University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Varsity Letter Club Honors 2019 Awardees of Distinction
2/27/2019 2:50:00 PM | General
Seven Members Welcomed in 58th Annual Event
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh Varsity Letter Club welcomed seven new members at the 2019 Awardees of Distinction at the 58th Annual Pitt Varsity Letter Club Awards Dinner Friday, March 8 at the Westin Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh.
The 2019 Awardees of Distinction featured the introduction of Roberto Croce (men's soccer), Dr. Gregory P. Meisner (football), William Moorhead (men's track & field), Laura Lee Nerone Reinhart (women's swimming), Todd Toerper (football), Ed Wilamowski (football) and Dr. M Allison Williams (women's track and field).
Roberto Croce
A resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., Roberto Croce graduated with honors from the University of Pittsburgh in 1991 after earning a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Marketing.
Roberto played soccer while at Pitt, and was named team captain in the 1990 season. He was also recognized as the team's Co-MVP in 1990 and 1991 while earning Big East Academic All-Star honors in the same years.
Roberto has spent the past 23 years working as an executive for American Eagle Outfitters. Since 1996, he has held several different roles within American Eagle, most recently being named the Senior Vice President of Global Digital Commerce in 2012.
Roberto is also very involved in the community. He is a University of Pittsburgh Varsity Letter Club Board Member, and was also an MTLSA volunteer coach from 2003 to 2015. Roberto has been a member of the St. Bernards Catholic Church since 1990, and works with eight different charities, both locally and nationally.
Roberto is married to Beth Croce and the father of three children; Elisabetta, Luigino and Giuseppe.
Dr. Gregory P. Meisner
Pittsburgh area native Dr. Gregory P. Meisner, a 1981 graduate from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Psychology, starred for some of the best teams in Pitt history and excelled in the NFL for more than a decade.
Meisner was a four-year letterwinner for Pitt football from 1977-80, contributing as a starting defensive tackle for the Panthers as the team finished with four straight winning seasons, including consecutive 11-1 campaigns with bowl victories in 1979 and '80.
Meisner was drafted in the third round of the 1981 NFL Draft and played 11 seasons in the league, featuring primarily for the Los Angeles Rams and also the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants.
After his playing career, Meisner earned his Doctor of Chiropractic from the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in 1995. He then founded Meisner Landscape Company and began consulting and speaking for athletes in California and around the country.
Since returning to the Pittsburgh area in 2005, Meisner has served as the Athletic Director at Hempfield Area, where he was also the head football coach for several seasons.
Greg is married to fellow Pitt grad Mary Jean Meisner and the couple have two sons who also played college football: Gregory II and Shane.
William Moorhead
A Pittsburgh, Pa. resident, Bill Moorehead graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. Moorehead would then go on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1988.
Moorehead was a member of the Pitt track and field and cross country squads for three seasons while being named to the All-America Track and Field team and All-Big East team during the 1983 campaign. He was also a member of the outdoor distance medley relay squad that set a school record in the event in 1983, a record that still stands today.
He has over 25 years of experience representing a broad range of sophisticated national and international businesses in chemical processing, manufacturing, construction and health care, in all phases of commercial activities, from strategic planning to contract negotiations, project I implementation and litigation.
Moorehead is currently a Shareholder/Partner at Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC, one of the largest law firms in Pittsburgh. He is a trail attorney specializing in business litigation and he recently obtained one of the largest jury verdicts in Westmoreland County in the past 10 years.
Moorehead is also very involved in the community as he has a passion for education. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mt. Lebanon School District. Prior to that appointment, Moorehead served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Theater Arts. During his tenure, they were able to greatly expand programs for special needs students and they now have one of the best performing arts programs for special needs children in Allegheny County.
Moorehead is the proud father of three children, Bailey, Shannon and Billy, all of which attended Pitt.
Laura Lee Nerone Reinhart
Pittsburgh resident Laura Lee Reinhart earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 and was a decorated student-athletes on the Panthers' swimming & diving team.
Reinhart (formerly Nerone) was a four-year letterwinner for Pitt swimming from 1991-94, winning a Big East title in her freshman season. As a senior in 1994, she captained the women's team.
Reinhart excelled in the pool and the classroom during her time with the Panthers. She was named an Academic All-American and garnered Big East Scholar Athlete recognition.
Following her undergraduate career, Reinhart pursued further education and eventually earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the Duquesne School of Law in 1997.
Since completing her education, Reinhart has served the local community in various ways, serving as a trustee for the Mt. Lebanon Library, Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club and Keystone Wellness. A veteran of local law, Reinhart is currently employed by Burns White law firm in Pittsburgh. She is also an active member of St. Anne's Catholic Church in Castle Shannon, Pa.
Laura has been married to Andrew Reinhart for more than 20 years, and the couple has three daughters: Anna Teresa, Mary Else and Maragaret Toomey.
Todd Toerper
Todd Toerper was a complete student-athlete during his years at the University of Pittsburgh.
He not only excelled in the classroom, earning National Football Foundation Academic All-American status and collecting his Pitt degree in Psychology with a 3.75 grade-point average, he also was a key contributor for the Panthers on the football field during a transformative time for the program from 1972-74.
Toerper lettered in 1972 after leading the Panthers in receiving yards. He followed that up by helping Pitt football advance to the 1973 Fiesta Bowl in Johnny Majors' first season before earning his third letter in the '74 campaign.
After graduating Magna Cum Laude, Toerper worked in sales and sales leadership for several companies, including many years in the broadcast Radio industry. Since 2013, he has been a Vice President of The WOLF Organization, one of the nation's leading providers of home and building productions. Todd has helped support the rapid sales and geographic expansion of the company through sales staff recruitment and development.
Todd has served on a myriad of York, PA community organization boards, capital campaigns and fundraising efforts.
Todd currently resides in York, PA. He and his wife, Delaine, have five children – Matthew, Andrew, Michael, Kirsten and Brodi – as well as six grandchildren. Their son, Michael, also lettered as a Pitt football player from 2006-08 and is currently the defensive coordinator at Ithaca College.
Ed Wiliamowski
A 1977 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Ed Wilamowski was a member of the Pitt football senior class that brought the 1976 national championship home with the Panthers from that season's Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
While completing his degree in Economics from Pitt, Wilamowski lettered for the Panthers from 1974-76 as a defensive lineman under coordinators Jackie Sherrill and Bobby Roper.
Wilamowski currently works for Industrial Tube and Steel, a company based in eastern Ohio, helping the business develop a multi-million dollar sales territory in Pennsylvania from scratch.
Residents of Cranberry Township, Pa., just north of Pittsburgh, Ed and his wife of nearly 40 years, Linda, have two children: Jake and Paige.
Ed and his family are also active members of the community, serving with Bible study groups for the North Side and Light of Life ministries to prepare and distribute food and other supplies to the needy.
Wilamowski also served as the tri-chairman for the Pittsburgh Smoker non-profit event to raise funds for the Pittsburgh Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spina Bifida and the Wounded Warriors Project. He has led several house-building projects to benefit local families in need as well.
Dr. M Allison Williams
East Meadow, NY native Dr. Allison Williams graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in exercise science before going on to receive her Master's Degree in exercise physiology from Pitt in 1996 and her doctorate in exercise physiology in April of 2004.
Williams was a standout for the Panthers track and field team as she combined to win six Big East titles during her outstanding career, three in the 55-meter indoor hurdles and three in the 100-meter outdoor hurdles. The strong hurdler also earned All-America honors three times in each event during her prestigious Pitt career while also adding the NCAA's Woman of the Year for Pennsylvania in 1994.
Following her impressive Pitt career, Williams was a part of the Panthers track and field coaching staff for six seasons as she helped devise daily training regimes for the sprinters and hurdlers while also managing team travel and sustaining on-campus and off-campus recruiting efforts.
From 2000 to 2014, Williams was a faculty member at Grove City College in Grove City, PA where she was a professor and Program Director of Exercise Science and also served as the Associate Chair of the Physical Education department. She was then an adjunct faculty member at CUNY Queens College in the department of family nutrition and exercise science from 2014-15.
Most recently, Williams became an Assistant Professor for Exercise Science in the School of Health and Natural Sciences at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY. As a certified Exercise Physiologist, Williams has several publications in sports medicine over her illustrious career.
The 2019 Awardees of Distinction featured the introduction of Roberto Croce (men's soccer), Dr. Gregory P. Meisner (football), William Moorhead (men's track & field), Laura Lee Nerone Reinhart (women's swimming), Todd Toerper (football), Ed Wilamowski (football) and Dr. M Allison Williams (women's track and field).
Roberto Croce
A resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., Roberto Croce graduated with honors from the University of Pittsburgh in 1991 after earning a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Marketing.
Roberto played soccer while at Pitt, and was named team captain in the 1990 season. He was also recognized as the team's Co-MVP in 1990 and 1991 while earning Big East Academic All-Star honors in the same years.
Roberto has spent the past 23 years working as an executive for American Eagle Outfitters. Since 1996, he has held several different roles within American Eagle, most recently being named the Senior Vice President of Global Digital Commerce in 2012.
Roberto is also very involved in the community. He is a University of Pittsburgh Varsity Letter Club Board Member, and was also an MTLSA volunteer coach from 2003 to 2015. Roberto has been a member of the St. Bernards Catholic Church since 1990, and works with eight different charities, both locally and nationally.
Roberto is married to Beth Croce and the father of three children; Elisabetta, Luigino and Giuseppe.
Dr. Gregory P. Meisner
Pittsburgh area native Dr. Gregory P. Meisner, a 1981 graduate from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Psychology, starred for some of the best teams in Pitt history and excelled in the NFL for more than a decade.
Meisner was a four-year letterwinner for Pitt football from 1977-80, contributing as a starting defensive tackle for the Panthers as the team finished with four straight winning seasons, including consecutive 11-1 campaigns with bowl victories in 1979 and '80.
Meisner was drafted in the third round of the 1981 NFL Draft and played 11 seasons in the league, featuring primarily for the Los Angeles Rams and also the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants.
After his playing career, Meisner earned his Doctor of Chiropractic from the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in 1995. He then founded Meisner Landscape Company and began consulting and speaking for athletes in California and around the country.
Since returning to the Pittsburgh area in 2005, Meisner has served as the Athletic Director at Hempfield Area, where he was also the head football coach for several seasons.
Greg is married to fellow Pitt grad Mary Jean Meisner and the couple have two sons who also played college football: Gregory II and Shane.
William Moorhead
A Pittsburgh, Pa. resident, Bill Moorehead graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. Moorehead would then go on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1988.
Moorehead was a member of the Pitt track and field and cross country squads for three seasons while being named to the All-America Track and Field team and All-Big East team during the 1983 campaign. He was also a member of the outdoor distance medley relay squad that set a school record in the event in 1983, a record that still stands today.
He has over 25 years of experience representing a broad range of sophisticated national and international businesses in chemical processing, manufacturing, construction and health care, in all phases of commercial activities, from strategic planning to contract negotiations, project I implementation and litigation.
Moorehead is currently a Shareholder/Partner at Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC, one of the largest law firms in Pittsburgh. He is a trail attorney specializing in business litigation and he recently obtained one of the largest jury verdicts in Westmoreland County in the past 10 years.
Moorehead is also very involved in the community as he has a passion for education. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mt. Lebanon School District. Prior to that appointment, Moorehead served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Theater Arts. During his tenure, they were able to greatly expand programs for special needs students and they now have one of the best performing arts programs for special needs children in Allegheny County.
Moorehead is the proud father of three children, Bailey, Shannon and Billy, all of which attended Pitt.
Laura Lee Nerone Reinhart
Pittsburgh resident Laura Lee Reinhart earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 and was a decorated student-athletes on the Panthers' swimming & diving team.
Reinhart (formerly Nerone) was a four-year letterwinner for Pitt swimming from 1991-94, winning a Big East title in her freshman season. As a senior in 1994, she captained the women's team.
Reinhart excelled in the pool and the classroom during her time with the Panthers. She was named an Academic All-American and garnered Big East Scholar Athlete recognition.
Following her undergraduate career, Reinhart pursued further education and eventually earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the Duquesne School of Law in 1997.
Since completing her education, Reinhart has served the local community in various ways, serving as a trustee for the Mt. Lebanon Library, Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club and Keystone Wellness. A veteran of local law, Reinhart is currently employed by Burns White law firm in Pittsburgh. She is also an active member of St. Anne's Catholic Church in Castle Shannon, Pa.
Laura has been married to Andrew Reinhart for more than 20 years, and the couple has three daughters: Anna Teresa, Mary Else and Maragaret Toomey.
Todd Toerper
Todd Toerper was a complete student-athlete during his years at the University of Pittsburgh.
He not only excelled in the classroom, earning National Football Foundation Academic All-American status and collecting his Pitt degree in Psychology with a 3.75 grade-point average, he also was a key contributor for the Panthers on the football field during a transformative time for the program from 1972-74.
Toerper lettered in 1972 after leading the Panthers in receiving yards. He followed that up by helping Pitt football advance to the 1973 Fiesta Bowl in Johnny Majors' first season before earning his third letter in the '74 campaign.
After graduating Magna Cum Laude, Toerper worked in sales and sales leadership for several companies, including many years in the broadcast Radio industry. Since 2013, he has been a Vice President of The WOLF Organization, one of the nation's leading providers of home and building productions. Todd has helped support the rapid sales and geographic expansion of the company through sales staff recruitment and development.
Todd has served on a myriad of York, PA community organization boards, capital campaigns and fundraising efforts.
Todd currently resides in York, PA. He and his wife, Delaine, have five children – Matthew, Andrew, Michael, Kirsten and Brodi – as well as six grandchildren. Their son, Michael, also lettered as a Pitt football player from 2006-08 and is currently the defensive coordinator at Ithaca College.
Ed Wiliamowski
A 1977 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Ed Wilamowski was a member of the Pitt football senior class that brought the 1976 national championship home with the Panthers from that season's Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
While completing his degree in Economics from Pitt, Wilamowski lettered for the Panthers from 1974-76 as a defensive lineman under coordinators Jackie Sherrill and Bobby Roper.
Wilamowski currently works for Industrial Tube and Steel, a company based in eastern Ohio, helping the business develop a multi-million dollar sales territory in Pennsylvania from scratch.
Residents of Cranberry Township, Pa., just north of Pittsburgh, Ed and his wife of nearly 40 years, Linda, have two children: Jake and Paige.
Ed and his family are also active members of the community, serving with Bible study groups for the North Side and Light of Life ministries to prepare and distribute food and other supplies to the needy.
Wilamowski also served as the tri-chairman for the Pittsburgh Smoker non-profit event to raise funds for the Pittsburgh Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spina Bifida and the Wounded Warriors Project. He has led several house-building projects to benefit local families in need as well.
Dr. M Allison Williams
East Meadow, NY native Dr. Allison Williams graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in exercise science before going on to receive her Master's Degree in exercise physiology from Pitt in 1996 and her doctorate in exercise physiology in April of 2004.
Williams was a standout for the Panthers track and field team as she combined to win six Big East titles during her outstanding career, three in the 55-meter indoor hurdles and three in the 100-meter outdoor hurdles. The strong hurdler also earned All-America honors three times in each event during her prestigious Pitt career while also adding the NCAA's Woman of the Year for Pennsylvania in 1994.
Following her impressive Pitt career, Williams was a part of the Panthers track and field coaching staff for six seasons as she helped devise daily training regimes for the sprinters and hurdlers while also managing team travel and sustaining on-campus and off-campus recruiting efforts.
From 2000 to 2014, Williams was a faculty member at Grove City College in Grove City, PA where she was a professor and Program Director of Exercise Science and also served as the Associate Chair of the Physical Education department. She was then an adjunct faculty member at CUNY Queens College in the department of family nutrition and exercise science from 2014-15.
Most recently, Williams became an Assistant Professor for Exercise Science in the School of Health and Natural Sciences at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY. As a certified Exercise Physiologist, Williams has several publications in sports medicine over her illustrious career.
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