Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has named eight new members to the Board of Directors and John (Jack) Isherwood has assumed the role of Board member emeritus. New members include Karyn M. Bigelow, John T. Shaver, Harold (Hal) Burlingame, Kurt Carlson, Patrice L. Fowler-Searcy, David Greusel, Dorsey W. M. McConnell, David L. McClenahan, and William (Bill) G. Bensur Jr..
Karyn M. Bigelow ’16 is the graduating student representative to the Board. She earned her M.Div. and graduate certificate in urban ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Bigelow is currently working for Bread for the World in Washington, DC as the government relations coordinator.
The Rev. John T. Shaver ’98 was appointed to the Board as the alumni representative. He is the senior pastor at San Dieguito United Methodist Church is Encinitas, Calif. Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Shaver is a third generation UMC pastor.
Harold (Hal) Burlingame has returned to Board after previously serving three consecutive terms. Burlingame retired following a 40-year career with AT&T where he last served as executive vice president. In 2014, he was named as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources.
Kurt Carlson resides in Mars, Pa., and works at Hefren-Tillotson Inc. as executive vice president. Kurt is a Grove City College graduate and grew up in Pakistan where his parents were Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) missionaries. Kurt and his family attend Grace Community Church in Cranberry Township, Pa.
The Rev. Patrice L. Fowler-Searcy ’13 previously served as the PTS Board class of 2016 alumni representative. During her three years of service she was named vice chair of the Board. Fowler-Searcy is the director of mission at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church.
David Greusel comes on the Board with more than 30 years of professional experience in architecture. He is the founding principal of Convergence Design in Kansas City, Mo. Greusel is best known in the Pittsburgh area for his design of PNC Park. He has also designed two church campuses for his home church, Christ Community Church (Evangelical Free) in Leawood, Kan.
The Rt. Rev. Dorsey W. M. McConnell was elected in 2012 as the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop McConnell holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale College, was a Fulbright Scholar in Paris, and earned his MDiv cum laude from General Theological Seminary.
David L. McClenahan is a long-time trial lawyer whose practice is now focused on the mediation and arbitration of commercial disputes. He is a partner at K&L Gates. His grandfather served on the faculty at Western Seminary—a predecessor of PTS. McClenahan holds his B.A. from John Carroll University and his J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law.
William (Bill) G. Bensur Jr., CFA, leads the Pittsburgh Investment office of Willis Towers Watson, a leading global professional services company headquartered in London that helps organizations improve performance through effective people, risk, and financial management. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Chartered Financial Analysts Society of Pittsburgh.
Jack Isherwood served as PTS Board chair from 2006-2014 and has been named as an emeritus member. Isherwood received the Seminary’s highest honor in 2015—the John Anderson Award of Merit. In addition to his work on the Board, Isherwood has audited more than 40 courses at the Seminary. Most recently he was managing principal of Birchmere Investments Inc.