Staff
John D. Turack, Executive Director/Community Development Assistant
John serves as the Executive Director for the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County, which has traditionally been a partner program of Penn State Extension. As the Executive Director, John is responsible for guiding the non-profit with its Board of Directors. He is a Community and Economic Development Assistant with Penn State Extension. See https://extension.psu.edu/john-turack.
John is a native of Westmoreland County, and previous to working for Penn State Extension, served as a Township Supervisor in Washington Township, Westmoreland County; as the Main Street Program Manager for a non-profit revitalization organization in Blairsville, Indiana County; and earlier in his career as a private-sector retail manager.
John has a BA in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, numerous local government-related certifications, and has completed graduate-level classes with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Department of Geography and Regional Planning.
John’s focus as an educator is in providing technical assistance to municipalities, community leaders, and non-profit organizations in the areas of community and citizen engagement, community visioning, Placemaking, and both strategic and municipal comprehensive planning. He serves on Extension’s statewide educational program teams delivering educational programming related to Economic and Community Development.
John has served as a board member for the Allegheny County-based Local Government Academy (LGA), as a board member for the Westmoreland Economic Development Initiative for Growth (WEDIG), as a board member for the Westmoreland Historical Society, and as an Associate Director for the Westmoreland Conservation District.
John lives on a small family farm in Washington Township. He, his siblings and progeny are the third+ generations of his family on this land, and he enjoys stewardship of its fields, woods, and of the 200+ year-old homestead stone foundation remnants still to be found there.
To contact Mr. Turack call 724-837-1402 or e-mail jdt15@psu.edu
Smart Growth Consultants
Barbara J. Hauge, P.L.A., Thomas R. Harley Architects, LLC.
Barb is a Pennsylvania Registered Landscape Architect with Thomas R. Harley Architects, LLC and UpStreet Architects, Inc. Her designs include public and private landscapes, commercial designs as well as meadows, educational gardens, and play spaces. She has over 20 years of experience and her expertise includes native plant designs, tree and plant selection, rain gardens and community planning.
She serves on the boards of The Allegheny Arboretum, C&I Trail Council, and the League of Women Voters of Indiana County. Barb’s love of connecting with people has evolved into community engagement for planning initiatives as municipalities plan for new projects and grant applications. She is currently working with Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County and The EADS Group on their Active Transportation Plan and Complete Streets Policy for Scottdale and Smithton. She is also a consultant working with The EADS Group on the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Lock Haven.
In addition to degrees in Horticulture (Penn State) and Landscape Architecture (City College of New York), Barb is also an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certified Arborist and a Green Infrastructure Professional with the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program. Barb is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), PA-DE Chapter and serves on their Communications Committee.
Local community groups have recognized her community leadership including being awarded The Peggy Clark Grassroots Environmental Leadership Award by the League of Women Voters of Indiana County, Exceptional Horticulturalist and through PA Business Central as one of the Women Making a Difference and Top 100 People in Business and Community. She has taught programs for the New York Botanical Garden as well as Phipps Conservatory and continues to lecture on landscape, rain gardens and gardening topics for garden clubs, parks groups, local libraries, and professional organizations.
Cindy Leonard, Cindy Leonard Consulting
Cindy Leonard works with Smart Growth on its website and digital content. Cindy has devoted over 20 years working in and with nonprofit organizations, and has served on numerous boards and committees, in various volunteer capacities, and as a consultant, a trainer, an executive director, a program manager, and an IT director. Cindy holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Education in Instructional Design, all from Seton Hill University. Learn more at https://www.cindyleonardconsulting.com.
Mark W. Lazzari, AICP, The EADS Group, Inc.
Mark W. Lazzari is the Planning Department Manager/Community Planner for The EADS Group, Inc., a local multi-disciplined engineering, architecture and design firm. Mark is working with the Smart Growth on the Smithton-Scottdale Active Transportation Plan and Complete Streets Policy. Mark holds a B.S. from Grove City College, a M.S. in Earth Science from California University of PA (Cal U) and a M.S. in Geography and Regional Planning, Community Planning Tract from Indiana University of PA (IUP). Mark is certified as a professional planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He has over 21 years of experience working on various types of comprehensive planning projects, specialized planning and feasibility studies including County, municipal and neighborhood plans, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, active transportation, trail and recreation studies, heritage tourism plans and public safety related planning efforts. Learn more at https://www.eadsgroup.com.
Evan Tobin, AICP
Evan is a certified planner and GIS consultant with lifelong roots in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Evan is working with Smart Growth on the ‘Historic Vandergrift Mapping & Self-Guided Tour Project’, funded by the PA Environmental Council’s 2021 Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape Mini-Grant program.
His experience involves positions in both the public and private sectors. Evan currently works in PennDOT District 11’s Design Division as a Transportation Planning Specialist. Before this role, he worked as an environmental planner for a local engineering firm where he managed planning and GIS projects.
Evan holds a B.S. in Regional Planning and an M.S. in Geography from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, Evan volunteers frequently for local nonprofit organizations and has wide-ranging experience sitting on boards and committees.
Board of Directors (Year joined board)
Since 2000, the Board of Directors has provided organizational and policy direction to the Smart Growth Partnership.
Kim E. Miller, President (2005)
Kim Miller is currently the President of Deksolar, LLC a solar power provider in Westmoreland county. He is also a farmer focusing on regenerative agriculture by raising cattle on grass. He has previously been a developer interested in building green and walkable communities.
He is a current board member of the Westmoreland Conservation district and is Board President of Greenforge, Inc. He is past Board President of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Laurelville Camp and Conference Center. Miller received his B. S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. He is married with four adult children.
Allen G. Kukovich, Vice-President (Founding Member 2000)
Allen Kukovich is a Westmoreland County Attorney. He has served formerly as Executive Director of the Power of 32 Regional Visioning Project, a two-year process that provided an opportunity for every resident of the 32-county, four-state region to participate in creating a shared vision for the region’s best future.
Kukovich also formerly served as Director of the Southwest Regional Office of the Governor. Prior to this position, Kukovich served as State Senator, and represented the Southwest region in the General Assembly for 27 years, serving from 1977-1996 in the House of Representatives and from 1996-2004 as a State Senator.
He received his B.A. in Political Science from Kent State and J.D. from Duquesne Law School. Kukovich has received more than 90 statewide awards and national recognition for his dedication on behalf of families and children. He and his wife, Nancy, have one daughter, Alexandra.
Virginia Stump, Treasurer (2013)
Virginia McCracken Stump is a General Certified Appraiser and Realtor. Virginia is PennDOT District 10’s Chief Appraiser and a sales agent with RE/MAX Realty Access, Irwin. Virginia previously worked for USDA, Rural Development, where she managed the Greensburg office and served as a commercial loan and grant underwriter and appraisal specialist.
Virginia received her Bachelor and Master of Business Administration from Seton Hill University; her Master Certification in Renewable Energy from St. Francis University; and her appraisal education from Appraisal Institute and American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers.
Virginia serves on the North Huntingdon Township Planning Commission and is an elected North Huntingdon Township Commissioner. She also volunteers with the Penn-Trafford High School Alumni Hall of Fame Committee, heading philanthropy and gifts.
Emily Lessman, Secretary (2022)
Emily serves as a GIS Analyst for Duquesne Light Company, responsible for the back-end processing of data for the electrical grid modernization project.
A native Westmoreland County resident who has called this area home for 27 years, as a child Emily was active in the local Westmoreland 4-H organizations focused on Equine and Llama showmanship and husbandry. She ended up at the State Equine championship and was able to secure a Top 5 placing before graduating high school. Graduating in 2017 from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, she had the ability to be a part of the 2016 National Champion Soil Judging team. She has worked as an Environmental Consultant in Pittsburgh, owns a home in Mount Pleasant Borough (due to the livability of the area), and has since attained a Collegiate Geospatial Intelligence and Analysis certification and a Master of Science degree in Geography at IUP focused on Environmental Planning. During her graduate work, Emily was awarded the Jack Robertshaw Jr. Community Planning Fellowship and began meeting local government and community leaders. Her fellowship resulted in the Coal and Coke Trail Initiative Plan.
Dr. Jeff Raykes (2022)
Dr. Jeff Raykes is the Planning Director at the City of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Jeff has an undergraduate degree in Communication from Frostburg State University (FSU) and graduate degrees in Planning and Administration & Leadership from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). The unique dynamics of college towns have been the focus of Jeff’s academic, professional, and personal interests. Notable projects have explored joint university/community planning efforts in “student districts” or “campus neighborhoods”, institutional place-building, and land-use and regulatory strategies designed to address problem, off-campus housing. Jeff lives in Indiana, PA, home to IUP, where he enjoys working around the house, coaching baseball, and talking about local planning issues with his neighborhoods.
Dr. Jeanine Mazak-Kahne, MLS, (2022)
Jeanine serves as an Associate Professor of History and a Public History Certificate Advisor at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Daniel Giovannelli (2022)
Daniel serves as the Vice President of Community Investment with Westmoreland Community Action
Joseph Szczur (2013)
Joseph Szczur has been the District Executive in District 12 since March 2004. Mr. Szczur is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in engineering. He is responsible for nearly 800 employees covering the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania. The four counties of Westmoreland, Washington, Greene and Fayette Counties, have an operational budget of $300 million annually.
Under Mr. Szczur’s leadership the District has been certified in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 “Project Delivery” which gained national recognition. Mr. Szczur also serves on the University of Pittsburgh advisory visiting committee and he is the Chairman of PennDOT’s District Executive Council.
Michael A. Walsh (Founding Member 2000)
Michael A. Walsh joined DCNR as the Deputy Secretary for Administration in June 2015. In this role, Mike is responsible for all budget, administrative services, human resource and information technology support for the department. This role includes providing direction and oversight to the Bureaus of Administrative Services, Human Resources and Information Technology Services; developing, updating and implementing the agency Continuity of Operations Plan; developing and managing strategic funding plans; ensuring strategic IT operations and plans are implemented; overseeing DCNR efficiency and cost saving ideas and plans; leading agency-wide projects; preparing and presenting a variety of reports on tactical and strategic issues; and briefing and advising the Secretary on priority issues and initiatives.
Mike most recently provided consulting services through his firm, the Walsh Strategy Group.
Walsh has served as the Chief of Staff at Harrisburg Area Community College and as Deputy Secretary for Administration for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Prior to this position, Walsh served as Director of Administration at the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Before joining the Gaming Board, he was a Special Assistant to Governor Rendell, and also served as the Executive Assistant to then-Secretary of Administration Robert Barnett. Walsh formerly served as Director of Policy and Communications for then-Senator Allen Kukovich.
He received the partnership’s Distinguished Service Award in 2003. Walsh holds a Master of Public Management degree from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a B.S. in Political Science from St. Vincent College in Latrobe. He and his wife live in the Harrisburg area.
Dr. Whit Watts (2012)
Professor Watts taught in the department of Geography and Regional Planning at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he specialized in the areas of site planning, urban design, land use policy and law. He received his undergraduate degree in urban studies from the University of Wisconsin and his graduate degrees in landscape architecture and environmental planning from the College of Architecture at Virginia Tech.
Over the years he has worked in support of community-based organizations and local municipalities on a variety of recreation, housing, traffic management and land use initiatives. His current areas of research and practice include urban horticulture, civic engagement and urban design.
Dr. Richard J. Hoch (2021)
Richard is a Professor in the Department of Geography, Geology, Environment, and Planning at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. His research involves the intersection of environmental quality, community health, and economic sustainability. He teaches courses in environmental planning, land use and environmental laws, community planning, public health, and geographic information systems. He received his undergraduate degree in History from the University of Pittsburgh, and his graduate degrees in Geography from West Virginia University where he specialized in geographic information systems and remote sensing, and regional development. Richard’s personal interests are water advocacy, sidewalks, and maps.
Prior to academia, Richard worked in industry and the non-profit sectors as a watershed planner, geospatial manager, and spatial data analyst.
Richard is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a Certified Environmental Planner (CEP), and a past Certified Floodplain Manager. When Richard is not working you can usually find him somewhere along the Youghiogheny River or tending to his garden.
