Westminster College to award Alumni Citations during Homecoming weekend

As part of Westminster College’s 2023 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, four alumni and one current student will be honored at the annual Alumni Awards Reception and Dinner on Friday, Oct. 6.

Alumni Citation Awards will be presented to Sebastian Driver-Salazar ’05, Gary Brown ’71 and William Hazen ’65. Daniel Matt ’13 will receive the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, while senior Theresa Schneider ’24 will receive the Rising Titan Award.

The Westminster College Alumni Citations were created to recognize alumni who achieved significant accomplishments in their profession or made meaningful contributions to the community or Westminster.  The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes alumni of 10 years or less who are making significant contributions as they build careers and serve their communities or Westminster. The Rising Titan Award honors an up-and-coming student who showcases the ability to be a leading alumnus.

Driver-Salazar, who earned a degree in broadcast communications from Westminster in 2005, is a host, reporter and play-by-play announcer for ESPN. He covered the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup on the ground in Russia and Qatar, providing bilingual coverage for ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Since joining the network in 2016, Driver-Salazar has also covered the International Champions Cup, the USWNT, and the Little League World Series. He regularly contributes to ESPN podcasts “TwoOnTri,” “Max & Herc,” and “ESPNFC.” While at Westminster, Driver-Salazar was a member of the men’s soccer team and a finalist for the region for All-Conference Player. He currently resides with his family in Washington, D.C.

Hazen, who earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Westminster 1965 and a master’s in business from University of Dayton, spent his professional life as an industrial engineer, methods analyst, manager of methods, director of information technology, vice president of claims payment and senior vice president of merger implementation. In 1992, he established Bill Hazen & Associates, a management consulting company with an emphasis on interim chief of information officer services, managing company IT departments. Hazen served as a member of the Westminster College Board of Trustees and is a member of the Westminster College Titan Sports Hall of Fame, inducted in 2002 for football. He built and is owner of a log cabin, Creekside Cabin, three miles outside of New Wilmington, which he converted to a short-term rental property. He and his wife, Judy, reside in Upper Arlington, Ohio.

Brown, who graduated from Westminster in 1971 with a business administration and management degree, is the CEO of Mount West Investments, a private equity and real estate investment organization. Prior to forming Mount West Investments, Brown spent 14 years as president and CEO of Iron City Sash & Door Company and vice president for over 20 years. Brown also owned and operated the Greentree Racquet Club for 27 years. A member of the National Advisory Board of The Salvation Army, he also is a lifetime member of the Greater Pittsburgh Advisory Board and chaired its Emergency Disaster Services Committee. He was the 2008 recipient of the William Booth Award and volunteered his services at ground zero after the 9/11 attacks. He served four terms on the Westminster College Board of Trustees of Westminster College, where he chaired the Athletic Advisory Committee and the Student Affairs Committee and was vice chairman of the Finance Committee. As a Titan supporter, he’s contributed to a multitude of capital projects and established an Athletic Endowment. In 2010, he was inducted in the Westminster College Titan Sports Hall of Fame for basketball. Brown resides in Mt. Lebanon, Pa.

Matt, who earned his degree in business and communication studies from Westminster in 2013, is a manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP, where he focuses on human services transformation within the government public service industry. He is currently implementing strategic plans regarding health and human services policy and the latest in innovative technology to best serve recipients of social service programs. While a student at Westminster, Matt served as the treasurer for the Student Government Association and created a donation account for peers who experienced a tragedy in their lives. Matt resides in Beaver, Pa.

Schneider, a senior business administration major and entrepreneurship minor from Chardon, Ohio, is currently serving as director of public relations and content creation for the Westminster Entrepreneurial Center. She has worked in Westminster’s Faith and Spirituality Office and the Office of Alumni Engagement and is currently a representative on the Student Experience Council. In spring 2022, she completed the Disney College Program, and more recently, completed an internship with Delaware North’s Sportservice concession team at Progressive Field. This academic year, she is participating in an Americorps internship in New Castle. She is a member of the women’s swimming and diving team and also has competed with the golf team.

For more information about those being honored, please contact Kara Montgomery, senior director of alumni engagement, at montgokh@westminster.edu or 724-946-7363.

Pictured from top to bottom are Sebastian Salazar, Gary Brown, William Hazen, Dan Matt and Theresa Schneider.

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