Board of Directors

Jason Jesso is the Chief Executive Officer for The Gateway Engineers Inc., a 200-person multi-disciplinary civil engineering firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. As CEO, Jesso’s focus is on establishing, implementing, and communicating the vision of the organization, both internally and externally. Prior to joining Gateway, Jesso was a Landscape Architect for two independent architecture and engineering firms in Pittsburgh where he learned how to combine both design and engineering into a single solution. Jesso obtained his Bachelor’s of Science in Landscape Architecture from West Virginia University and his Master’s of Business Administration  from Waynesburg University. After completing his MBA, he received a certificate from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business, Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence. He then went on to complete more professional certifications such as the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and join multiple industry associations such as the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Project Management Institute. Outside of his professional organizational involvement, he has also volunteered on the St. Bernard School Advisory Council, the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, and the Mt. Lebanon Hornets hockey program.

Michael is a recently retired Mechanical Engineer who has spent the last 30 years in Operations and Maintenance for ATI Specialties Materials Company.   He retired as the Director of Operations, and his final project was the installation of a High-Tech Annealing line for ATI.  Mike is married to Kathleen Bench and has 3 daughters: Kathryn (Jake) Arentzen, Colleen Bench, and Kelly Bench.  Katie and Jake have 2 children, Connor and Riley, providing Mike and Kathleen with 2 wonderful grandchildren.

While Mike is a graduate of Baldwin High School, he is a firm advocate for Catholic School education.  His three daughters have all attended 12+ years of Catholic school and have each graduated from Seton LaSalle (Katie ’13, Colleen ’16, and Kelly ’19). Mike first started advocating for Catholic schools while assisting Kathleen in various galas and fundraising events for Saint Patrick’s grade school in Canonsburg.  That commitment naturally extended to Seton LaSalle as his daughters attended.  Based on his public-school experience, Mike recognized that there is a better way to educate our kids in a faith-based atmosphere that creates opportunities that weren’t available to him. 
Mike is a committed Parishioner of Saint John XXIII (Saint Benedict the Abbott Church) in Peters Township.

 

He served 6 years as a member and President of the Pastoral Council and was instrumental in developing a new path forward from the historical Parish Council model. He was also involved with the building of a new church building.  Mike was a founding member of the Saint Vincent Paul Society at Saint Ben’s and served multiple appointments as the Secretary of the group.  

Heather Dieckmann is the Mortgage Department supervisor at SSB Bank and has been working there since January 2017. Heather oversees consumer loan origination for SSB Bank along with overseeing the residential mortgage team. SSB Bank is a community bank with 2 locations - the North Side of Pittsburgh, and in McCandless. From October 2017 to April 2016 she worked as a mortgage specialist at United America Savings Bank (purchased by Famers National Bank in April 2016). Heather was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA earning her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Duquesne University in 2004 after graduating from Seton LaSalle in 2000. She currently serves on the Executive Board and Board of Directors of the Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (BAMP), Regional Vice President for Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA), Board of Directors of Mortgage Bankers of Southwest PA, Board of Directors of Every Child lnc., and member of the Rotary Club of Bethel-St. Clair.

Jeff Peretin is president and CEO at Connors Group, a leading management consulting firm, where he is responsible for partnering with executive teams to develop and deliver transformational strategies and tactics to establish operational excellence. Jeff has spent the majority of his career in the consulting industry working with over 500 organizations throughout the world. He is a recognized thought leader who has spoken throughout the country on the topics of industrial engineering, lean, and productivity improvement. Prior to Connors Group, Jeff worked for Accenture and H.B. Maynard and Company. Jeff is an active volunteer and has served on other advisory boards for organizations such as Young Life, and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Industrial Engineering. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and a veteran of the United States Navy who served on active duty during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. He lives in Peters Township with his wife and four children, two of whom are Seton LaSalle graduates and one a current student. He and his family are active members of St. Catherine Laboure Parish in Upper St. Clair.