Connecting Champions has officially entered a new era, and the organization has a revamped and energized Board of Directors to achieve great success.
“What possibilities aren’t there for Connecting Champions with this new group?,” said Sidney Kushner, Founder and Executive Director of Connecting Champions. “It’s exciting; it’s really exciting.”
The revitalized Board features five new members from many walks of life, increasing the total number of members to nine, an all-time high for the organization. Featuring a pediatric oncologist, higher education professional, and leaders of successful companies, the new Connecting Champions Board is poised to take the nonprofit to new heights.
“We want to diversify the ways that we envision our future in terms of who we serve, what Connecting Champions is, and how we best reach and serve those families and those participants,” Sidney said. “I’m just really proud that we’re now integrating our founding Board with this new class of Board members.”
Brett Fulesday, the Senior Manager, Valuation Services at CFGI and new Board Chair, is upbeat in officially joining the Board of Directors. “Equal parts ecstatic and thankful,” said Brett. “I first became aware of Sidney and the work of Connecting Champions in March 2018 through my time volunteering, and service as a Partner, with Social Venture Partners (SVP) Pittsburgh. From the start, I was in awe of what the organization aimed to accomplish and has accomplished in serving kids and AYAs. At the same time, I am thankful and grateful that the current members of the Board (and Sidney) saw fit to invite me to formally accompany them on their quest.”
Just last month, all nine Board members as well as Connecting Champions’s leadership team got together for the first time during their in-person orientation. “It was fantastic to finally connect with everyone in person,” said Senior Operations Manager Arias Flory. “The retreat was buzzing with positive energy, and it was really inspiring to see the board members connecting and brainstorming. It was a great opportunity to build relationships and lay the groundwork for a successful year.”
With new leadership intact and the continuous growth of Connecting Champions, the possibilities are endless. ““One of the things we’ve been talking about in our current strategic plan is how we can set Connecting Champions up for the future so that it is so far beyond any one person or any group of people,” said Sidney. “That means you, it means me, it means Coy, it means our whole staff, and it means our founding Board. What I’m really excited about that is that we have this really strong Board who aren’t just leaning on our staff and our vision, but want to embrace the vision of the organization as their own, and be a primary piece of the governance of the organization, but also the definition of Connecting Champions today and long into the future.”
FULL 2025 BOARD:
Brett Fulesday, Board Chair – Senior Manager, Valuation Services at CFGI
Dr. Tracey Reed Armant – Program Officer at The Grable Foundation
Mark Broadhurst – Vice President of Corporate Dining & Retail Development at Eat’n Park Hospitality Group
Dr. Jane Kogan – Assoc. Chief Research and Translation Officer at UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care
Terrence McAllister – Financial Advisor at MassMutual of Pittsburgh
Jenna Tracy – Institutional Equity Manager at University of Pittsburgh
Matt Newton – CEO at Everest Infrastructure Partners
Dr. Patrick Tomboc – Division Chief of Pediatric Blood and Cancer Center at WVUM Women & Children’s Hospital
Jeff Barton – Co-founder, President at Oyster Creative Collective
