board of directors
Erica Cochran
Erica currently works as the Director of Development for NurturePA. She has over 13 years of experience in the nonprofit sector ranging from direct service to development. Her first experience within the field was working with individuals with physical and/or cognitive disabilities living independently in the community. Her time spent providing support to those individuals left a lasting impression on her and she plans to use her skills to support the mission of Evolve-Coaching. Erica was born and raised in Pittsburgh and enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Jocelyn Gaviola
Jocelyn serves as Client Relationship Manager at Access Data Broadridge, a provider of technology-driven solutions for wealth and asset management. She assists Evolve in the use of technology & data to better anticipate future projections and evaluate student progress.
Colin Healey
Colin is a filmmaker, teacher, copywriter, and proud Evolve board member with a special focus on Evolve’s arts education offerings. As a neurodivergent and learning disabled student who struggled in school, he has developed a passion for creating experiential learning alternatives to traditional education at arts programs across the Northeast. The New York Times called his award-winning feature film HOMEMAKERS - filmed in Pittsburgh - a "raggedy ode to the DIY ethos" and the film made Bust Magazine write "Healey nails it!”. He currently lives with his wife and two dogs in a tiny New England hilltown, but relishes any opportunity he gets to come to Pittsburgh and work with Evolve.
Michelle Jamison
Michelle is the Director of Programs for Boys Hope Girls Hope of Pittsburgh, a non-profit education based residential program. Boys Hope Girls Hope of Pittsburgh selects young people who are in need with the determination and motivation to succeed in a high expectation environment. Our goal is to encourage, empower and nurture young people through crucial adolescent years through college and beyond. Michelle’s goal is to further educational needs to those in diverse populations, environments and communities.
.jpg)
Emma Lamberton
Emma is the Grants and Contracts Manager at VISIMO, an artificial intelligence company in Pittsburgh. Prior to living in Pittsburgh, Emma received a Fulbright Scholarship to Mongolia, where she conducted mixed-methods research on nationalism and gender equity. She currently serves as an advisory board member through her church, supporting legal aid and other refugee services. In her free time, Emma sings with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Erin McPeak
Erin works for ZOLL LifeVest in New Product Planning and is Secretary of Evolve’s Board. As part of the Evolve Coaching team, she hopes to leverage her business experience to help reach more individuals in the community.
Angella Morgan
Angella is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in fiscal management, donor relations and stewardship, and. Currently serving as the lead Donor Relations & Stewardship Associate at the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School and College of Business Administration, Angella excels in developing, implementing, and supporting programs that enhance an organizations resources, fundraising and audience engagement.
Daniel Moses
Dan is a seasoned leader in IT and technology-driven business transformation. He has worked across multiple industries, including manufacturing, retail, grocery, consumer products, apparel, industrial products, high-tech, entertainment and media, financial services, non-profit, and law firms/professional services. He also serves as a Director to PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) Advisory.
Matt Pierce
Matt is a Principal Civil Engineer for SWCA Environmental Consultants in Pittsburgh. He holds his professional engineering license in 18 states and primarily works on energy projects throughout the country. As part of the Evolve Coaching team, Matt hopes to assist Evolve with their future construction development and support for Evolve's mission. Matt enjoys watching sports, playing golf, and spending time with his family.
Trish Romano
Trish Romano, Executive Director of LWC, Policy and Planning Officer for a small non-profit in Allegheny County and Treasurer of Evolve's Board, holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and strongly believes that developing individuals is essential for the success of our community. She excels in leadership development, fiscal management, budget creation and oversight, strategic planning and implementation, programmatic planning, operational oversight, as well as staff recruitment and retention while fostering inclusion.
“Every person deserves support, development and training
opportunities, and every community deserves strong leaders who
can lead them into a future full of possibilities.” ~ Trish Romano
With more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Trish has worked extensively with individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness, facing mental health crises, navigating challenging home environments, and those who are affected by food insecurity. During the COVID pandemic, she was instrumental in developing and implementing the COVID-19 hotel, which was funded through Allegheny County. Her true passion is to fulfill the community's needs and to fill gaps in care.
Gerri Sperling
Gerri is a lawyer with the Pittsburgh law firm of Strassburger McKenna Gutnick and Gefsky. She brings over 40 years of legal experience to her diverse practice areas, including health law, adoptions, guardianships, reproductive law and employment law. She has significant experience representing both grassroots and larger nonprofit organizations and has served on several nonprofit boards. As a parent of a neurodivergent young adult who was one of Evolve’s
early clients, Gerri is passionate about Evolve’s mission. In her free time, Gerri enjoys reading, studying French and German on Duolingo, yoga, cooking and following the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Justin Williams
Justin works in Quality Assurance for Bayer US LLC and serves as the President-Elect for Evolve-Coaching’s Board of Directors. He has worked for many years to push Pittsburgh to be a more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible place to live for all individuals. He firmly believes in Evolve-Coaching’s mission and is dedicated to helping the organization meet their goals and aspirations. In his free time, Justin enjoys spending time with his family, watching and participating in sports, and cooking.
Patricia Wright
Patricia’s commitment to ensuring all individuals with autism have access to effective services and supports has guided her work for more than 30 years, from her earliest responsibilities as a special
educator, to state and national-level program management.