Pitt assistant AD Penny Semaia joins Buffalo Bills as vice president of stadium relations

Penny Semaia, who earned four letters on the Pitt football team before rising to the position of senior associate athletic director for the Cathy and John Pelusi Family Life Skills Program, has accepted a job as the Buffalo Bills’ vice president of stadium relations.

He will work with Bills vice president of stadium development John Polka and vice president of creative/stadium design Frank Cravotta during construction of the new stadium.

Semaia was a lineman at Pitt from 2000-2003 before joining the athletic department at his alma mater as a career and life skills coordinator.

He has been a facilitator for NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership and Professional conferences and the NFL/NCAA Life Skills Summit. He served on the NCAA’s Mental Health Task Force and Student-Athlete Affairs Advisory Group. In his most recent capacity, Semaia served as a national facilitator for the National Consortium for Academic and Sports, providing programs and services focusing on various life skills topics.

He worked with the Pittsburgh Public School District to initiate the “We Promise” program, a campaign aimed at promoting higher education and life readiness among young Black students. He also teamed with the Troy and Theodora Polamalu Foundation to help provide life skills training through the Fa’a Samoa Initiative in American Samoa.

He was the recipient of the University of Pittsburgh Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence in the Community as well as the Art Ramicone Unsung Hero Award from Pitt’s Division of Student Affairs. Additionally, the City of Pittsburgh presented Semaia with the Citizen Service Award.

“Words cannot adequately describe Penny Semaia’s impact at the University of Pittsburgh,” athletic director Heather Lyke said in a statement. “As a leader, mentor and dear friend, Penny has positively impacted countless lives at Pitt with his ‘high-five and a smile’ approach to work and life. He also coined the phrase ‘Forever Panther’ in describing our passionate athletic alumni.

“For more than two decades, Penny has inspired student-athletes and staff members alike to be our very best selves. He has a true gift to lift others up and energize a room full of people in a way no one else can match. We wish Penny and his wife, Kristian, all the best in this great opportunity with the Buffalo Bills that returns them home to their native Upstate New York. And Penny knows he will always be welcomed back as a true ‘Forever Panther.’”