1. Job Title: Chair, Neighborhood Allies Board, but my day job is executive director of McAuley Ministries Foundation.
2. Years with Neighborhood Allies: 2 years…I joined the board in January 2015.
3. What is special about our work/role at Neighborhood Allies? I appreciate that Neighborhood Allies is focused on improving the social and physical infrastructures of low-capacity, under-resourced neighborhoods. McAuley Ministries and Neighborhood Allies share a common vision of a Pittsburgh with healthy neighborhoods that are thriving, resilient, and livable for all. It’s exciting to be part of that challenging, but critical equity work.
4. The neighborhood you live in/why you love it: I live in Penn Hills, but I’ve adopted the Hill District as my second home as it’s where I worship and work. I love the Hill District because of the wonderful people who live there and who are passionate about their community. I appreciate the strong legacy of entrepreneurship and the arts. The community leaders and residents keep working and pressing toward their goals because they have this proud, shared history.
5. Before McAuley Ministries you were: I was responsible for strategic planning, marketing, communications, government and community relations at the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System.
6. If you ruled the world, what would you change on day 1: Everyone would have to turn off their phones, disengage from social media, and have a face-to-face conversation with someone who shares a different point of view.
7. How many cups of coffee a day do you drink: I’m an herbal tea drinker, and I have 2 cups per day.
8. Favorite thing to do when not at work: Show me the door to a great restaurant! I love having dinner (one that I don’t have to cook) with family and friends. From Carmi’s and Nicky’s on the Northside to Tambellini’s in Highland Park to Altius on Mt. Washington, I appreciate the wonderful dining options that we have in Pittsburgh.
9. People would be surprised to learn that you: I am a big fan of musical theatre. As a youth, my piano teacher did not teach from the classics, but instead from the scores of Broadway musicals. I was hooked!
10. Family/Pets: My husband Dwayne and I met at the University of Pittsburgh. We have two adult children, Erik and Morgan. My husband has a German shepherd, Troy. That’s a long story!

Please plan to attend a public meeting to learn more about the inaugural policies and procedures of the Pittsburgh Land Bank (PLB), and to provide any feedback you may have. The policies & procedures will guide how the Land Bank operates day-to-day – what it prioritizes, how it makes its decisions, and how an individual interacts with the PLB – and they want to hear from you.

They will be hosting five meetings around the city to gather feedback about the policies and to listen to any concerns you may have. The engagement team will be facilitating listening sessions, and members of the PLB Board will be available to hear your comments. The input from these meetings will be collected and provided back to the PLB Board for consideration when they finalize the inaugural policies and procedures.

Venues throughout the city have been selected for your convenience as follows: West, South, East, Central, and North. We will provide childcare at two of these meetings (March 25^th and April 4^th), and one of them will be on a Saturday to provide for added flexibility. In order to utilize the childcare service, we request that you RSVP at least five days prior to the meeting. Light refreshments will be provided at all of the meetings.

Join at the meeting which is most convenient for you, and RSVP so they can get an accurate count for food and childcare.