Jim Rooney, of Pittsburgh Steelers ownership, is also a consultant, national speaker, frequent media commentator and author of, A Different Way to Win: Dan Rooney’s Story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule, which details his father Dan Rooney’s long and successful career.  The Amazon Best Seller was selected on President Obama’s 2019 Book List. And the audiobook (by the same name) was released November 2024. As Jims father Dan was the architect of the NFL’s Rooney Rule, Jim has spent much of his adult life working to advance his father’s efforts with diversity and fairness. Jim has an M.A. in Organizational Development from Case Western Reserve University; a certificate in Change Leadership from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Boston College.

Christina Cassotis is CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, operating Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Allegheny County Airport (AGC).

Over the past decade, Christina has led an era of transformation at PIT, redefining the role of the region’s airports from traditional transportation infrastructure to strategic assets driving innovation, economic opportunity and regional competitiveness. Under her leadership, PIT has become one of the strongest growth stories at a mid-size airport in the country, serving nearly 10 million passengers across 63 nonstop destinations in
2024.

Christina’s strategy is anchored in the belief that airports exist to help communities achieve their greatest potential. At PIT, that belief drove an approach built around Western Pennsylvania’s unique strengths, pairing the region’s manufacturing heritage, energy resources, world-class universities and vibrant tech and healthcare industries with the airport’s capabilities to create competitive advantages and deliver lasting value. Signature results include PIT’s new terminal, completed in November 2025 as the first U.S. terminal designed and built from the ground up post-pandemic, and the world’s first airport microgrid, ensuring uninterrupted operations at zero cost to taxpayers.

During Christina’s tenure, PIT was named Air Transport World’s Airport of the Year. Christina was named 2024 Pittsburgher of the Year by Pittsburgh Magazine and was the first person to be named Director of the Year for medium airports by Airport Experience News (AXN) twice, in 2017 and 2025.

The daughter of a pilot, Christina holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and began her career at the Massachusetts Port Authority, operator of Boston Logan International Airport.

Bobbi Watt Geer, Ph.D., is president & CEO of United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and has had a more than 35-year career in the nonprofit sector. Bobbi previously served in a variety of leadership positions within United Way, including as senior vice president of administration and as CEO of the former United Way of Westmoreland County. She has also served as president of The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, among several other nonprofit fundraising and program management positions.   

Bobbi has taught courses in nonprofit management and leadership at St. Vincent College and Robert Morris University. She currently serves on the United Way Worldwide Network Advisory Council, a leadership body serving the entire network of more than 1,000 United Ways globally. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum, Pittsburgh, and serves on the Human Services Policy Committee for the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics. Awards and honors include a 2020 Pittsburgh Business Times Woman of Influence award, a Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction award in 2024 and a Hesselbein Leadership Forum Lecture Series speaker in 2025.

Bobbi earned a doctoral degree in public administration and public policy from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Robert Morris University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

Paul Yater is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Head of Human Resources at 84 Lumber, a prominent $8.7 billion privately held national building materials supplier. With over 320 locations across the United States and a team of 7,600+ associates, Paul has played a pivotal role in shaping the technological and organizational landscape of this industry giant over the last 9 years.

Prior to his tenure at 84 Lumber, Paul served as the CIO of General Nutrition Centers (GNC) for a successful 4-year term, demonstrating his leadership prowess in the dynamic retail landscape. His impactful career also includes nearly 9 years of progressively responsible IT leadership roles at Dick’s Sporting Goods. During his time there, Paul contributed significantly to the company’s growth from $1 billion in sales and 125 stores to an impressive $6 billion in sales and 600 stores.

Paul’s diverse professional journey extends beyond the retail sector, with notable experiences at Heinz North America, IBM, and Deutsche Bank. A graduate of Dickinson College, he furthered his education at the Dickinson Center for European Studies in Bologna, Italy. His pursuit of excellence led him to complete an MBA in strategy and information systems at the Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Josh Cunningham serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Quantum Science Center and Protected Data Manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, supporting national initiatives in quantum computing and high-performance computing. He served as project manager for the installation of the Department of Energy’s Quoll quantum computing system, recognized by Time as one of the Top 25 Inventions of 2025, and supports secure operations for the Frontier supercomputer. He earned his PhD in Information Systems and Communication from Robert Morris University and serves on the advisory board of the university’s National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. Dr. Cunningham is the author of The AI of the Beholder and a published scholar examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity, ethics, and human perception. He has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 honoree by both the City of Knoxville and the University of Tennessee.

Gabriel Moreno, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Marketing & Sales at Robert Morris University. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Texas at El Paso, and has completed specialized training in Generative AI at Carnegie Mellon University. With more than a decade of experience in the high-tech sector spanning engineering, project management, technical sales, marketing, and data analytics, Dr. Moreno focuses on how emerging technologies help organizations compete and deliver measurable results. He is a recipient of RMU’s College of Business and STEM Research Excellence Award and the President’s Distinguished Scholarship Award, recognized for producing timely, rigorous insights into how modern sales organizations adapt, improve performance, and create value in dynamic markets.