Meet Our Instructors

Scott Graham

Director of Education

Scott began his real estate career as a licensed salesperson in 2006. He obtained his broker license in 2018 and has held numerous positions in the industry including mentoring, coaching, office management, and training. These experiences have led him to his current role as Director of Education for Ascend in which he combines his wealth of knowledge and background in education to assist those seeking to obtain a real estate license, further their industry education, or complete continuing education requirements.

Lisa Giacchino

Instructor

Lisa has been a licensed real estate instructor in Pennsylvania since 2017. She was licensed as a real estate salesperson in 2006, licensed as a real estate associate broker in 2016, and serves on the board of directors for the Realtor’s Association of Westmoreland, Indiana, and Mon Valley. Lisa’s true passion is helping agents grow their knowledge of the industry and developing their real estate careers. As associate broker/manager of 2 offices, her days are spent firsthand helping agents and staying up–to–date with industry changes. She brings a wealth of real-world real estate experience as a salesperson and as a branch office manager to her students. 

Raymond Blackwell

Instructor

Raymond came to Pittsburgh in 1996 to work as music administrator at the Pittsburgh Opera. His background in teaching began at the University of Delaware and has continued with teaching appointments at SUNY Binghamton, Slippery Rock University, Mercyhurst College, Grove City University, and Carnegie Mellon University. He has been working in the real estate industry for the past 6 years, primarily selling homes in Allegheny County and Westmoreland County. His passion for education has led him to be a mentor to newly licensed agents as well as an instructor for Ascend Real Estate Educators.