University Times

Head men’s basketball coach James P. Dixon II topped the list of Pitt’s five highest-paid, non-officer employees in calendar year 2009. This was Dixon’s fourth year as Pitt’s top wage earner.

According to Pitt’s federally required financial filings released this month, Dixon earned $1,692,852 in total compensation, which is defined as the sum of the following categories: base compensation ($694,453); bonus and incentive compensation, which for coaches includes media programming revenue and contractual performance incentives ($838,500); other reportable compensation ($17,470); retirement and other deferred compensation, such as the University contributions to pension  plans ($129,402), and nontaxable benefits ($13,027).

Rounding out the top five were:

• David R. Wannstedt, former head football coach, who earned $1,434,331 in total compensation. That figure is the sum of $546,587 in base pay; $825,000 in bonus/incentive compensation; $15,217 in other reportable compensation; $35,525 in deferred compensation, and $12,002 in nontaxable benefits. Wannstedt resigned as coach in December 2010.

• Steven C. Pederson, director of Athletics, who got $599,807 in total compensation — $444,160 in base pay; $112,500 in bonus/incentive compensation; $10,227 in other reportable compensation; $19,600 in deferred compensation, and $13,320 in nontaxable benefits.

• Agnus M. Berenato, head women’s basketball coach, who earned $495,004 in total compensation — $396,710 base pay; $45,682 in bonus/incentive compensation; $9,939 in other reportable compensation; $29,404 in deferred compensation, and $13,269 in nontaxable benefits.

• Donald S. Burke, associate vice chancellor for global health and dean of the Graduate School of Public Health, who received $464,017 in total compensation — $422,987 in base pay; $6,135 in bonus/incentive compensation; $600 in other reportable compensation; $22,293 in deferred compensation, and $12,002 in nontaxable benefits.

Compensation figures for those five employees appear on Internal Revenue Service forms filed last week by Pitt. IRS form 990 requires tax-exempt, private corporations to report by May 15 the compensation figures for their five top-earning, non-officer employees, as well as for senior administrators and trustees paid by the institution.

The IRS instructs not-for-profits to report base compensation as identical to what is reported in box 5 (Medicare-eligible wages) on the employee’s tax year 2009 W-2 form.

Thus, while the general financial information on form 990 is based on the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010, under these IRS requirements, the associated compensation figures are reported for calendar year 2009.

According to IRS form 990, Pitt paid a total of 1,518 employees more than $100,000 each in 2009.

Senior administrators

Pitt’s IRS form 990 also includes required financial information on the chancellor and six other senior administrators.

Senior officers did not receive a base pay hike in calendar 2009 under the officer salary freeze put in place by the chancellor and trustees from January 2008 to December 2010. (For officers’ current salary information, see Dec. 9 University Times.)

However, under a deferred retention incentive plan dating to 2002, four of the officers — Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, former Provost James V. Maher, Executive Vice Chancellor Jerome Cochran and Chief Financial Officer Arthur G. Ramicone — receive additional pay for remaining in their positions through June 30 each year. That 2009 compensation and the interest earned on it are reported in the bonus/incentive compensation category for each recipient.

In calendar 2009, Nordenberg earned $691,413 in total compensation — $456,369 in base compensation; $79,500 in bonus/incentive compensation; $24,572 in other reportable compensation; $64,752 in deferred compensation, and $66,220 in nontaxable benefits (which includes an ascribed rent value of the University-owned chancellor’s residence).

Arthur S. Levine, senior vice chancellor for Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine, earned $803,707 in total compensation — $698,679 in base pay; $63,718 in other reportable compensation; $29,400 in deferred compensation, and $11,910 in nontaxable benefits.

Maher, then-senior vice chancellor and provost, earned $440,215 in total compensation — $345,204 in base pay; $53,000 in bonus/incentive compensation; $30,626 in other reportable compensation, and $11,385 in nontaxable benefits.

(Maher stepped down as provost in June 2010 to return to the Pitt faculty, and was named provost emeritus by University trustees.)

Cochran, executive vice chancellor, earned $537,099 in total compensation — $385,036 in base pay; $53,000 in bonus/incentive compensation; $23,557 in other reportable compensation; $63,953 in deferred compensation, and $11,553 in nontaxable benefits.

Ramicone, then-vice chancellor for Budget and Controller, earned $396,339 in total compensation — $261,058 in base pay; $53,000 in bonus/incentive compensation; $23,599 in other reportable compensation; $46,121 in deferred compensation, and $12,561 in nontaxable benefits.

Amy K. Marsh, then-treasurer and chief investment officer, earned $372,460 in total compensation — $314,336 in base pay; $14,413 in other reportable compensation; $30,531 in deferred compensation, and $13,180 in nontaxable benefits.

(In December 2010, trustees changed Ramicone’s title to chief financial officer; Marsh’s title was changed to chief investment officer and treasurer.)

B. Jean Ferketish, secretary to the Board of Trustees and assistant chancellor, earned $234,852 in total compensation — $184,918 in base pay; $9,821 in other reportable compensation; $27,552 in deferred compensation, and $12,561 in nontaxable benefits.

Pitt’s trustees were not listed because they are not compensated for their service on the board.

Family member employees

As of last year’s 990 filings, institutions are required by the IRS to disclose financial information on those employees who are related to senior officers, trustees or highest-paid employees.

Seven such employees received compensation from the University in 2009. They were:

• Andrew Berenato of the Department of Athletics, who earned $21,078. Berenato is a family member of Agnus M. Berenato, who is one the five highest-paid employees.

• Jessica Griffin Burke of the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences in the Graduate School of Public Health, who earned $67,639. Burke is a family member of Donald S. Burke, who is one the five highest-paid employees.

• Joshua Cochran of Public Safety, who earned $55,937;

• Lindsay Cochran, who earned $17,689. Both Cochrans are family members of Executive Vice Chancellor Jerome Cochran. Lindsay Cochran’s Pitt employment ended Aug. 31, 2010.

• Anita P. Courcoulas of the Department of Surgery, who earned $208,178. Courcoulas is a family member of trustee Ira J. Gumberg.

• Erin Nordenberg of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, who earned $48,725;

• Michael Nordenberg, who earned $23,265.

Both Nordenbergs are family members of the chancellor. Michael Nordenberg’s employment at Pitt ended June 25, 2010.

Highest-paid contractors

Pitt also is required by the IRS to file compensation figures for the five highest-paid independent contracting firms that received compensation from the University during fiscal year 2010.

Pitt contracted with the following five highest-paid firms:

• Sodexo, Atlanta, food services — $24,799,817.

• PJ Dick, Pittsburgh, construction services — $22,258,077.

• Mascaro Construction Co., Pittsburgh, construction services — $21,462,626.

• Massaro Corp., Pittsburgh, construction services — $14,838,114.

• Volpatt Construction Corp., Pittsburgh, construction services — $9,555,592.

Pitt paid 786 other unspecified independent contractors more than $100,000 each for services, according to information provided to the IRS.

Pitt’s form 990 is posted on the Office of the Chief Financial Officer web site at www.bc.pitt.edu/documents/Pitt6-30-10_2.pdf.

—Peter Hart