John J. Verbanac is an accomplished business and community-engaged leader with over 20 years’ experience in commercial real estate (CRE) development, private equity, and institutional nonprofit leadership. Since 2003, Verbanac has served as president and CEO of Summa Development, a CRE and private equity platform. During his tenure, Verbanac has been responsible for over a quarter of a billion dollars of CRE, and his projects have twice been the recipient of the prestigious NAIOP Building of the Year award (Ansys and Rice Energy corporate headquarters).
A recognized finance, capital markets, and public policy authority, Verbanac has also dedicated his efforts to assisting some of our region’s most venerable institutional nonprofits, serving as board chair of the University of Pittsburgh, his alma mater (CGS ’91); first vice chair of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; and a board member of the Commonwealth Finance Authority from 2013 to 2018.
Prior to his work at Summa, Verbanac was engaged in professional services and either founded or served as a senior executive at several marketing, business development, and publishing firms. Throughout the 1990s, Verbanac was vice president and partner for the Global Public Affairs practice at Ketchum Communications Worldwide; president of BrabenderCox; a founder of the Pennsylvania Report; and chairman and CEO of the IdeaMill.
Over the years, Verbanac has become both a leader and a manager of people and has a competent vision and appeal for the landscape of higher education. Verbanac recognizes that diplomacy is an art, not an algorithm that operates according to a fixed formula. He thus has a demonstrated track record of building consensus amongst discordant opinions.
Verbanac began his career in government and politics as a deputy to United States Sen. H. John Heinz III and then as a senior adviser to U.S. Rep. Rick Santorum.
Verbanac and his wife, the former Berdina (Bertie) Lanzo, reside in the Laurel Highlands region of Southwestern Pennsylvania. They are the proud parents of two children, John Jr. and Kiley.
