The Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association (PGAA) will present its Volunteer Excellence award to Anthony “Andy” P. Garsteck, Jr. ’74 CAS as part of the Alumni Celebration Dinner planned for Saturday, Oct. 1, in the Hempfield Room at Pitt-Greensburg. Cocktails will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Please use this link for online registration to attend this event.
The PGAA Volunteer Excellence Award was established in 2009 to recognize alumni who volunteer their time to the PGAA and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. The award honors alumni who have dedicated a significant amount of personal time to attending alumni meetings and events, working on special projects, and contributing to the overall success of both the alumni association and the University it represents.
Garsteck is active with the PGAA alumni board of directors and serves as a member of the Events Committee. He also is the president of the Pitt-Greensburg’s Men’s Alumni Basketball Club (MBAC), having previously served as treasurer of the group.
Yet his devotion to his alma mater goes much deeper than that. “Andy is always there when needed. It doesn't matter what or when--if you need help, he will be there,” noted the nomination submitted on his behalf. “Andy is a shining example of what a volunteer should be and an excellent example of what an alumni volunteer should try to be. The title of this award defines Andy; he is a ‘volunteer of excellence.’”
Garsteck is a familiar face at PGAA events, assisting with set-up, volunteering, and welcoming alumni, new students, families, and other guests. These events include Move-In Day, Merry Mingle alumni Christmas gathering, Blue & Gold Celebration, the Pitt-Greensburg Golf Outing, and the Senior Send-Off.
As president of MBAC, Garsteck is an active volunteer who distributes spirit gear at Bobcat basketball games. He also spearheaded the MBAC effort to sponsor an awards night to recognize the Pitt-Greensburg basketball players for their accomplishments. He’s credited with planning the event, helping to design the awards, and emceeing the event--as well as recommending that the character award be named in honor of Thomas M. Jollie, a recently deceased member of MBAC.
Loyalty to the University of Pittsburgh at Pitt runs deep in the Garsteck family. Garsteck attended Pitt-Greensburg from 1970 through 1972 before graduating from the Pittsburgh campus in 1974. Two of his three children are also Pitt-Greensburg alumni. Their connection to campus is recognized through one of the Pawprints Alumni Series Posters that hangs in Chambers Hall (Fireside Lounge).
A resident of Greensburg, PA, Garsteck and his wife LeeAnn have three children, Jason ’15, Alexandra ’16, and Nikki. He is a retired United States Postal Service employee, having served as a letter carrier from 1994 through 2017. Prior to that, he worked as a production supervisor for Volkswagen of America.
About Pitt-Greensburg:
Founded in 1963, the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg is a publicly assisted, four-year, liberal arts college in southwestern Pennsylvania. Pitt-Greensburg offers 31 baccalaureate degree programs, including new majors in data analytics, nursing, and healthcare management, as well as 30 minors and four certificate programs. With nearly 1,400 students, more than 10,000 alumni, and faculty and staff numbering 260, Pitt-Greensburg provides a vibrant, diverse community that is a dynamic model of a 21st-century liberal arts education. As part of the University of Pittsburgh system, Pitt-Greensburg offers the resources of a world-renowned university combined with the individualized and immersive experiences of a small liberal arts college. Creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit permeate the campus and extend into its many collaborative projects with the Westmoreland County community. Nestled in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Laurel Highlands, the campus is surrounded by the region’s outdoor recreation venues and rich history. It is a five-minute drive from uptown Greensburg and less than an hour’s drive from Pittsburgh.