University Times

Staff Association Council (SAC) elected new officers yesterday.

Rich Colwell, who was serving as vice president for steering, was elected president. The new vice president for steering is Carol Neuner, co-chair of the salary and job classification committee, and the new treasurer is Carol Hodgkiss, chair of the benefits committee.

Elections committee chair Elizabeth Homonai reported that there was a tie in the voting for vice president of communications between Linda Marts, co-chair of the salary and job classification committee, and incumbent Angie Peskie.

Prior to a re-vote at yesterday’s meeting, Peskie withdrew from the race citing “professional and personal obligations that keep me from giving 100 percent” effort to the position.

Officers serve two-year terms.

The SAC presidency is nothing new for Colwell, who served three 1-year terms as president prior to Mowery’s election in 2001. (SAC amended its bylaws to extend officers’ terms to two years in 2001. The bylaws limit SAC members to three consecutive terms in any one officer position.)

Colwell has been on the staff council for 18 years.

In a prepared statement to SAC members prior to the election, Colwell stated, “I am totally committed to being actively involved in all staff concerns and bringing them to the appropriate administrator’s attention….I value open communication at all levels and will continue to collaborate with faculty, staff, SAC members and students on common issues.”

In other SAC developments:

• Members yesterday endorsed, with four abstentions, an open letter to Mayor Tom Murphy on proposed tax increases. (See letter.)

• SAC is sponsoring the American Heart Walk, a national fund-raiser of the American Heart Association, on Oct. 4.

• Immediate past president Barbara Mowery reported that a committee has been formed to study increasing the number of annual chancellor’s staff awards from five to 10. “We’d like to have one award for community service, and one award for service to the University,” she said.

• Safety and security issues now can be reported on-line at www.pitt.edu/~sac.

—Peter Hart