University Times

Staff Association Council (SAC) April 9 announced the candidates for the four officer positions. 

Candidates for president are incumbent Barbara Mowery and steering committee chair Rich Colwell, who also is immediate past president.

For vice president for steering, candidates are Tammeka Banks, who is currently SAC treasurer, and Carol Neuner, a former vice president for steering and current chair of the salary and job classification committee.

Running for vice president of communications are incumbent Angie Peskie and Linda Marts, co-chair of the salary and job classification committee.

Carol Hodgkiss, chair of SAC’s benefits committee, and Gwen Watkins, chair of programming and planning, are running for treasurer.

Ballots, along with personal statements from the candidates, will be distributed to SAC members over the next few weeks. Officers begin their two-year terms at the June meeting.

Elections committee chair Elizabeth Homonai reported that all nominated new members have accepted nominations and currently are being reviewed by Human Resources, ordinarily a formality. New members will be announced at the May 14 meeting.

In other SAC developments:

• Safety and security committee chair Ann Ostroski reported on her committee’s preliminary work toward developing a 3-5-year plan to address pedestrian safety concerns on the Pittsburgh campus. To help coordinate efforts, Ostroski said her committee met with Jay Roling, Office of Community and Governmental Relations, who is Pitt’s liaison to the city’s Department of Public Safety. “We’ve also been taking digital pictures of the unsafe pedestrian areas around campus and are contacting other universities to find out their safety procedures,” Ostroski said. She added that her committee expects to contact the parallel committee of the Student Government Board for input.

“Pedestrian safety is a complicated issue, because some streets [are maintained] by the city, some by the county and some by PennDOT,” Ostroski said. “We’re going to try to prioritize areas of immediate concern and get these areas addressed over the summer.”

• Mowery reported that SAC officers had met with Pitt trustees chair William S. Dietrich II to discuss staff concerns. She said the meeting was productive in conveying information about the role of SAC, including its participation on University Senate committees.

• The annual Council of Campuses, a meeting of staff representatives from Pitt’s five campuses, is scheduled for May 6 at the Greensburg campus.

• Program and planning chair Gwen Watkins reported on Pitt Kennywood Day, set for Aug. 3. Tickets will be $20, which includes a meal.

—Peter Hart