Tartan Athletics Club Adds Three Alumni to Leadership Roles
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Following a successful year for Carnegie Mellon Athletics in which the department opened a new Fitness Center, won three UAA team championships and created endowed funds to support several varsity programs, the Tartans Athletics Club has added three alumni to its Board of Directors to provide new leadership and insight. Joining the Board in 2016 are Joanna Downer, Jonathan Hall and Jonathan Spero.
Downer is a 1993 graduate with a chemistry degree from the Mellon College of Science. She went on to receive her Ph.D. in chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis and now works as an Associate Dean at the Duke University Medical Center. As a senior, Downer helped the women’s volleyball team post its first winning season in 10 years, which set the stage for much of the Tartan success since that time. Downer has been an active supporter of the program since graduating, and has come back to campus to spend time with the team and participate in alumni events.
Hall is a 2010 graduate with a degree from the Tepper School of Business. Hall was a two-time Academic All-American of the Year in the sport of men’s soccer and was a member of Carnegie Mellon’s UAA 25th Anniversary Men’s Soccer Team. As captain of the Tartans, Hall helped lead the men’s soccer program to NCAA appearances in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, the team reached the Sweet 16, the best performance in school history. Hall is an investment professional with Odyssey Investment Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused on making control investments in manufacturing, industrial services and business service companies. Hall has also been an active supporter of the department since he graduated.
Like Hall, Spero is a 2010 graduate of the Tepper School of Business. Spero played on some of the best men’s tennis teams in school history, including serving as captain for the 2009-10 squad that went to the national quarterfinals. This winter Spero established the Dr. Joel Spero and Dr. Janet Amico Endowed Tennis Fund in memory of his parents. That fund will have a profound impact on the tennis program, and has already inspired other gifts.. Spero is currently an Associate with BelHealth Investment Partners in New York City. BelHealth is a healthcare-only private equity firm that acquires, operates and sells small healthcare businesses.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the addition of our three new members and the continued evolution of our Board,” said Director of Athletics Josh Centor. “The Board has been instrumental in its advisory capacity to me, has helped move us forward with important initiatives and has provided necessary support in multiple domains to help the department continue its progress. We have a group of incredibly dedicated, passionate and talented people who are champions for our program.”
In addition to the three new members to the Board, the Tartan Athletics Club has also elevated former football and club baseball player Mark Weinsten (DC 1985) to the role of President-Elect. Men’s basketball alum Evan Gelacek (DC 2005) will assume the role of president, while former men’s golfer Don Michel (E 1990) will become Past-President.