North Allegheny Foundation to honor alumni at awards dinner

The North Allegheny Foundation will honor 10 North Allegheny graduates by bestowing 2023 Distinguished Alumni awards for outstanding achievement.

The awards will be presented during a Jan. 26 gala at The Chadwick on Perry Highway in McCandless sponsored by the foundation, a broad-based community group founded in 1989, said Bill Mascari, foundation secretary and staff liaison.

“Since 2018, the NA Foundation has hosted the Distinguished Alumni Gala, an opportunity to celebrate alumni who have made significant contributions to our community and beyond,” said Mascari, a teacher at Marshall Middle School.

Awards will be given in the following categories: arts, business, community service, education, government, law, medicine, science, young alumni and the Spirit of North Allegheny.

“I’m truly humbled and proud to have been chosen, said Dave Gray, who will receive the Spirit of North Allegheny award. “I’ve worked hard my whole adult life to inspire and encourage the youth in our community to strive to be the best version of themselves, and to shine their light on others. To be recognized by the North Allegheny community for my efforts helping others is absolutely an achievement I will cherish forever.”

Bob Tozier, chair of NA’s Music Department, said he was “speechless” to receive the award, which came in the education category.

“There is something very special about this district,” he said. “The North Allegheny community values education, and to be a part of that both as a student and an educator is truly rewarding. Thanks to the strong educational commitment from the community, board of school directors, and the administrators, the student body is the true winner.”

The NA Foundation is dedicated to enhancing and enriching the educational experience at North Allegheny by supporting excellence in education. Since 1989, the foundation has distributed more than $500,000 in grants to NA schools and thousands more in scholarships to graduating seniors.

The 2023 award winners follow.

Arts

Frank Nicotero, Class of 1987, has had a career of more than 30 years doing comedy nationwide. He hosted the comedy game show “Street Smarts” and co-hosted the “Sharon Osbourne Show.” He has appeared on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “The Wayne Brady Show” and made his late night debut on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” He’s appeared in several movies, most recently in “The Creepshow Holiday Special.” He is producing a documentary based on a book his late father, Sam, wrote in the 1970s. He lives in Los Angeles.

Business

Bernadette Coleman, Class of 1976, is the chief executive officer of Advice Local, a technology company and three-time award-winning Inc 500 company. She has been involved in search engine optimization, a marketing tool, and Internet marketing since 2001. Coleman writes for multiple blogs, including: Search Engine People, Social Media Today, Local Search Forum and Forbes. She shares on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. She advocates on behalf of those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries and promotes the nonprofit, TryMunity, a social network for survivors and supporters of traumatic brain injury. She lives in Texas.

Community Service

Alan Shuckrow, Class of 1987, is an attorney at Strassburger McKenna Gutnick Gefsky since 1997 and shareholder since 2003. From 2014-2019, he served as the firm’s president and managing shareholder. He serves on the executive committee as the firm’s counsel. His experience ranges from municipal and education law to civil litigation and real estate. Clients include nonprofit and for-profit organizations and government entities. He has served as a school district solicitor and special counsel to school entities. He lives in McCandless.

Education

Bob Tozier, Class of 1988, attended the University of Delaware and Duquesne University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education and music technology and a Master’s of Education in music education. He was hired by North Allegheny in 1999 and became the district’s Music Department chair in 2006. He produces three musicals yearly; two at the high school level, and the other at the middle-school level. He works as the lighting designer and stage manager at North Allegheny Senior High School and is a co-sponsor of the Music Honor Society. He lives in Franklin Park.

Government

Bill Martin, Class of 1973, graduated from Penn State in 1977, earned a Master’s of Public Health and a Master’s of Business Administration from Tulane University in 1987, and a Master’s of Science in national resource strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He served in the Peace Corps, working two years in rural Liberia in West Africa as a maternal and child health specialist and as a high school biology teacher. He entered the U.S. Foreign Service. Along with three postings in Washington, D.C., he worked in Liberia, Kenya, Zaire, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and India. He left the Foreign Service in 2006, obtained his real estate broker’s license in Virginia and served 12 years in the local government of Greene County, Va. He retired at in 2021. He lives in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

Law

Joseph Milcoff, Class of 1988, is vice president, litigation risk for FedEx Ground, Moon Township. He joined the company in 2008 as a senior attorney, became a director in 2010 and a vice president in 2012. Prior to joining FedEx, he worked as an attorney for Reed Smith LLP; Tucker Arensberg P.C.; and Ira H. Weinstock P.C. He served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of major. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University, his master’s from Troy State University and his law degree from Penn State. He serves on the boards of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation and the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity Inclusion Coalition. He is a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He lives in Franklin Park.

Medicine

Dr. Robert Potter, Class of 1974, attended Allegheny College and practiced medicine with his father, Robert H. Potter Sr. for several years. He is a founding member and owner of Genesis Medical Associates, a physician-owned primary care group in the North Hills and won the Nathaniel Bedford award for primary care in Allegheny County. Potter received best instructor recognition from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, St. Francis University, and the Southwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center. He provided medical services for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 19 years. He also worked for 40 years with NA school nurses providing services. He lives in Pine Township.

Science

Guy Gardner, Class of 1973, attended A.W. Beattie Career Center while a NA student. He graduated from Brigham Young University (1979-1981). During his professional career, he specialized in innovation of computers and technology for several companies and received industry and innovation awards. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gardner was active in church efforts and missionary work, and he also was a leader and active volunteer in his community. He donated to many causes worldwide, including communities affected by natural disasters. He lives in San Ramon, Calif.

Young Alumni (40 and under)

Rosanna Breaux, Class of 2007, earned her bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2011 and her master’s and doctorate in clinical science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2013 and 2017, respectively. Breaux is director of the Child Study Center and an assistant professor of psychology at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on the social, emotional, and academic functioning of children and adolescents, particularly those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. She lives in Blacksburg, Va.

Spirit of North Allegheny

Dave Gray founded CDG Sports Events, LLC, a youth sports recreation company, in 1996. Dubbed “The Mister Rogers of Youth Sports” by parents who know him, Coach Dave brings fun and enthusiasm to his programs, camps, assemblies, and team-building events. Dave was in the foster system until he arrived at North Allegheny as a young child. He is the recipient of “KDKA Radio Larry Richert’s Hometown Hero Award” in 2016. He is a community partner with Allegheny Health Network, raising awareness of the health wellness needs of the Pittsburgh community. He lives in McCandless.