Our Governing Body

Background Information:

• Married to Annette
• Daughter – Ashley, Son-in-law – Brett, Grandson – Carson
• Bachelor of Science in Education – Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Master of Education – Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Administrative Certificate – California University of Pennsylvania
• Superintendent Letter of Eligibility – Franciscan University of Steubenville, University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University
• Retired Superintendent of Schools

Offices Currently Held:

• President – National Slovak Society
• President – Region 5 National Slovak Society
• Financial Secretary – Assembly 588 National Slovak Society

Personal Interests:

Spending time with family and friends, golf, reading, watching sports

Other Interests:

• Former Tribunal Member of National Slovak Society
• Former National Fraternal Activity Director of National Slovak Society

I have held the position of Secretary/Treasurer, CFO of the National Slovak Society for the past 10 years. 22 years prior to this I served as a member of the Board of Directors. As a Director the knowledge gained was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the responsibilities of the office I hold today.

The one thing that I am most proud of is the remarkable growth of the society.  Making sure our members are comfortable knowing that their investments are safe with NSS is a top priority. Providing the necessary tools and information to our members is essential in this day and age as our members use technology to manage their lives and their family’s assets.

In 2015 we celebrated our 125th Anniversary as the “oldest Slovak Fraternal” in the United States. I am very proud of my heritage and my family’s deep history in serving the NSS beginning in 1928 with my grandfather. I am reminded on a daily basis why they worked so hard to keep the National Slovak Society alive.

My education and experience have given me a strong foundation in successfully maintaining a leadership role in both the National Slovak Society and in the fraternal community as evidenced below.

• 2014 Pennsylvania Fraternal Alliance John Jordan Upchurch Awardee
• 2013 President and prior Board Member of the Pennsylvania Fraternal Alliance
• 2011 President and prior Board Member of the Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh
• 2010 President and prior Board Member of the Secretaries Section of the American Fraternal Alliance
• National Secretary/Treasurer of the National Slovak Society of the USA for
  10 years
• National Director and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the NSS for
  22 years
• Member and Secretary of the NSS Executive/Investment Committee since 2006
• A 34 1/2 year career with the H.J. Heinz Company in Pittsburgh, PA with responsibilities rooted solely in Corporate and Affiliate Financial processes.
• Member of Heinz-Del Monte Credit Union Supervisory Committee for over 5 years.
• Earned a Bachelor’s degree from Point Park University in Computer Sciences and a Master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Library Science/Information Technology.

Robert (Bob) Katricak is currently a National Director and Chairman of the Board. During his twenty-seven years on the Board, our Society has grown from $50 million in assets to over $1.7 billion and has seen membership grow from about 12,000 members to over 37,000 members.

Bob has been a lifelong member of Assembly 160 in Lorain, Ohio. He is currently the Financial Secretary/Treasurer of this Assembly, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle who also served as Officers. This experience, along with his attendance at American Fraternal Alliance meetings and Ohio Fraternal Alliance meetings, has helped him to understand the fraternal side of our Society. Bob is a past President of the Ohio Fraternal Alliance, representing the National Slovak Society. In 2009 he was named the Ohio Fraternal Alliance Fraternalist of the Year. Bob has attended AQS Insurance Symposiums, and was honored to speak on the topic of Internal Auditing at the AQS Corporate Governance Seminar.

Bob has taken an active leadership role in our Society. He has served on various committees as assigned as well as the Executive Committee. Beyond solely serving, He’s also taken leadership roles on those committees. He was Chairman of both the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee. As Chairman of the Audit Committee, he worked closely with our External Auditors (our Certified Public Accountants), to ensure that our Society is following correct accounting procedures. As part of his duties as Chairman of the Audit Committee, he has also performed Internal Audits of the NSS.

In November 2020, Bob was elected Chairman of the Board by his fellow Directors. He has used his banking and accounting skills as Chairman. As the NSS has begun to invest in mortgages, his knowledge of the underwriting of mortgages has helped him recognize mortgages that are safe and viable to purchase. Bob makes monthly visits to the Home office and attends virtual meetings. He is available by phone and email on a daily basis. He has helped set Board meeting agendas and run the Board Executive sessions. He has represented the Society at National, Regional and Assembly events. He keeps his fellow Directors informed of items happening at the Home office through emails and phone calls. Throughout his term, he has successfully collaborated with President Stefka and Secretary/Treasurer Strom.

Bob’s wife Chris, their four children, daughter-in-laws, son-in-laws, grandchildren, as well as other members of his extended family are all members of the National Slovak Society. He understands the importance of his role in helping to keep the National Slovak Society strong and growing so that not only his children and grandchildren, but many generations to come can enjoy and benefit from fraternalism.

Bob is the Internal Auditor and member of the Executive Management team at First Federal Savings in Lorain, Ohio. In his 29 years as Internal Auditor at First Federal Savings, he has dealt with federal regulations concerning the banking industry on a daily basis. He understands the importance of complying with government regulations. This experience helps him to comprehend the multitude of regulations we face as a Fraternal Insurance Organization.

Bob received both a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Cleveland State University. He has been licensed as a Certified Public Accountant by the State of Ohio since 1980. He is also licensed as an Insurance Agent by the State of Ohio.

My name is Michael Czarney and I have been serving as a Director for the National Slovak Society (NSS) since 2014 and would be honored to serve another term as a Director for the NSS. I believe that I have the experience, background and skills needed to not only be a valuable Director, but to also push the NSS to a thriving future and I ask for your continued support. The last four years the NSS has grown and has reached great accomplishments even through a global pandemic. The NSS has continued to grow in size with assets approaching $1.65 billion and is one of the top ten fraternals by assets size with growth in surplus of $80 million and over 37,000 members. I have contributed to this growth and the success of members, and I will continue to contribute to these outstanding accomplishments over the next four years. I strongly agree with the NSS mission statement and our moto “Family Matters” and believe that my leadership abilities will contribute to our strong, growing fraternal organization.

Serving as a Director the last eight years has given me the opportunity to actively participate in numerous committees’ and attend many trainings and educational forums. I have learned a great deal of knowledge which is extremely valuable to apply to my next term. Over these years I have stepped up to serve on a majority of the Board committees which has given me invaluable experience. I am currently the appointed Chair of the Compensation Committee and Technology Committee and serve on the Fraternal Growth and PVR scholarship committees. I have gladly accepted these positions and constantly go above and beyond my role on these committees. Chairing the technology committee has required a great deal of time and commitment in the face of a global pandemic and the effects it has made on technology. The committee oversees all things technology and work closely with the National Officers, CIO, and CISO. During my time on the committee the NSS has made great advances in cybersecurity, technology for a more efficient work environment, and we are implementing a new Policy Administrations System (PAS). The new PAS will not only be of great value for our employees and sales agents, but it will also be a great benefit for our current and future members. All these technology enhancements have and will add great value to the NSS, and I have been excited to help lead this effort. In addition to implementing these technology advancements, I have attended numerous AQS symposiums as well as The Board institute class and Master class hosted by the American Fraternal Alliance. My involvement in the committees and attendance at the seminars has helped me to broaden my knowledge and understanding of both the fraternal and business side to the NSS. My betterment of these areas will only help me advance the NSS with its continued growth in the future.

I have been a lifelong member of the NSS and have been active in my local assembly and at a national level. My wife Randi and our two children, Cash and Sadie, are also members and are very involved. I have a rich family history linked to NSS. My great grandfather, great uncle, grandfather, uncle, and father have all been officers of assembly 160 in Lorain, Ohio, and I am grateful and honored to help continue on with their legacy to help keep the society growing. I am currently the elder for assembly 160 and am immensely proud to hold this position. I have served as the Vice President of the American Slovak Club in Lorain, Ohio for ten (10) years prior to becoming the President in January of 2020. I am also the current President of the Ohio Fraternal Alliance (OFA), representing the NSS and have served as a First and Third Vice President and board member for the OFA over the last eight (8) years. During this time as President for different organizations and working with numerous boards, I see how important it is to be aligned and work together for a common goal. Like a lot of other organizations, I have had to work closely with my boards and organizations to adjust the way we manage business during the pandemic. This experience, along with my attendance at National Fraternal Alliance meetings and Ohio Fraternal Alliance meetings, has helped me understand the fraternal side of our Society. All of these positions have taught me numerous lessons and have given me valuable experience that I can use as a Director.

My background, education and experiences have given me strong credentials that will help me contribute to our fraternal organization. Over the past 23 years I have held positions with Charter One and in other financial institutions, and I worked in the insurance industry with Progressive Corporation. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan. I have held my license to sell life and health variables for the State of Ohio as well as completed the Legal Principles Claims Specialist from the American Educational Institute INC. Since June 2018 I have been working as a Realtor for Howard Hanna and hold my Real estate License with the State of Ohio. Working in the Real Estate, financial, and insurance industry, I am educated with the many federal regulations and know the importance of complying with them. My financial and business skills will help me continue to provide insight and solutions to help the NSS with its continued growth.

In addition to my involvement with NSS, I am devoted to charitable work in my community. For over eight (8) years I participated in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, where my teammates and I raised over $80,000 in charitable donations. I have also been involved in raising funds for St. Jude, where my wife and I raised over $5,000 for the organization. I am also a highly active dad in the Erie Shores Early Childhood PTA, where my children are members, and my wife held a Board position. I also help coach my children’s soccer teams in the Amherst Youth Soccer Association league for our community and my family are active members of GrowPoint Church.

My name is Lauren Fox and I am honored that the Board of Directors selected me in November, 2020 to fill a vacancy on the Board. The vacancy was created when President Dave Blazek retired, Joe Stefka was hired as the new President and Bob Katricak became Chairman of the Board. It is a privilege to be a part of an exceptional team of directors and to have the opportunity to contribute to the continued success of the National Slovak Society. As a Director, I have attended and actively participated in all meetings of the Board. I serve on the Assembly Growth and Compensation Committees. I have successfully completed a Cybersecurity Training Course and continue with weekly updates online. As a representative of the National Slovak Society, I attended the Ohio Fraternal Alliance meeting and the AQS Symposium.

My experience with Assembly 731 began in 1996 when I was elected Assembly Secretary. In 1998, I was elected as the Assembly President, a position I still hold today. Over the past 24 years, I have been involved with organizing and assisting numerous assembly fraternal events and charitable activities creating a very active assembly helping Assembly 731 earn the Diamond Level each year. I served as a delegate representing Assembly 731 at six Quadrennial Conventions since 1998. During various conventions, I have served on the Election Committee, Fraternal Committee, and Financial Committee. At the Convention in 2014, I was presented the NSS Fraternalist of the Year Award. The Conventions have given me the opportunity to learn more about the National Slovak Society’s policies and goals for their future. It’s a good time to meet other members and to share our experiences with each other.

Although the National Newsletter is a great tool to distribute information to members, I also rely on social media such as Facebook and email to communicate quickly and often with assembly members. Keeping our youth involved and interested is challenging at times. I feel it is important to keep our families active and to encourage the younger generations to be actively involved to prepare them to become our future leaders.

In addition to NSS, I am an active volunteer in community organizations where I have the opportunity to help make a positive difference in my community while meeting new people and working together. I am President of our local Historical Society where I also serve on all its committees, Secretary/Treasurer for Holy Family Parish Seniors Group and I’m their official Bingo caller and organizer for programs, and I am a member of our Township Park Advisory Board where I help plan improvements and additions to the Park that was established in 2005.

Before retiring in 2009, I was dedicated to my career as the Administrative Secretary to the Superintendent of the Mahoning County Schools for 35 years. I was responsible for the efficient and effective operation of the Superintendent’s Office, communications for the Governing Board, I supervised the secretarial staff and managed routine office tasks among support staff. I worked well independently and as a team member. During my working years, I was involved in my children’s activities as a Girl Scout troop leader, advisor for teens on the county’s Junior Fair Board, and as a 4-H advisor.

I am truly grateful to my husband, Mike, for his patience and support of my position on the Board and my involvement with the community and fraternal activities. Mike & I have been together since our high school days and got married in four years after graduation. We have been blessed with two daughters and a son. We raised them in the community where we both grew-up. Our children, (Beth, Becky, Mike Jr.) their spouses (Matt, Bill, Anne) and our six grandchildren (Ashlynn, Cameron, Logan, Ben, Jack, and Walter) are all members of the National Slovak Society. In addition to my immediate family, other family NSS members include sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Past generations included my great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents.

My name is Andrea Garbon. I extend my sincere fraternal greetings and gratitude to the NSS Life Executive Officers, Directors, Honorary Members, Members, and Guests. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as a NSS Director for the past eight years in addition to being a life-long member of NSS Life. Life as we once knew it has significantly changed since we last met at the 37th Quadrennial Convention due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We are blessed to be here today and remember those who are not with us. It is always a pleasure to interact with you and to establish new acquaintances along the way. Life is a bouquet of acquaintances…those we already know and those we are about to meet all coming together.

Over the course of the last eight years serving as a NSS Director, I have diligently prepared, attended and actively participated at all regular and special meetings whether held in person or remotely. My current committee work includes Audit Committee Chairperson, Enterprise Risk Management, Membership Growth and NSS Heritage Museum Secretary. In addition to serving on these committees throughout the years I have also served on the Compensation, Assembly Growth and Fraternal Growth committees. Serving as Audit committee chairperson along with being a member of the Audit and Compensation committees over the years, I have had the opportunity to work directly with the accountants who prepare all the necessary NSS financial statements, and I also take part in the decision-making process of whether to retain the accounting firms services from year-to-year. I also participated in the Assembly Officers Seminars. American Fraternal Alliance, Pennsylvania Fraternal Alliance and AQS Asset Management are some additional organizations to offer conferences and training seminars with which I have had the opportunity to participate in over the years. Additional fraternal activities include but are not limited to: Region #5 picnics and Pittsburgh Pirate baseball outings; the NSS Museum Septemberfest and Christmas Around the World events; NSS National Golf Tournaments, Slovak Radio Hour Banquets as well as local events.

It is with my sincere appreciation to you for allowing me the opportunity to introduce myself and provide some insight into my background and qualifications, and most importantly, convey my most genuine interest in the NSS Board position. I graduated magna cum laude from Seton Hill University, Greensburg, Pennsylvania achieving a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Marketing with an emphasis in accounting. My education has enriched my knowledge base, and thereby strengthened my self-confidence by instilling in me an appreciation and understanding of not only what I have learned, but also, how to process and utilize it effectively. It is this knowledge combined with experience gained from my involvement in the business community, my employment, and my participation in our local community, which has helped to define me in many ways such as the development of a strong work ethic, continued efforts to ensure well-informed decision-making and encouragement of communication skill processing. A hidden blessing of the pandemic was an opportunity to have greater involvement in my nephews personal and educational development. My employment at United Parcel Service (UPS) extended more than 10 years. The use of computerized equipment, attention to detail and efficiency are vastly important for proper management and delivery. I also served as the Tax Collector for Mount Pleasant Township for 6 plus years where my responsibilities included, but were not limited to, various accounting procedures, office management, distribution of collected funds and report compilation. For 15 years, I was employed by Latrobe Brewing Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania where I was responsible for various production and quality control operations until the company was sold, and operations were suspended. Additional employment that coincided with the above includes Eat ‘n Park Hospitality Group and United Way. Other activities and affiliations include various community and church organizations and being a member of the YWCA of Westmoreland County. The broad range of experiences has lent itself to increasing my knowledge and skill set.

It is with great admiration, respect and appreciation to my late grandfather for introducing our family to the NSS organization. We are proud to be lifelong members of this organization. Many of you have met my family over the years. My parents, Andrew and Martha, my brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Hilary, along with my nephews, Andrew and Colin. This will be my sixth convention as a delegate, having attended many other conventions as a guest with my parents and grandparents. I am currently the secretary for Assembly #737 in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and an auditor for Region #5 McMurray, Pennsylvania having held these positions for several years. My father, Andrew Garbon, serves as the President for Assembly #737. NSS has afforded many of us with fraternal and financial opportunities over the years which is something I hope all of you and future members can have the opportunity to experience. My brother, Steve, and I were fortunate and grateful to be recipients of the NSS Scholarship Fund. We thank all of you for being such strong supporters of the scholarship fund which has benefited so many! Family is important and many have embraced this concept even more since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. NSS Life continues to hold true to the core values established February 15, 1890, of “Family Matters”.

Intense, difficult and even uncomfortable decision making can and will, take place while honoring the role of Director. It is not always easy to remove the personal elements that encompass a situation, however for me it is essential to do so to make the decision that best serves the organization, its membership, and NSS Life’s future. That brings me to three very important aspects that I feel have a critical role in the decision-making process as a director.
H – Honor the Past – It is important to not forget how this organization started, the sacrifices made by our ancestors, the life-lessons they shared with us, and how we can learn from and apply that knowledge, all of which have helped structure the NSS of today.
R – Respect the Present – In today’s world we are all faced with challenges at every aspect of our lives. We must find respect for one another and for what is going on around us. Then take that information, learn from it and apply that knowledge to make the best-informed decision for all parties involved.
P – Prepare for the Future – Although we cannot predict the future, we can create a plan which will evolve over time. A plan which can be supportive in providing a stable environment to protect and grow the interests of the members and the society while considering investment opportunities, governance compliance and what is happening in the world around us.

I embrace my ethnicity along with the diverse ethnic cultures that are a very valuable and a growing part of the NSS Life community. My hope is to be an integral part of the board of directors, to work together for the collective effort of maintaining its legacy and for our benefit and for the generations to follow. I wish to extend a heartfelt thank you for your past support and confidence over the years which has allowed me the opportunity and privilege to serve as a NSS Director, a position I do not take lightly. It would be an honor to continue to serve as a Director on the NSS Life Board and to be a part of a team that serves its members while working diligently to fulfill the demands imposed by the government. Although the NSS is leaps ahead of other organizations, there is still much work to be done and there are ongoing projects that I would like to actively see through their fruition.

Abigail Gross is a proud Slovak who values her heritage. She has been a lifelong member of the National Slovak Society and has been honored to serve as a National Director for two consecutive terms (2014-2018 and 2019-2022). As a member of the Board, Abigail has been responsible for the effective governance of the NSS by overseeing policy and direction and supporting the society’s mission and needs. Over the past eight years, Abigail has been educated on actuarial principles, investment strategy and legislation that impacts our protected status as a 501(c)(8) organization. By serving as a National Director, Abigail has gained the knowledge and experience necessary to lead our society through the next phase of growth.

In addition to serving on the Board, Abigail is very active with fraternal events. Abigail is an active member of Assembly L102. Beyond the activities in her local assembly, Abigail makes an effort to partake in regional and national events. Although she may not be able to swing a club, she stills shows up at the golf outing to cheer on the registered participants. She brings her family to Knoebels every year for a spring picnic with Assembly 617. She also volunteers time to support our national project – Blessings in a Backpack.

Abigail has a strong educational background. She graduated from Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Notably, she was the first person in her family to graduate from college. While working a full-time position in the public relations field, she earned a second bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cedar Crest College. Thereafter, she received her law degree from The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law.

Abigail began her legal career by working for a large Philadelphia-based insurance defense firm. In 2013, with experience under her belt, Abigail bravely decided to open her own law office utilizing her experience in the workers’ compensation arena. For the past decade, Abigail has owned and managed a successful law practice where she represents those who have been injured at work. Abigail finds satisfaction from her work, knowing that she can use her skills and experience to help clients who find themselves in a time of need. As a practicing attorney, Abigail has a strong analytical ability. As a business owner, Abigail understands financial management and the importance of maintaining client relationships.

Abigail is certified as a specialist in the practice of workers’ compensation law as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She frequently appears before Workers’ Compensation and Administrative Law Judges throughout Pennsylvania and has argued many cases before the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. She aggressively represents her clients, who span all corners of the job market. She is a vice-president of the workers’ compensation section of the Lehigh County Bar Association and she also serves on the workers’ compensation Executive Council for the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She has been continuously selected for inclusion in Philadelphia Magazine’s “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer – Rising Stars” Edition, an honor held by less than 5% of practicing attorneys (2012-2018 editions); and in 2019 she was selected by the same Magazine as a “Super Lawyer.” In 2016, she was selected as recipient of the Top Forty Under 40 award by Lehigh Valley Business. In 2020, she also named as a “Woman of Influence.”

Beyond her professional career, Abigail’s biggest source of pride is her family. Abigail is happily married to Michael, who works at a local school as a guidance counselor. Abby and Mike have been blessed with four handsome little boys (Elliot (8); Oliver (7); and Spencer (4) and Hudson (2)). Rest assured that all four boys are already members of the NSS! The family lives in New Tripoli, which is just on the outskirts of the Lehigh Valley. They have a beautiful farm where they are growing Christmas trees, gathering chicken eggs and waiting for the trees in the orchard to start producing an abundance of apples!