Gretchen hails from the state of Ohio, bringing enthusiasm and passion for opportunities that increase civic participation, provide accessible education and cultivate a healthier society. Her career centers on university administration and external outreach, and she currently serves as an associate director of alumni relations and development for the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Before moving to Pittsburgh,Gretchen worked for Mortar Board National Honor Society headquartered at The Ohio State University. There she expanded the fellowship program by developing the organizations annual fund, increasing giving and participation by 10percent.

Gretchen is a graduate of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. In addition to her degree, she holds a certificate in Global Leadership. She has studied and worked in Dublin, Rome,Florence and Budapest.

As a member of the Junior League, Gretchen chairs a community project committee leading a community-build playground in the North Side’s South Perry neighborhood. More than 300 volunteers worked together to install the playground in less than eight hours. She previously served as the Director of Communication and on the executive committee for the League’s principal fundraiser, a designers’ show house that raised more than $121,000 to provide the Pittsburgh community with safe play spaces for children.