About Our Board Members
Ed DeRose — Chairman/Sales & Marketing
Bio Coming Soon!
Stephen M. Higgins — Vice Chairman/Curator
Stephen Higgins is a proud 1975 graduate of Beaver Falls High School and a former wide receiver for the University of Alabama, where he played under legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. After a 30-year career with American Airlines, he retired to spend more time with his four daughters and six grandchildren. Stephen has dedicated more than thirteen years of service to the Larry Bruno Foundation and currently serves as vice chairman and curator.
Artie DeSisto — Treasurer
Bio Coming Soon!
Peter J. Pietrandrea — Solicitor
Peter Pietrandrea grew up in Koppel and is a 1976 graduate of Beaver Falls High School. He earned his BA from Allegheny College in 1980 and his JD from Ohio Northern University in 1984. Peter has operated a private law practice in Cranberry Township since 1989, where he lives with his wife, Maria. They are the proud parents of three children: Peter III, Michael, and Gina. Peter serves the Larry Bruno Foundation as board solicitor.
Paula Borghi Durish — Secretary
Paula Durish graduated from Beaver Falls High School in 1977 and began working at the Beaver Falls City Building just one month later—where she has proudly served for nearly five decades. She plans to retire in June 2026. In her spare time, Paula enjoys shopping and tackling home projects with her husband, Frank. She contributes her organizational expertise to the Larry Bruno Foundation as board secretary.
Valerie Bruno Wright — Fundraising Board Member
Valerie Wright, a 1972 graduate of Beaver Falls High School, went on to earn her BS from Slippery Rock University in 1976. She devoted 25 years to Allencrest Detention Center and 12 years to Midland Wellness Center, and currently teaches Silver Sneakers at Fitness 1440. Valerie brings deep community ties and a commitment to youth development to her role on the Larry Bruno Foundation’s fundraising board.
James Carbone — Academic Liaison
James Carbone is a graduate of Beaver Falls High School and continued his education at Geneva College and Youngstown State University. He currently serves the Big Beaver Falls Area School District as Athletic Director and as an educator in the Business Education Department. Dedicated to supporting student achievement and community athletics, James has been a member of the Larry Bruno Foundation Board since 2016.
Joe Ursida — Geneva Liaison
Joe Ursida is a 1964 graduate of Beaver Falls High School and a 1968 graduate of Geneva College, where he earned a degree in business education and served as co-captain of the football team his senior year. He went on to a distinguished coaching career, including serving as head football coach at New Brighton, where his 1994 team captured the school’s first WPIAL championship since 1951 and earned him Coach of the Year honors. He was named one of the Top 100 Geneva College football players from 1950–1975 and was inducted into the New Brighton Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Linwood Alford — Community Relations
Linwood Alford graduated from Beaver Falls Senior high school in 1962 letter in basketball and track join tabernacle Baptist Church at the age of 13 after graduation went on to Garfield business school now serving as vice president at Lincoln Park performing art school as well as vice president of Community development Beaver County Director of civil rights and economic justice for the Beaver-Lawrence central labor Council now working as a tip staff at the Beaver County Courthouse member of the board Larry Bruno foundation childhood best friend to Joe Willi Namath.
Henry "Butch" Rousseau — Goodwill Ambassador
Butch Rousseau is remembered as one of the greatest all-around athletes in Beaver Falls High School history, earning letters in baseball, football, and basketball. A standout football player, he was considered the school’s greatest punter, averaging 43 yards per punt during the 1966 season while also excelling as a running back. On the baseball field, he helped lead the team to a section title as a pitcher. After high school, Butch served in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1972, completing two tours in Vietnam. He later dedicated many years to coaching, helping guide the Beaver High School girls’ softball team to a WPIAL championship in 2014 and earning Coach of the Year honors that same season.
Joe Namath — Advisory Committee Member
Joe Namath is a 1961 graduate of Beaver Falls High School and one of the most celebrated athletes to come from the community. A standout in football, basketball, and baseball, he went on to play quarterback at the University of Alabama leading the Crimson Tide to a national championship in 1964. Namath later starred in the NFL, most notably with the New York Jets, where he famously guaranteed and delivered a victory in Super Bowl III, earning Super Bowl MVP honors. A Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Namath remains one of the most iconic quarterbacks in football history and a proud representative of Beaver Falls.
Kevin Hogue — Advisory Committee Member
Bio Coming Soon!
Rick Mancini — Advisory Committee Member
Rick Mancini, a 1972 graduate of Beaver Falls High School, was a three-year class president and a WPIAL all-star in both football and baseball. He earned an accounting degree from the University of Louisville in 1976 and a JD from Ohio Northern University in 1979. Rick practiced law in Cleveland and Beaver County until 2023, served as a varsity football coach at Beaver Falls High School, and taught constitutional law at Geneva College. He was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and into the Larry Bruno Foundation Circle of Achievement in 2018. Rick now serves on the foundation’s advisory committee, bringing a lifetime of leadership and dedication to local youth and athletics.
Ed Giannini — Honorary Board Member
Bio Coming Soon!