Saleem is a passionate advocate for children and for the City of Pittsburgh. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he has devoted his life to serving the people of his community through outreach and education programs. In 1985, Saleem founded The Pittsburgh Project, a community development organization that provides free home renovations to hundreds of vulnerable seniors each year and deploys thousands of youth in meaningful volunteer community service. He is currently the volunteer co-pastor of Mosaic Community Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. In addition, Saleem is a member of the boards of The Buhl Foundation, Vibrant Pittsburgh, and the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.
Shelley graduated from Carleton College with a degree in Economics and concentration in Science, Technology, and Public Policy. She earned her Master’s of Public Administration and Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Before returning to graduate school, she worked in the private sector as a management consultant, helping Fortune 500 employers design and implement complex organizational change and human resources initiatives.
Marsha graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Urban Studies. Marsha began her career in fundraising when she volunteered to co-chair the Super Playground Project in Highland Park, one of the first community-built and community-funded playgrounds in the region. The success of that project took her to the CCO, a regional college ministry organization, where she worked as the Associate Director of Development before coming to The Promise.
Kristin possesses the passion and drive to fundraise for organizations that work to improve the lives of children. Kristin graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Public Service and a certificate in Nonprofit Management. She has an extensive background in fundraising and was previously the Manager of Annual Giving at Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania. She joined The Promise as the Development Administrative Assistant in 2016.
Katina is a certified administrative professional who has worked in the public and private sectors for over 25 years in the fields of finance, administration, and social services. Katina obtained her undergraduate education in human services at Geneva College. To further her focus on advocacy, strength based counseling, and intensive group therapy, she attained continued education and training from 2014-2015 in trauma and abuse counseling at The Allender Center, Seattle School of Theology & Psychology.
Building on a career of nearly 20 years in Pittsburgh’s nonprofit sector raising money for worthy causes, Betsy is a fundraising consultant who supports the development efforts at The Promise. Betsy received her BA in Communications from Allegheny College. She’s a member of the Allegheny County Human Relations Commission, serves on the Carnegie Museum’s Women’s Committee and Planned Parenthood’s Action Council, in addition to being a parent-volunteer at Pittsburgh CAPA.
The University of Pittsburgh was the source of both of Julie’s degrees: a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Rhetoric, and a Master’s in Public Policy and Management from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. After a 20-year career in higher education, she joined The Pittsburgh Promise in 2012 because of its mission and the ability to work closely with young people. As a complement to her work at The Promise, Julie tutors adults through the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council.
Christopher comes from a diverse background of nonprofit sector work. Previously, he served in the data departments of both the Department of Human Services, and most recently, The Forbes Funds as a data support analyst. A Slippery Rock graduate, Christopher is currently pursuing his MBA in business analytics from California University of Pennsylvania. Christopher is passionate about community development and educational equity
Danny joins The Promise team after working with Pittsburgh Public Schools seniors on college and career preparation through the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from the University of Notre Dame, the latter of which was completed while teaching 5th-grade students for two years in South Central Los Angeles, California. He is driven to provide all students with the resources needed for post-secondary success and beyond.
Janay graduated from Pittsburgh Perry High School in 2008 and is proud to have been a member of the first graduating class to receive The Promise scholarship. She went on to study business management and social service administration at Chatham University, graduating in 2012. Building on her lifelong interest in urban youth and the non-profit sector, Janay joined The Pittsburgh Promise in 2013 to help make postsecondary education more accessible for PPS graduates. Janay is a co-founder of The Pittsburgh Promise Alumni group, Promise Legacy.
Sydney is a Promise scholarship recipient who graduated from Pittsburgh Allderdice in 2014. She went on to attend Chatham University to receive her bachelor’s degree in Interior Architecture in 2017. She is currently attending Chatham University to receive her MBA with a concentration in project management. Sydney is a member of the Project Management Institute and a volunteer with the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.
Lyndsey graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a sociology degree. She began her career in the nonprofit education field working in a therapeutic setting at Wesley Spectrum Highland School, assisting students with mental and emotional disabilities. After spending time in Eastern Europe as a volunteer with the United States Peace Corps, Lyndsey returned to her work with Pittsburgh students and youths. Prior to joining The Promise, she coordinated a College and Career Readiness Program for Pittsburgh Public School students at the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation.
Lauren comes to The Promise with a background in communications, strategic planning, and grassroots development. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Business and French. Previously, Lauren led legislative, electoral, and advocacy campaigns for SEIU, the country’s second-largest labor union. She also worked as a consultant for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s sustainable funding initiative. She currently serves as Secretary to the Board of Directors of the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation.
Heather graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Communications and Nonfiction Writing. She is now enrolled at University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs pursuing a Master’s of Public Policy and Management. In addition to volunteering with several local nonprofits, she’s a member of United Way’s TOGETHER Leading program, serves on the Advisory Circle of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Cooperatives, and is Vice-President of the Ten Thousand Villages (Pittsburgh) Board of Directors.
