AFSP Western PA Board of Directors

Doug Bishop, Treasurer

Doug is a Certified Public Accountant who started his career as an employee of a medium-sized local CPA firm and worked his way up to become a shareholder with that same firm. He has applied his background to support our chapter by overseeing our finances. From fundraising efforts to managing our spending, he has helped us grow successfully since his efforts began in 2015. His involvement started soon after he lost his son to suicide in January 2014. He is very passionate about the cause, and committed to reducing the stigma that surrounds mental health. In addition to his volunteer work, he also is an avid hockey fan, amateur photographer and you may find him attending concerts throughout the year. 

Emily Shimko, Secretary

Emily serves as the Secretary for the Western Pennsylvania Chapter. She began volunteering in 2018 after the loss of her half- brother to suicide.  Emily presents and trains other volunteers to present our educational programs.  Emily is also involved in our community walks and recently brought the college walk to her institution.  Additionally, Emily has engaged in fundraising for AFSP by running the Disney World Marathon and Pittsburgh Half Marathon.  As an Assistant Professor of Health Sciences as La Roche University, Emily is passionate about health improvement.  Emily also serves as Co-Chair of La Roche's Jed Campus Team.  Emily has earned her Doctor of Education and Master of Science degrees from the University Pittsburgh.  Outside of teaching and volunteering, Emily enjoys instructing group fitness, yoga and maintaining her own health through physical activity.

Ryan Strength, Loss & Healing Chair

Ryan is a Digital Product Manager at a Fintech company in Pittsburgh where she is the captain of the community service employee resource group. Originally from Buffalo, NY, she grew up in western PA north of Pittsburgh. She attended Point Park University and studied advertising and public relations.   After losing a loved one to suicide in 2016, Ryan began attending a Survivors of Suicide Loss Grief Support Group. She started volunteering with the AFSP in 2017, became a trained support group facilitator in 2018, and a member of the Nominations & Leadership Committee in 2020.  In her spare time, you can find her hanging out with her husband and their dog Astro, working on her watercolor painting skills, and listening to true crime podcasts. 

Jamie Zelazny, Education Chair

Jamie is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Public Health in Psychiatric Epidemiology and a PhD in Nursing, all from the University of Pittsburgh.  When she was 12 years old, she lost a beloved family member to suicide.  That loss shaped the trajectory of her nursing career.  She has over 35 years of experience in pediatric psychiatric mental health nursing and youth suicide prevention research.  Along with her students at Pitt, she organized the first Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at the University of Pittsburgh, which will be an annual event.  She is passionate about mental health awareness and is dedicated to providing suicide prevention education to the community.  Jamie is very excited about her role as education chair where she will continue to present and will train volunteers to present AFSP’s educational programming to the community.  In her free time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping and spending time with her family. 

Robyn Travers, Volunteer Coordinator

Robyn spends her days working as the office administrator for the Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills. She has been a youth group advisor in her church and in the region since 2017 and it is her passion. It was the loss of 2 of those youths to suicide that brought her to AFSP 2 years ago.

When not at church or working on AFSP stuff, Robyn loves to keep busy traveling and trying new adventures with her husband Bruce.  She lives with Bruce, her adult son James, her 2 dogs and 2 cats.

She has a passion for volunteers and making them feel needed while moving them through the onboarding process as efficiently as possible to that they can do the important work that is needed to stop this epidemic of suicide. 

Jonathan Shimko, Nominations & Leadership Chair

Jonathan serves the Western Pennsylvania Chapter Board as the Nominations and Leadership Committee Chair. In this capacity, Jonathan works to ensure that board members are fulfilling AFSP’s mission and are meeting board expectations. He began volunteering in 2018 and supports the community walks and outreach events. Additionally, Jonathan has engaged in fundraising for AFSP by running in multiple Disney World 10Ks and Half Marathons with his wife Emily (she is the real runner). Bringing awareness and destigmatizing mental health have become passions for Jonathan after struggling with stress management and anxiety himself.

Outside of AFSP, Jonathan serves as Vice President and Practice Executive – Water at Michael Baker International’s Pittsburgh Office. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating strategic pursuits, client engagement and facilitating the successful completion of complex programs and projects covering the entire spectrum of the water cycle. Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Slippery Rock University and a Master of Business Administration from Point Park University. He has also served as a Director and President for the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Jonathan enjoys hiking our beautiful parks and mountains, playing the guitar, watching his favorite sports teams, and is an avid traveler.

Dr. Demetrius Harrell, PhD, Program & Outreach Chair

Demetrius has been passionate about educating and bringing awareness to mental health since serving in the US Army. While honorably serving our great nation for over 22 years and subsequently retiring, he dealt with over 50 suicides that drive his diligence and devotion to minimizing incidents. Demetrius is a passionate advocate and as a board member, he brings his dedication to improving lives and spreading awareness about the importance of mental health.

He is committed to advancing the AFSP’s mission of reducing suicide rates and providing support to those affected by suicide. With a background in psychology and research, Demetrius is determined to work with AFSP to raise awareness, foster meaningful dialogue about mental health, and make a lasting difference in the fight against suicide.