Board & Staff

Ash Andrews

Ash Andrews (they/she) first became interested in sustainability and creativity as a youth while using household discards like bottle caps, film canisters, and pistachio shells to create complex imaginary worlds. It was only after setting off to explore the real world when Ash truly began to see the global ecological connections between "making do" and the transformative potential of reuse and creativity for the environment, community, and self. Ash holds a B.A. in Humanities, Art History, and Studio Art from the University of Pittsburgh, and also studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Seton Hill University, and the University of Amsterdam. After an immersive experience in various permaculture communities in Hawaii, Ash moved to Pittsburgh to continue their exploration of sustainable, thriving communities. Ash became the executive director of the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse in 2016, after working at the center in various roles for 5 years. Under Ash's leadership, the center has kept over 166 tons of materials from entering the landfill and has reinvested those materials back into the very same communities in which they originated. In 2020, Ash was named a 40 Under 40 honoree by Pittsburgh Magazine. Follow along with Ash’s adventures on Instagram at @ash_and____ 

Stacy Johnson, Secretary

 Stacy Johnson is a graduate of Carlow University where she earned her Bachelors degree in Political Science. She has earned her Masters of Social Work and Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. 

Ms. Johnson is a foster care alumni who has been an advocate for foster care youth since 2005. As a foster youth, she was involved in litigation that was monumental for the betterment of children in the foster care system in Allegheny County. Ms. Johnson is a recipient of multiple awards including Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s “Champion of Hope and Healing”, and the New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Fab 40”.  Ms. Johnson advocates for youth in care as State Director of The Bair Foundation, and by writing letters of support for policy changes and through advocacy collaborations with various organizations.

Eric Lipsky, President

Eric Lipsky is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State - Greater Allegheny Campus.  He is an experimental researcher in air-quality, measuring emissions from combustion sources and ambient air-quality.  Eric is also a musician, and plays locally with the Haygood Paisleys, playing Appalachian Fiddle music.  He is a founding member of the Steel City Squares, which organizes community square dances in the Pittsburgh area.  Eric has been serving on the board of the credit union for 15 years, and in 2022 was elected Board President.

Martha "Marty" Nesmith

Marty Nesmith is the mother of 3 children. Marty is from Beaver Falls, and comes from a family of 10 and a set of parents who have instilled 3 core values: honesty, trustworthiness and hard work. Those values helped Marty to maintain her position as an executive at Kauffmans and share her wisdom in the communities when it comes to financial literacy and understanding what it means. Marty is currently employed at Environmental Charter Highschool as a lunch assistant and she spends most of her time helping people around her.

Elise Nolan

Elise Nolan is a tech professional and educator, with 20 years of experience in ecommerce, web development, and fintech. She holds an MSIT from Robert Morris University, as well as multiple professional certifications. She is currently a PMO Practice Lead and the owner of Green Fuse Consulting, a Pittsburgh-based women-owned and women-led business. Aside from standard project management and coaching work, Elise also provides digital portfolio and program support on large-scale implementation projects. Elise also acts as Executive In Residence for the University of Pittsburgh School of Business and runs the school's Project Management Academy. 

Jason Pampena, Treasurer

Jason is the founder of Worker's Pride Financial LLC, a solo tax practice that specializes in working with self-employed people and small businesses in the solidarity economy. A cooperative enthusiast and regenerative investor, Jason also serves on the boards of Maple Valley Cooperative, a sustainable producer of organic maple products, and Northwest Pennsylvania Investment Cooperative, a community-controlled commercial real estate developer. Jason worked 10 years as a professional firefighter, where he was treasurer of firefighters' labor union IAFF Local 1038. He holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Pittsburgh, and completed a postgraduate fellowship at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 

Tom Pandaleon

Tom Pandaleon is a founding member of the EEFCFCU and served as its President from 1993 until 2022. He graduated from Duquesne University Law School that year, and has been in private, general practice since then. He also serves as Vice President on the Board of the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, and has been a past President of the Board of the Parkinson Chapter of Greater Pittsburgh. Tom has appreciated the East End Food Co-op community’s long-term support for its Credit Union, in the form of office space, generous support of its volunteers, and for its marketing support. With the transition to professional staff in 2015, he looks forward to an era of vital growth and the Credit Union‘s greater impact serving the people of the East End.

Kirsten Rokke

Kirsten is the General Manager of the East End Food Co-op FCU.  Kirsten brings  wide-ranging experiences to the Credit Union including 15+ years in nonprofit operations and financial management.  You can contact Kirsten at k.rokke@eefcfcu.org.