Seton Hill University’s Board of Trustees recently welcomed four new members: David G. Assard; Barbara Ann Boss, S.C., (SHU ’71); Sara G. Cutting, (SHU ’62), and Sylvia Hill Fields, (SHU ’78).

David G. Assard was born in Bristol, Connecticut and earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Connecticut. Assard joined the U.S. Navy’s Naval Aviation Cadet program in July 1953 and was designated a naval aviator in November 1954. He flew for the Navy for 13 years and resigned as a Navy lieutenant commander. Assard retired in 2002 with over 40 years in the business community, holding positions of president, chief operating officer, chief executive officer or chairman for six separate companies since 1980. Among these companies were Penske Power, Gas Turbine Corporation (Div. Chromalloy America), Textron Lycoming, Cessna Aircraft, McCauley Propeller and Elliott Turbomachinery Company in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. Married with four grown children and six grandchildren, Assard lives with his wife Linda in Greensburg, Pa.

Sister Barbara Ann Boss has been president of Elizabeth Seton Center since 2001, having previously served as its director of Child-Care Services for 14 years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Seton Hill University, a Master of Science in Education degree from Duquesne University, and a Master of Science in Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame. In her career, Sister Barbara Ann has been a teacher and has served as the education coordinator for Head Start at Seton Hill Child Services, where she is currently a board member. She is also a board member of the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, the Brookline Chamber of Commerce, and Mainstay Life Services.

Sara Gill Cutting is a full-time lecturer in the English department at Kent State University. Prior to serving in this position, Cutting volunteered for several organizations, including the Association of Junior Leagues International, the Junior League of Cleveland and the Cleveland Orchestra. Cutting received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and English at Seton Hill University in 1962 and her Master of Liberal Studies from Kent State University in 1990. After receiving her B.A. from Seton Hill, Cutting taught English and communication skills for many years in the Cleveland Public Schools; Montgomery County, Maryland; Morse High School in Bath, Maine and Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. Cutting currently resides with her husband Malcolm in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Sylvia Hill Fields has served as director of the Eden Hall Foundation since May 1996. In this position, she is the media spokesperson and coordinates the Eden Hall Foundation grantmaking function. Fields is responsible for the allocation of over $9 million annually. A veteran grantmaker and administrator, Fields is the first African American woman to direct a major private foundation in the Pittsburgh region. She began her grantmaking career at the Duquesne Light Company where she also managed the Employee Involvement Committee, United Way Annual Campaign and the company school partnership program. While at Duquesne Light, Fields also established a Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy. Active in various professional organizations, Fields is a member of the Council on Foundations, serves as a director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and is a past director of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. Fields received a bachelor degree from Seton Hill University and a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University. She and her husband Fred have two children, Justin, 16 and Jettie, 14.