About – II4T

The II4T Mission:

Founded in 2018, the Innovation Institute for Tomorrow, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) education nonprofit located in Franklin, PA. As a thought leader in a robust STEM ecosystem, II4T works to advance K-12 STEM education by removing barriers and creating opportunities for both students and teachers. II4T has been successful in providing regional school districts these opportunities by partnering with K-12 Schools, Colleges and Universities, Business and Industry, Workforce and Economic Development Agencies, Nonprofits, and State and Local Government.

01.

Our Mission

Provide sustainable, world-class STEM experiences to prepare all students for the 21st century workforce

02.

Our Vision

With a focus on equity, access, and belonging, deliver transformative STEM programming to every child

03.

Our Approach

Create innovative education opportunities that engage and excite kids as we create community-driven outcomes

Innovation Institute for Tomorrow Staff

Tim has 22 years of experience as an educator, and his passion for teaching inspired him to bring revolutionary STEM opportunities to teachers around the country. He founded the PA Rural Robotics Initiative in 2018, which transformed into the Innovation Institute For Tomorrow. His passion to inspire students and empower teachers and administrators through STEM has positioned him as a ecosystem and thought leader in STEM education and workforce development.

Tim Heffernan

President and CEO

After 18 years of coaching high school boys basketball, Steve pivoted to teaching Emerging Technologies at Franklin Area High School. Since joining II4T, Steve has led the VEX Robotics competitions for our PA Rural Robotics Initiative member schools and delivered student experiences and teacher professional development statewide. Steve is excited to be part of our dynamic team developing II4T in Franklin and assisting our regional school districts on their STEM journeys.

Steve Cutchall

Program Manager

Innovation Institute for Tomorrow Board of Trustees

Jill Foys is the Executive Director of the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission in Oil City, PA. The Northwest Commission is a regional community and economic development agency serving the counties of Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, and Warren. Jill serves as Chairman of the Local Development District Association of Pennsylvania, is a Director of the North Clarion County School District and is the Chairman of the Clarion County Career and Technical Center Joint Operating Committee.

Jill A. Foys

Northwest Commission, Executive Director

Rachel Burcin focuses on growing and diversifying the robotics workforce. Through inclusive education design, assessment, and policy advocacy, Rachel has created symbiotic partnerships and funded educational initiatives that expand organizational impact and ultimately broaden participation in robotics. Rachel is interested in building upon these significant successes and body of knowledge to investigate scale and sustainability for systems-level change of the global robotics workforce. The educational programming and learning communities that she designs are aligned with regional and national STEM economic development initiatives.

Rachel E. Burcin

Carnegie Mellon University, Global Programs Manager

Chip Abramovic serves as the Board Chair of II4T. As a Venango County Commissioner, Chip has consistently worked to improve the lives of local residents and promote economic growth. Notably, Chip holds the position of President of the Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Chip serves as a Special Advisor to the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Chip's dedication extends further into academia and workforce, with a seat on the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics Board of Fellows, as an active member of the National Association of Counties Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and as a Northwest Workforce Development Board, member previously serving as the Chair of the Northwest Commission.

Albert A. Abramovic

Venango County, Commissioner

Bill Vonada is currently in his ninth year, proudly serving as the Superintendent of the Cranberry Area School District. Prior to becoming Superintendent at Cranberry, Bill was the Cranberry Jr. Sr. High School Principal for seven years. He began his public school career in the Franklin Area School District, serving as the Assistant High School Principal and High School Principal. Bill’s entire professional career has been devoted to being a champion for children and public education.

William C. Vonada

Cranberry Area School District, Superintendent

Matt is the Assistant Executive Director of Riverview Intermediate Unit 6, and formerly a Principal, Coach, and Math Teacher in Valley Grove and a few other Venango County Schools. Matt is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for UPMC-Northwest and is the Lay Leader for his church, Trinity United Methodist Church. He is on the Youth Committees of the Northwest and North Central Workforce Development Boards, serves on the CEDS Committee, and connects to the GR8T Manufacturing Partnership. Lastly, he is the PDE Liaison for Career Readiness in North Central PA.

Matthew LaVerde

Erie County Technical School, Director

Charles T. Rosen

Rosen, Varsek, and Rosen, Attorney

Judd R. Pittman is a champion for policies, practices and programs that help learners enter careers that enable them to attain a family thriving wage. Judd spent 8 years as a middle school science teacher in Harrisburg City School District and spent 7 years serving on the Harrisburg City School District and Dauphin County Technical School Boards of Directors. He has served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as an educational consultant at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), as the Special Consultant to the Secretary of Education for STEM and as the Director of K -16 Initiatives at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. He now serves as the Director for the Bureau of Career and Technical Education. In addition Judd serves as the Chair for the International STEM Learning Ecosystem Community of Practice (SLECOP).

Judd R. Pittman

PA Department of Education, Director of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education

Hayden Rigo has worked in-and-around government, forging valuable relationships with elected officials, since graduating from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. Hayden currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor, working to put his boss and the department in the best position to succeed. Prior to his public service, Hayden represented numerous clients in front of the Pennsylvania General Assembly at a contract lobby firm in Harrisburg; he also spent time with the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania on their government relations team.

Hayden G. Rigo

Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, Deputy Chief of Staff

Timothy James is an instructor at the University of Pittsburgh Computer Science department, as well as a VP of Engineering and Data Science at Triple, where he works with a team of engineers to build card-linked offers that save people money. Before Triple, he spent time in a variety of industries including machine learning software, advertising, Internet consulting, finance, defense contracting, aviation maintenance, telecommunications, capital markets, and sandwich artistry. Timothy hopes to continue actively engaging the community in technical training and CS education efforts.

Timothy James

Instructor at University of Pittsburgh

Sarah Pistella is a Program Officer at the McElhattan Foundation, where she spearheads transformative grantmaking initiatives focused on economic development in the communities of Knox and Franklin, PA. A driven advocate for community growth and resilience, Sarah is passionate about empowering bold leaders and community members who are dedicated to shaping a more vibrant and sustainable future for their regions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Gannon University and a Politics and Public Policy certificate from The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. Sarah is also a proud graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh’s Leadership Development Initiative, which has further honed her commitment to fostering change and inspiring collaborative community solutions.