. I can’t say enough about how she has helped our school.”

Affinity Connection provides nonprofit and member-based organizations with affordable and efficient database management, marketing consulting, communication tools, gift processing and process-control to help generate a higher level of member engagement and create a culture of giving for long-term success.

1st Summit Bank promotes Parkhill staffer

Julie A. Mikolich has been promoted to personal banking officer at 1st Summit Bank.

Mikolich is responsible for the daily operations and overall customer relationships at the bank’s Parkhill office.

She joined the bank in 1999 and is a recent graduate of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association School of Banking at Penn State.

Former local woman named CEO in Georgia

Cynthia McLaughlin has been appointed chief executive officer of Avita Community Partners in Flowery Branch, Ga.

With 30 years of experience in behavioral health and developmental disabilities, McLaughlin most recently served as the chief executive officer for Behavioral Health of Cambria County. Prior to that, she was the county’s human services director and Mental Health/Mental Retardation administrator.

She also served as director of services in three counties for Northwestern Human Services of Pennsylvania. She began her career at the Cambria County Association for the Blind and Handicapped.

McLaughlin is a graduate of IUP, where she received a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and a master’s in business administration.

She is the daughter of Delbert and Eileen Wentz of Richland Township.

St. Francis professor earns leadership award

Rose Clark, chemistry professor at St. Francis University, recently received the Pittsburgh Regional Undergraduate Leadership Award.

The award is presented to faculty from the Pittsburgh regional institutions who have demonstrated a sustained excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.

Clark is described as an enthusiastic mentor for students who involves her undergraduate students in her research at the university.

She also has been active in improving science education for grades K-12 and is involved in university programs such as R.O.C.K. (Rural Outreach Chemistry for Kids) and R.O.L.L. (Rural Outreach Learning Labs).

 “In my opinion, undergraduate research is vital for the education of our science majors, and Rose is doing a great service to these prospective scientists by offering challenging topics to interested students,” said Balazs Hargittai, associate professor of chemistry and associate dean of sciences at St. Francis. “Thanks to Rose’s guidance, her students have been able to present numerous posters at various local and national conferences and publish in a prestigious journal.”



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