The Jewish Association on Aging has announced two new hires

Tinsy Labrie will assume the position of marketing and public relations director.

Labrie joins the JAA with more than 35 years of experience marketing Pittsburgh brands and was hired to market, brand, advertise and publicize JAA’s initiatives.

She will work to maximize awareness of its many programs and enhance community perception of JAA as a leader in the field of aging services.

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Labrie was vice president of marketing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, helping the hockey team gain national attention during its early success as Stanley Cup contenders.

She ran the marketing and sales department for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra before joining VisitPITTSBURGH, Allegheny County’s official tourism promotion agency, where she spent 17 years marketing Pittsburgh as a tourism destination.

Labrie has a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, having earned her bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa.

Labrie serves on several nonprofit boards: as transplantation auxiliary chair for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation; as fundraising chair for both the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the Theatre Historical Society of America; and as an ad hoc committee member of Pittsburgh International’s Art in the Airport initiative, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the JazzLive International Festival and the Heinz History Center.

Labrie begins her tenure at JAA on Dec. 4.

The JAA will also welcome Jay Sukernek as its new chief financial officer.

Sukernek comes to the JAA after serving as vice president and chief financial officer of Riverlife, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that has a mission to reclaim, restore and promote Pittsburgh’s riverfronts as the environmental, recreational, cultural and economic hub for the people of Pittsburgh.

At Riverlife, Sukernek was responsible for coordinating all facets of business operations and administration, including financial budgeting and reporting, and day-to-day management of various capital projects representing more than $50 million of investment.

He was also responsible for managing and coordinating relationships with private sector stakeholders and staff and elected officials in the public sector at the local, state and federal level to facilitate funding and policy matters, which involved identifying funding opportunities, synching public policy initiatives with Riverlife’s mission and leading efforts to lobby elected officials.

Prior to joining Riverlife, Sukernek was a senior audit manager at Schneider Downs & Co., Inc., where he was a member of both the nonprofit and construction industry groups and his responsibilities included the execution of audit, review and compilation engagements for a broad base of local and national clients.

He also gained experience performing special projects for clients including internal control and operational reviews, litigation support and cash flow projections.

In 2016, Jay was recognized as 2016 Chief Financial Officer of the year by the Pittsburgh Business Times and was also appointed to the City of Pittsburgh Bicentennial Commission by Mayor William Peduto.

A native of Pittsburgh, Sukernek received his Bachelor of Science in business administration from the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond. PJC