Staff & Board
Meet the team and board of directors of the McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation.
Executive Staff
Taris Vrcek
Executive Director
Taris Vrcek
Executive Director
A third-generation McKees Rocks resident and Sto-Rox High School graduate, Taris earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and worked in IT before spearheading the re-visioning of his community that produced the Strategic Revitalization Plan and the founding of the MRCDC. During his tenure, he has helped facilitate nearly $100M in economic development.
Jeb Feldman
Director of Economic Development
Jeb Feldman
Director of Economic Development
Raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Jeb earned his bachelor’s at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and pursued graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon, which brought him to Pittsburgh. He collaborated on revitalization in Braddock with then-mayor
(now U.S. Senator) John Fetterman, and lives in Braddock in a former Catholic school building that houses an arts venue and studios. He spent several years in county government before joining the McKees Rocks CDC.
Sonja Reis
Communications & Marketing Director
Sonja Reis
Communications & Marketing Director
Raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Jeb earned his bachelor’s at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and pursued graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon, which brought him to Pittsburgh. He collaborated on revitalization in Braddock with then-mayor
(nA journalist with more than a decade of experience and a communications degree from Penn State, Sonja joined MRCDC in 2016 and leads social media, the website, communications, event planning, and fundraising. A former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer, she has deep roots across Pittsburgh’s western suburbs.
Albert Edmunds
Community Engagement Manager
Albert Edmunds
Community Engagement Manager
A Pittsburgher who grew up in the Chartiers City/Windgap area next to McKees Rocks, Albert is well known across Sto-Rox and beyond. He previously served as Vice Chair of the Zellous Hope Project board and works with the MRCDC Ambassadors to grow
community awareness. He “deeply cares about the people and the community of McKees Rocks.”
Shelley Monto
Manager of Operations
Shelley Monto
Manager of Operations
Born and raised in McKees Rocks, Shelley earned her associate’s degree in office management from Robert Morris University and has been with MRCDC since November 2013. She’s grateful to work for an organization revitalizing the hometown she knows and loves.
MarySue Flick
Executive Assistant
MarySue Flick
Executive Assistant
A McKees Rocks resident known for her art and volunteer efforts across McKees Rocks and Stowe, MarySue founded the McKees Rocks Women’s Alliance and volunteers widely. “I truly believe in the future of McKees Rocks,” she says, “and I have a strong desire to help all residents attain a higher level of pride and happiness.”
Board of Directors
- JONATHAN ROYSTER
PRESIDENT
Branch Manager,
KeyBank – McKees Rocks - ANTHONY T. SKENDER JR.
PAST PRESIDENT
School Superintendent (ret.), Sto-Rox & Chartiers Valley School Districts - JASON CORRADO
VICE PRESIDENT
Account Executive, Engle-Hambright & Davies, Inc. - Father Regis Ryan, Director Emeritus
Retired, Focus on Renewal, Sto-Rox Family Health Center - TALIA PIAZZA DePASQUALE
SECRETARY
Director of Storytelling & Communications, Neighborhood Allies - Tom Golden
President, CPA, Kinol Sharie Leyh & Associates - Lachon Ellman
TREASURER
Senior Underwriter, SE Region, New American Funding - Irene Sparks
Artist, grant writer and business consultant