Board of Directors
The Theater’s diverse Board of Directors ranges in skills and backgrounds, with many sharing perspectives from global experiences and/or international roots, seasoned by business expertise. As the governing body, they are dedicated volunteers committed to Theater and its mission.
Renato Bacchi, Treasurer
Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Alcoa Corporation, Renato Bacchi advances the financial expertise of the Theater’s governance. Renato also further expands the multi-culturalism on the theater’s Board of Directors to include South America.
In over 25 years of working with Alcoa in different locations, Renato has held various leadership positions in finance, sales, procurement, energy, strategy and innovation, serving as Alcoa’s Global Treasurer from 2016 to 2022.
Currently, he leads Alcoa’s worldwide commercial strategy, including sales, marketing, procurement, supply chain, energy and breakthrough technologies. He is a member of the Alcoa’s Executive Team and Eagle Executive Sponsor (Alcoa’s inclusion, diversity, and equity (IDE) program to promote an inclusive and welcoming culture for the LGBTQIA+ community).
Renato has completed and passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst certification, completed the Advanced Management Program 196 at Harvard Business School, earned an MBA from Ibmec University in Brazil and received a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of São Paulo.
A resident of Sewickley, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children when not traveling the world for Alcoa.
Harvey “Frzy” Daniels
A 2018 Emmy Award winner, Harvey “Frzy” Daniels is a 2020 Guinness World Record holder and 2020 a member of The Recording Academy/Grammys.
Frzy was introduced to The Lindsay Theater in 2019 on a scouting visit for a music video he later shot there. An East Liberty native, Frzy says one of his proudest moments was performing his Emmy-winning, original hip hop version of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. The segment broke ratings records for PBS/WQED in a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. This accomplishment led to Jan. 11, 2019, being proclaimed Frzy Day in Allegheny County.
The writer and artist jumpstarted his career by winning notable rap battles and now owns a national performance resume that includes Nelly/Naughty by Nature, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Machine Gun Kelly, Wale and many more. He is also a spokesman for the Subway Melt and the face of Steve Madden’s Self-Made national campaign.
In addition to writing and performing, Frzy spends time focused on the development of young artists and other charitable causes. He has addressed students at Harvard Law, Berklee College of Music and Carnegie Mellon University, as well as at area high schools. He belongs to the Artists Initiative Against Hunger and Poverty, part of the charity WhyHunger, supported by Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Santana, K. Michelle and many others. In 2018, Frzy headlined a sold-out benefit Concert for Unity that raised $50,000 for the Tree of Life Synagogue, along with Dan+Shay and in collaboration with Warner Brothers Entertainment and STAR 100.7 FM.
Frzy regularly celebrates the achievements of students involved in The Lindsay’s Cinema Maker Sessions.
Brian F. Duggan, President
Brian F. Duggan, president of ClearList Securities LLC, has built an illustrious career in the financial industry, providing services for professional trading and investment firms. Brian was a former minority owner/board member of Apex Clearing Corp., which focused on fintech firm startups including Robinhood, Stash, Wealthfront and Betterment. Previously he served as managing director of Goldman Sachs Execution and Clearing, which employed 2,000 staff members globally and produced annual revenue of more than $1 billion by the time he retired in 2011. He has assisted many leading financial organizations, banks and broker dealers through these endeavors, as well as through Woodland and West LLC, an investing and consulting firm he serves as a managing member.
Because of his appreciation for film, Brian has generously shared his know-how and leadership with The Lindsay. President of the Allegheny Country Club, he has been very supportive of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony, Pittsburgh Promise and the Chautauqua Lake Sailing Association. A graduate of Miami University of Ohio, he and his wife, Carol, reside with their four children in Sewickley.
Alyssa Hanna Falarski
Alyssa Hanna Falarski, the production and property manager of 31st Street Studios, brings a wealth of experiences to the Board of Directors. Her background spans the management of a flexible 300,000-square foot studio in Pittsburgh’s Strip District for television, films, concerts and events; administration for National Geographic Channels; and on-air and engineering responsibilities for broadcast news.
In her position at 31st Street Studios, Falarski has administered and coordinated theatrical productions that include the Oscar-winning Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Fences; the Fred Rogers feature A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and A League of Their Own; streaming options such as The Pale Blue Eye; cable productions such as Mindhunters and One Dollar; and the TV series Outsiders.
Previously, Falarski served as production and development coordinator for National Geographic Channels in Washington, D.C. Her credits there include writing and development as well as production coordinator for shows such as Cosmos, Hacking the System, Life Below Zero and Alaska State Troopers. Additionally, her broadcast experience includes the engineering department of WPXI and on-air news anchor with WCN-TV in New Wilmington, PA. Early in her career, Falarski produced a documentary about the treatment of women from different religious backgrounds in the Middle East, which was featured on PBS and at film festivals.
Committed to a philosophy of giving back, Falarski shares her talents with a variety of organizations, including the Strip District Neighbors Board of Directors, the Westminster College Alumni Council and the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. In addition, Falarski is active with Academic Year in America, which places foreign exchange students with host families.
Brian Jeffe
Longtime civic leader Brian Jeffe, a partner at Seubert & Associates, has been actively volunteering for over 30 years across the Quaker Valley.
Mayor of Sewickley from 2009 to 2020, he served as the borough’s longest tenured mayor in more than 80 years, overseeing unprecedented growth in the town’s business district.
Brian’s hands-on volunteerism has impacted community initiatives such as the Mary Roberts Rinehart Nature Park, Sewickley Memorial Day Parade Committee and the Woodland Swim Club. He also has served as president of the Quaker Valley Recreation Association and has coached various youth sports.
A cinephile most of his life, Jeffe has regularly attended films at The Lindsay since its 2017 opening. He and his wife, Kate, have lived since 1987 in Sewickley, where they raised five children.
Susan Kaminski, Vice President
Susan Kaminski has made a science of making positive changes, first in the corporate world, then in her community. She studied physics at Clemson University, worked as a staff scientist at the MIT Lincoln Lab, then at Polaroid. Her professional life turned toward customer and employee service at Applied Materials, a high-tech giant in semiconductors and chips. After moving from engineering into executive management roles, Susan retired in 2001.
Now a professional consultant, Susan supports small companies during startup—and has volunteered as a past partner and past board chair of Pittsburgh Social Venture Partners. Children’s causes are top-tier with Susan, who co-founded and co-chaired Youth Connect, served as president of the Child Health Association of Sewickley and the boards of Allies for Children, Nurture PA and Sewickley Valley YMCA. She also sits on the Fern Hollow Nature Center board and the advisory board for Sweetwater Center for the Arts and is a weekly Meals on Wheels volunteer.
A mother of three, she and husband Greg live in Sewickley.
Carla Smith Nash
Carla Smith Nash, executive director of the Quaker Valley’s Union Aid Society, has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, management consulting, executive coaching and financial processes.
In leading the Union Aid Society, Carla is responsible for the organization’s financial aid disbursements as well as community and funding partnerships. She has served as a senior project manager and executive coach for Whirlwind Technologies, a multi-million-dollar firm in the metro Washington, D.C. area, and launched and operates an executive coaching business in the Mid-Atlantic region. Prior to this work, Carla was a director, project manager and performance reviewer for consulting firms in the DC area, managing information technology and financial systems. Additionally, she served as a financial systems consultant for KPMG, one of the “Big Four” accounting firms.
Nash, a Sewickley resident, volunteers her financial skills to the Sewickley Community Center and was involved with Path to Greatness.
Paul O’Neill
Paul O’Neill is the managing member of the O’Neill Alpha Fund, which handles assets in excess of $100M and has outperformed the S&P 500 by 30 percent (net of fees) since its inception in 2007. Now he serves as an advisor for Value Capture LLC, a healthcare consulting firm he co-founded in 2005 as its managing director.
Also managing director of O’Neill Advisory Services since its inception in 2004, Paul advises high-net worth individuals and family offices on their investments. For a decade, Paul has held various leadership positions at The Ayco Company LP, a Goldman Sachs company. A partner since 1996, he served as a financial advisor and staff attorney before advancing to Ayco’s vice president of counseling, with the primary responsibility of advising CEOs, senior executives at Fortune 500 companies and high-net worth individuals.
Paul started his career as an associate attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll, joining the firm after graduating from Hofstra University’s School of Law in 1990. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northern University (cum laude)—and has made a point to extend his talents to nonprofits.
A trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, Paul serves on several community boards besides the theater, including the Sen. John Heinz History Center. Paul, wife Celine and sons Reils and Jackson are all regular movie goers.
Janis Pereira, Secretary
Jan Pereira merges her industrial training and organizational skills with cause-oriented volunteer efforts at The Lindsay and beyond.
Jan earned a BS in industrial education degree from Texas A&M, wrote training and safety programs for building trades, construction, the oil industry and food service, then moved into executive development for Great Tool Co. An operations auditor for Houston Industries power, she completed efficiency studies, reorganizations and succession planning.
Since her college years, Jan has followed her heart for volunteer work, starting with a Habitat-like home improvement mission and remaining active for years as a Big Sister. In 1996, she “retired” from industry, when she and husband Marc moved to Brazil. For six years, she dedicated herself to enhancing the quality of life for Brazil’s impoverished youth, bolstering more than 30 organizations, from fundraising to assist schools for the blind and their students, providing wheelchairs for those in need, and improving girls’ organizations and American-style Little League.
With two children and a move to Sewickley in 2002, Jan was a local sports booster and Scout leader, but also volunteered with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the Child Health Association of Sewickley and the Lupus Foundation (an ongoing cause). She also supports Team Tassy, a nonprofit that prepares and places Haitians into jobs with on-the-ground training.
Formerly Construction Chair of The Theater, Jan continues to oversee The Lindsay’s facilities management.
Seán Sebastian
Seán Sebastian, founding partner of Pittsburgh/San Francisco-based Birchmere Ventures, has spent over two decades in venture capital and technology commercialization. He also is a partner at Black Tech Nation Ventures, a majority Black owned and diverse-invested national technology fund that focuses on wealth creation for underinvested entrepreneurs and untapped innovative markets.
His string of successful investments leading to initial public offerings includes Cvent, CymaBay, FreeMarkets, NuPathe and ServiceWare. Before working at GE Information Services and American Management Systems, Seán earned degrees at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (BSME) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (MBA). He also proudly served in the U.S. Air Force following his undergraduate ROTC experience.
Related board roles include 3 Rivers Venture Fair, Pittsburgh Technology Council, Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative and Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association.
On the artsy side, Seán is a passionate fan of indie music and film. In addition to chairing WYEP-FM’s board and capital campaign, he’s a board member of the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Whiskey Museum of America, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and the Duquesne Club. Classic Humphrey Bogart films and B-grade/supporting films are his secret passion.
Alex Simakas
Alex, founder of Fort Willow Developers LLC, most recently developed a 120,000 square-foot industrial building, two acres of vacant land and a two-story office building in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville section. This real estate is the remaining asset from a steel fabrication business, IDSI, which Alex started in March 2000 and sold 10 years later.
Before this business venture, Alex was an associate at the Pittsburgh law firm of Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir. He earned his undergraduate business administration degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, followed by a JD/MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Alex has served on several nonprofit boards, including the American Cancer Society of Greater Pittsburgh and The Joshua Foundation. He, his wife, Neill, and their three children live in Sewickley.
