2 health care leaders receive Greensburg Salem alumni honors

Several members of the Greensburg Salem High School Class of 1977 gathered for an impromptu reunion Friday to help honor two of their classmates.

Albert J. Novak Jr. of Hempfield and Dr. Susan Manzi of Wexford were honored as the school’s 2019 Distinguished Alumni at a dinner presented by the Greensburg Salem Education Foundation at Ferrante’s Lakeview Restaurant in Hempfield.

Growing up not far from each other, in the respective Salem villages of Slickville and Crabtree, each has made a lasting impact in the field of health care.

Novak is vice president and chief development officer of Excela Health, overseeing two foundations that raise funds to support projects at the Westmoreland County health system’s three hospitals and several ambulatory care facilities.

Manzi is chair of the Medicine Institute at Allegheny Health Network and founder of the Lupus Center of Excellence, a model for care and research for patients with chronic autoimmune diseases. She’s gained recognition for pioneering new blood tests used in diagnosing and managing such diseases.

“I’ve been in philanthropy for 32 years,” Novak said, including 14 years as vice chancellor for institutional advancement at the University of Pittsburgh. There, he was part of a team that raised more than $2 billion in a campaign for the university.

“Now I’m back working in my hometown for my hometown hospital,” including an effort that raised $1 million for Excela cancer care programs, he said.

Philanthropy is “not about the money. It’s about the impact on human lives,” Novak told the gathering that included more than a dozen Greensburg Salem students. “When you share your time, talent and treasure, that sacrifice makes you a better person. It allows you to look beyond yourself and put others first.”

Manzi encouraged those in the audience to be lifelong learners.

“Every day I learn something new,” she said. “When you’re a lifelong learner, you’re forced to step out of your comfort zone. I have never regretted jumping in and taking chances.”

Todd Turin, one of four co-chairs of the alumni award program, said Novak and Manzi exemplify the qualities the honor recognizes.

“I think of service to our community, service to others and just someone that our students at Greensburg Salem would do very well to model in their own lives,” he said.

The Greensburg Salem Education Foundation, formed in 2012, supports scholarships for the school district’s students and provides grants to support teacher projects.

This year’s alumni award dinner, though not intended as a fundraiser, prompted a record $10,700 in donations and sponsorships, according to event co-chair Anita Leonard.