Leadership

Robert Agbede
President & CEO, Chester Group Inc. 
Board Chair

Petra Mitchell
President & CEO, Catalyst Connection
Vice Chair

Jake Wheatley
Chief of Staff, Office of Mayor Ed Gainey

Bhavini Patel
Community Outreach Manager, Office of Cyhief Executive Rich Fitzgerald

Brent Rondon
Senior Consultant for International Trade, University of Pittsburgh

Kathy Risko
Executive Director, Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh

Mark Nordenberg
Chair, Institute of Politics, Chancellor Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh

Jennifer Wilhelm
Director of Commercial Lending, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Richard Hudic
Executive Director, Allegheny Regional Asset District

Lalit Chordia
CEO & Founder, Thar Process

Ronald Brand
Academic Director, University of Pittsburgh School of Law

Bill Generett
Vice President for Community Engagement, Duquesne University

Brian Kennedy
Senior Vice President, Operations and Government Affairs, Pittsburgh Technology Council

Donald Carter
Senior Research Fellow, Remaking Cities Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

Vince Gastgeb
Vice President, Government, Corporate & Community Affairs, Allegheny County Airport Authority

William Benter
President, Benter Foundation

Charles Bogosta
Executive Vice President, UPMC, President, UPMC International, President, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Charles Stout
Former Vice-Chair, Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh

James Wolf
Chair, Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh

Kathy Risko is a nonprofit executive with over 20 years of experience leading organizations to achieve their mission and goals. As the inaugural Executive Director of Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh, she will lead this important organization whose mission is to connect Pittsburgh with international partner cities to develop mutually beneficial relationships in the areas of commerce, education, culture, and policy, and will work together to address and solve global challenges facing the cities of tomorrow. Prior to joining Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh Kathy was a successful nonprofit consultant working with a variety of organizations including the City of Pittsburgh, EcoDistricts, and others assisting clients with strategic planning, community, and economic development initiatives, policy development and analysis, grant writing and community outreach. Kathy also served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Congress of Neighboring Communities (CONNECT) where she was responsible for building the organization from an idea to a successful multi-municipal collaborative organization that addresses policy issues facing local governments in Allegheny County.

Kathy holds a Master of Public Policy and Management from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh where she also serves as an Adjunct Professor.

Kathy and her husband, Michael Horvath enjoy traveling to new and unique places across the globe. A few of the many counties that they have visited include India, Japan, Spain, England, France, Italy, Honduras, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, South Africa and the Caribbean.