Charles R. Zappala Appointed Commonwealth Trustee On Pitt Board of Trustees

PITTSBURGH-Charles R. Zappala of Mt. Lebanon, Pa.-chair of Summa Group, LLC-has been appointed by Pennsylvania House Speaker Dennis M. O'Brien of Philadelphia to be a Commonwealth trustee on the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees.

A privately held investment and development company, Summa Group, LLC, focuses on energy efficiency and renewable power as well as real estate.

Zappala was one of the founding principals of Russell, Rea, Zappala & Gomulka Holdings, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based investment banking holding company formed in 1978 and specializing in debt underwriting, money management, and corporate finance.

In addition, Zappala has founded or acquired and then developed and sold companies ranging from residential structured wiring and plastics manufacturing to hydroelectric power and financial services.

Zappala graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in government and earned the LLB degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He also has served on numerous civic and/or charitable boards, among them the Allegheny County Regional Asset District (including service as chair), the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, the Negro Educational Emergency Drive, the National Conference for Community and Justice, Pittsburgh's City Theatre, the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission.

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