Dr. Chris Brussalis ’87 doesn’t make it to his family farm in southern Allegheny County much, but when he does, he’s reminded that in the dirt and among the animals, a person is a person. The nearly fifty head of cattle sure aren’t impressed that he was recently inaugurated as the ninth president of Point Park University and is the former CEO of the highly esteemed Hill Group Inc.
“I bought the farm from my parents, hoping that my kids would grow up like I did in that environment, but I’ve just been so busy I don’t get down there as much as I’d like,” says the demonstrably humble Brussalis.
It’s no wonder he doesn’t get to the farm. Brussalis is also Adjunct Professor of Management and Policy at the Heinz College of Carnegie Mellon University. He served as chairman of the economic development faculty with the Tri-State Leadership Academy, housed at West Virginia University, where he developed curriculum and lectured in strategic planning, management, leadership, and economic development on behalf of the Kellogg Foundation.
He currently serves on the boards of the:
- Live Like Lou Foundation (Vice Chairman)
- Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
- Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
- American Society for Competitiveness
- Leadership Pittsburgh (Past Chairman)
- Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity (Past President)
- Regional Learning Alliance (Past Chairman)
Among many other regional and national business leadership endeavors, he managed the New Idea Factory, the largest economic development transition of a metropolitan region in the history of the United States at the time. Brussalis is a graduate of the notable Leadership Pittsburgh, a network of regional leaders and decision makers.
Brussalis was selected as one of the “Pittsburgh Power 100”, highlighting the region’s most influential leaders. He also received a “C-Suite Award” as an outstanding executive who made an impact in his organization and the region. The Pittsburgh Business Times selected Brussalis as one of the region’s “Top 20 Changemakers” and “Fast Trackers,” and Pittsburgh Magazine recognized him among their “40 Under 40” and as one of “Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest.”
In 1998 he received a Blue Citation from Allegheny College for a lifetime of outstanding service to his alma mater. Brussalis was also selected by the Secretary of the Air Force as one of 100 distinguished American leaders to attend the forty-seventh annual National Security Forum at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base.
He says the combination of his major in psychology and minor in biology at Allegheny set him up for success. “Really neuroscience, but the liberal arts education enabled me to run circles around others when I graduated.” He thinks the same about his daughter Katherine, who majored in business and math and completed Allegheny’s 3-2 program with Carnegie Mellon, a program that he developed over two decades ago. Katherine was one of Brussalis’ grad students, which was a once-in-a-lifetime treat.
The training you get from a liberal arts institution makes you a broader thinker, gives you exposure to a lot of different thoughts and ideas, and makes you maybe a little more interesting person, says Brussalis.
Being extremely engaged on campus as a student helped boost his confidence and connections. He loved his time as a resident advisor and resident director, managing a staff at such a young age.
Brussalis also counts being a three-sport varsity athlete as invaluable to learning leadership skills. “This all gave me an advantage. I was hired in student affairs at the University of Illinois because of my experience and was able to go to grad school for free.”
He was a student leader in his fraternity and then, later in life, becoming president of his international fraternity, one of the largest in the world. Growing the international fraternity’s membership by 55% as well as its endowment was a key accomplishment. But it has not always been a straight path.
Going back to his time as an RA and RD, he says, “I can look back at some hard decisions. I had some successes, and I had some failures. But those were learning experiences that enabled me to make more informed decisions that I had to make when things were really on the line, when my career was on the line, or when there was a lot of money on the line. I’m very grateful for those experiences that I had at Allegheny.”
He knows that every fellow Gator is made of the same stuff, so he is mindful of investing in alumni and students when he has opportunities to fill. Brussalis says, “I’ve always employed Allegheny alumni in my company.”
Brussalis credits the acceleration of his career to an Allegheny reunion of class chairs when he was a young professional. He met George Hill ’42 at a time when the titan of business was on the verge of selling his Hill Group management consulting firm. Hill took a shine to him, liking their connection through Allegheny, and gave the 28-year-old Brussalis a huge break.
“I didn’t even know what the word vendor meant, and here I’m in a boardroom with senior executives of Rubbermaid, then Fortune magazine’s most admired corporation. That was the value of an Allegheny alumni connection,” recalls Brussalis.
Now Brussalis considers himself to be in the fourth quarter of life. He is deeply grateful to lead Point Park University and makes the most of every single day. As much as he extols the virtues of Allegheny, he also loves the future for Point Park, noting that it’s a national player in the areas of theater and journalism, but also a burgeoning force in business and education. As always, his heart and soul are in the work.
“I don’t know exactly where I am on the game clock. I do know that the clock’s going to run out. Tomorrow, twenty years from now, who knows? It’s all about how many people you can impact before time runs out.”
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