Profile of the Week Gary R. Kirstein •  Job: President, Softcare Computer Consulting Co. •  Age: 48 •  Ambition: Travel the United States in a motor home to see and enjoy the beauty of this great country. •  First job: Caddy -- St. Clair Country Club (No wonder I do not golf) •  Hardest job/why?: My current job because it requires balancing sales with the financial and operations responsibilities of a growing company. •  Biggest work challenge ever: Delegating tasks to others while ensuring the quality of work that I would deliver myself. •  Favorite stock/mutual fund: American Funds. •  Away from work I: spend as much time with my wife and children as possible. •  Dream vacation: Montana and the Western U.S. •  Favorite book: "They Call Me Coach" by John Wooden. •  If I won the Lottery, I'd: Build a home on the property I own at Deep Creek Lake.

Accounting

Urish Popeck & Co. LLC hired James Hofer, Madelyn Martin and Catherine Platt in the tax division.

Grossman Yanak & Ford LLP hired associates Susan M. Harry and Melissa. A. Spagnol in its tax services group and Amber D. Jones staff accountant, assurance & advisory group.

Parente Randolph LLC named Gary J. Walesch senior manager in the Pittsburgh office and John D. Finley, manager, senior living services group, in the Harrisburg office.

Advertising

Blattner Brunner announced new hires. Christian Herrity joins bbdesign as a senior designer; Brandon Knowlden, junior art director, creative department; Brady Butler, account executive, bbpr (Blattner Brunner's public relations practice group); and Tara Zurowski, joins bbdigital, the agency's interactive department as an interactive designer.

Architecture

IKM Inc. appointed John C. Schrott III president.

Weber Murphy Fox Inc. promoted Cledith "Clete" L. Miller to associate AIA, Cleveland office.

Associations/Organizations

Susan DiGirolamo, attorney, was elected chair of the Sole and Small Practitioners' Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

The Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), Pittsburgh chapter, named its 2005-2006 board. President: Gilbert Brindley, Dick Corp.; vice president/programs chair; Terry Caywood, The Sextant Group; past president: Elizabeth Bowers, Elizabeth Bowers Construction Services; treasurer: Rochelle Stachel, HRV Conformance Verification Associates, Inc.; secretary: Jackee Ging, JPCL/Paint Square; sponsorship chair: Mike Doerfler, Wellington Power; membership and retention chair: Alyssa Pike, Dick Corp.; communications chair: Carl Hunt, Trans Associates; coordinator's club chair: Beth McClaine, Desmone & Associates Architects.)

Recently elected to the 2005-2006 Institute for Supply Management of Pittsburgh (ISM-Pittsburgh) board was John Patrick Cancro, retired Penn State University assistant professor of Business Logistics; Brian P. Conley, purchasing and facilities manager, NEP Broadcasting LP Inc.; Lynne Greco Forges, principal buyer, Duquesne Light Co. and and Mary Ann Holmberg, purchasing manager, Management Science Associates Inc. (MSA).

Banking, Finance

First National Bank of Pennsylvania elected Michael B. Smith, president, Laurel Motors, as director.

National City Corp. appointed Charles D. Snyder vice president and relationship manager, private client group, Pittsburgh region; and Kathleen Monkelis, relationship manager, private client group.

Michael E. Krol joined Legend Financial Advisors Inc. as an assistant financial adviser.

Education

Mary Dorsey Bunnell was named director of student activities at Carlow University.

University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg hired Brad Graham as a computer technician.

Victor Roque was named president of the Winchester Thurston School board of trustees. Roque recently retired as president of Duquesne Light and executive vice president of DQE.

Ralph Bangs, associate director, Center on Race and Social Problems, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, was elected to Winchester Thurston School's board of trustees.

Engineering

Paul Messineo Jr. joined Pennoni Associates Inc. as principal, Pittsburgh office.

The Gateway Engineers Inc. announced that Ryan L. Hayes joined its project support services team.

Health and Medicine

Steven Leonard was named vice president of human resources for the West Penn Allegheny Health System.

Insurance

Henderson Brothers appointed Jennifer Kercher, claims assistant, personal lines and commercial lines departments; Jaci Weaver, customer service representative, group benefits department; and Maggie Weber, consultative services associate, consultative sales unit of the commercial lines department.

Investment

BlackRock Inc. appointed Kenneth B. Dunn, Ph.D., to its board. He is dean and professor of Financial Economics at the David A. Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

Michael P. Czajka has joined Symons Capital Management Inc. as managing director.

Hefren-Tillotson Inc. appointed Curtis Randle El financial adviser.

Bill Few Associates announced that Jeff Heasley has joined as a vice president.

Nonprofit

Scott Hanley, director and general manager of WDUQ 90.5 FM, was elected to serve a second term on the National Public Radio (NPR) board of directors.

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh announced that Kevin Hiles was named chief financial officer.

The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh hired Veronica Wilson as administrative coordinator.

The United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh recently elected the following individuals as officers to its board of trustees. Chair: Barbara S. Burstin; vice chairs: Louis B. Plung, William C. Rudolph, Daniel H. Shapira; treasurer: Nancy Ostrow; assistant treasurer: Lori B. Shure; secretary: H. Arnold Gefsky; assistant secretary: Charles S. Perlow.

James H. Joseph, associate, McGuireWoods' Pittsburgh office, was appointed to the board of directors of the Pittsburgh Musical Theater.

Transportation

Jeff Letwin, managing partner, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, was named to the board of directors of the Port Authority for a four-year term.

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit announced that Cathy Militzer, principal of Saint Margaret of Scotland School, received the Non-Public Schools Program's Very Important Principal Award. The award is given annually to the principal who has provided the highest level of support, cooperation and leadership to educators in nonpublic schools. Militzer was nominated by AIU staff members.

Deborah R. Perlick and Leda Heidenreich, registered nurses at The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, are recipients of the Cameos of Caring and Donate Life awards. The awards were established in 1999 to honor outstanding nurses who demonstrate excellence in patient care, advocate for patients and their families, and embody the essence of the nursing profession. The annual awards ceremony is sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and was to be held Saturday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Perlick received the Cameo of Caring Award. She has been a registered nurse for 29 years. Heidenreich received the Donate Life award. She is a registered nurse with 14 years' experience.

Broudy Printing received two 2005 Premier Print Awards for outstanding achievement in the production of Cards and Soft Cover Books. The Premier Print Awards recognize those responsible for the creation and production of outstanding print communications. Broudy Printing won an Award of Recognition for both the Romoff Holiday Card by UPMC and the Carnegie Hero Fund Book by Landesberg Design.

McDonald's Corp. recognized a local family of franchisees for its outstanding commitment to public relations and community service. The Delligatti family was presented with the first-ever Al Golin Public Relations Award of Excellence at a recent gathering of McDonald's marketing leadership in Chicago. Led by patriarch and Big Mac inventor M.J. Delligatti, the family now includes three generations of McDonald's franchisees who own and operate 20 McDonald's restaurants in the Pittsburgh and Raleigh, N.C., markets. Their latest award is named for the PR guru who championed McDonald's "Trust Bank" philosophy. M.J. Delligatti was one of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc's earliest franchisees and the brainchild behind McDonald's signature sandwich, the Big Mac. M.J. Delligatti also spearheaded the founding of the first Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh.

Nego Gato -- Pittsburgh, a local ensemble that performs traditional Afro-Brazilian dance and music, was named Gateway to the Arts' "Hardie Artist of the Year." The Hardie Artist of the Year award is named for Frances Hardie, a local supporter of the arts and former member of the Gateway to the Arts board of directors.