Meet the Western Pennsylvania Board of Directors

Doug Bishop, Board Chair/Nominations & Leadership Chair

Doug was a Certified Public Accountant who started his career as an employee of a small local CPA firm, worked his way up to become a shareholder and helped to grow that firm considerably during his 40+ year career there. He has applied his background to support our chapter by overseeing our finances, and has now moved into the Board Chair role. From his own personal fundraising efforts, continued attendance at both chapter and national events, and providing leadership and experience on the chapter's board of directors, he has helped us grow successfully since his efforts began in July 2015. His involvement started soon after he lost his son, Alex, to suicide in January 2014. He is very passionate about the cause, and committed to reducing the stigma that surrounds mental health as well as support those who have lost a loved one. When not in his role with AFSP, you will find him at musical events around town (usually with a craft beer in his hand), shooting landscape photography across the area, or watching a Pittsburgh sporting event.

Donna Pandullo, Board Treasurer 

Donna was born and raised just East of Pittsburgh in a bedroom community that didn’t talk much about mental health. She still lives in the house where she was raised - with her husband (David), her daughter (Carley), and her granddaughter (Emma). Her son (Ben) along with his wife (Samantha) and their son (Elijah), live a few miles away, as does her grandson (Aiden). 

Donna, an accountant by trade, is now an Executive Assistant at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. Working in this environment, Donna has seen how mental health affects so many. Never imagining that this could affect her own family, Donna lost her son, Edward, to suicide in September 2020. To honor him at the one-year milestone, she and her family attended the Pittsburgh Out of the Darkness Walk. Seeing that UPMC was underrepresented at the walk, Donna took it upon herself to "get the word out" and to involve as many people at UPMC as she could. Now UPMC participates in many Out of the Darkness Walks across the Commonwealth and is a Champion Sponsor in Western PA.

Donna joined the board to make a bigger statement in her quest to substantially reduce suicides and to stop the stigma around mental health. Donna’s mantra from the beginning has been “If I help one person and/or family to not experience what we have, I have made a difference.”

Robyn Travers, Board Secretary/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. 

Sarah Lamb Waddell, Loss & Healing Chair 

Sarah is a Pittsburgh native and resident, currently living in the city with her husband, daughter, and menagerie of rescued cats. She has been involved with AFSP since 2018, when she lost her mother to suicide; that year, she signed up for her first Out of the Darkness walk. After the loss of her big brother to suicide in 2020, she felt a drive to increase her involvement with AFSP and signed on as a volunteer - first receiving training to table events, followed by providing 1:1 support through Healing Conversations and facilitating suicide loss support groups.

Through AFSP, Sarah discovered the personal fulfillment she received from connecting with people by helping to bring a light of a hope into their lives. This discovery led her to work in the peer support sector of mental health, holding certifications from the PA board as both a Peer Specialist and a Family Recovery Specialist.

Sarah is a living witness to the power of peer support, especially when dealing with a traumatic loss and trying to navigate complex grief. Finding a community of people who “get it” was essential to her healing process and, as the Loss and Healing Chair for the Western PA chapter, Sarah’s goal is to help other survivors of suicide loss navigate their own journey. Sarah is driven by her love for those she has lost, and an aspiration to help others in their memory. Turning her pain into her purpose has become Sarah’s passion; in helping others find healing, she has found healing herself. 

Kaela Huston, Fundraising Chair/Community Walk Chair

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Kaela is deeply rooted in the city and envisions spending her life there. Her own journey through adolescence, especially high school, was marked by significant mental health struggles that shaped who she is today. These experiences inspired her to dedicate herself to supporting others who may feel alone, reassuring them that it’s okay to open up about their feelings and seek help when needed.

Kaela is deeply passionate about fitness and the positive impact that movement, consistency, and community can have on overall wellbeing. Through her work as a coach, she has seen firsthand how prioritizing physical health can also support confidence, resilience, and mental wellness. She intentionally uses her platform to create supportive, inclusive spaces where conversations around mental health are encouraged and normalized alongside fitness goals.

Her commitment to mental wellbeing extends beyond coaching and into her advocacy with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. As the Community Walk Chair and Fundraising Chair, Kaela is dedicated to raising awareness, building meaningful connections, and supporting AFSP’s mission through community engagement and fundraising efforts that help advance lifesaving education, research, and support programs.

Jamie Zelazny-Education Committee Lead Member

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 in the education committee where she will continue to present, as well as 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.