Meet the Learning Teams

Pittsburgh

Read Pittsburgh's roadmap, "An Equitable Water Future: Pittsburgh" here.

Jamil Bey
PhD, President & CEO, UrbanKind Institute

Jamil Bey, Ph.D. is the founder and president of the UrbanKind Institute, a think-and-do consultancy committed to providing direction to improve policies, programs, and practices that are kind to urban people and environments; the root of sustainability. Under Dr. Bey’s leadership and direction, the UrbanKind Institute has become one of the Pittsburgh region’s premier public policy consultancies. Prized for our ability to do the complicated tasks of bringing people from all sectors and with often competing interests together to create actionable solutions. Jamil is a human geographer with 8 years of post-doctoral research and analysis of policy and practices that improve efficiency and outcomes in human experiences. As a researcher, analyst, and consultant he specializes in challenging common assumptions about ordinary concerns while bringing alternative perspectives for consideration. Trained as both a professional geographer and as an educator, Dr. Bey excels in spatial analysis and synthesis, pedagogy, and instruction. His primary focus is on spatial, and location analysis. His integrated-systems view of the world provides highly contextualized conclusions, and recommendations that consider the inter-connectivity of economics, politics, history, culture, health, social movements, and the environment in his analyses.

Ronda Lee Chapman, PolicyLink
Senior Associate

Ronda Lee Chapman, Senior Associate, provides policy research and capacity-building support for national and regional coalitions; and develops water-equity and climate resilient strategies and goals. For approaching twenty years, Ronda has lead efforts on water infrastructure and equity, renewable energy, climate resilience, and waste management in municipal, higher education, and non-profit sectors. Throughout her career, she has dedicated her thought leadership towards advancing equity, diversity, justice, and inclusion principles in various professional and community-centered capacities.  As a skilled facilitator, Ronda derives great joy convening leaders who are committed to the possibilities of equitable communities rooted in healing. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Ronda enjoys recreating outside whenever possible and if there is a pooch by her side, all the better.

Glenn Grayson Jr
Lead Organizer, One Pennsylvania

Glenn Grayson Jr. is the Lead Organizer for One Pennsylvania. One Pa fights for racial, social, environmental, and economic issues. “Follow the Money, Confront the Power, and Make the Change” has been the model of the organization. Glenn joined One Pa in 2010, and has been with the organization since inception. Glenn leads the Environmental Justice Campaign, Western Pa Political work, and the Regional Organizer across the Common Wealth of Pa. Glenn is the board chair of the Jeron X Grayson Foundation, a proud husband and father of two, and very active in his community

Grant Gittlen
Assistant Chief of Staff, City of Pittsburgh

Grant has worked for the city of Pittsburgh since 2014, where he previously supported the office of the mayor and acted as Community Affairs Manager. He was the political and field director on the Bill Peduto for Mayor campaign in 2013 and also worked on the Obama for America campaign in 2012. Bill has a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Will Pickering
Senior Public Affairs Manager, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority

Will Pickering is The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s (PWSA) Senior Manager of Public Affairs where he manages the Authority’s media relations, public outreach, social media and government relations programs. Prior to joining PWSA in fall 2016, Mr. Pickering was Manager of Communications and Government Relations at the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water). In that role, he managed the communications program and spearheaded DC Water’s interactions with the federal, District and neighboring local governments. Mr. Pickering joined DC Water after serving as a project manager for the President's Management Advisory Board of the Executive Office of the President. He also held several policy advisor roles. Prior to contributing to the Obama Administration, Mr. Pickering was Senior Policy Analyst for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs for the District Department of Transportation. He also served as a policy analyst for District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. Mr. Pickering has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Santa Clara University and received his Certificate in Public Management from George Washington University.

Julie Quigley
Director of Administration, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority

Julie A. Quigley rejoined The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) in October 2017 as the new Director of Administration.  She has spearheaded critical reforms and technological innovations in her oversight of Customer Service and IT.  Some examples are; implementing mobile work for plumbers and field technicians, installing a state of the art VoIP telephone system for over 300 employees, launching a customer water usage portal, and creating a Customer Assistance Program (CAP) for low income customers.  Ms. Quigley led PWSA through the process of becoming a regulated utility under the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission as of April 1, 2018, driving business process changes and new data collection.  Ms. Quigley has 25 years of utility billing experience, both in the municipal authority and private sector.  More recently, she was utility billing manager for Jordan Tax Service, Inc., billing wastewater conveyance, sewage treatment, and/or stormwater for 24 municipalities.  Before leaving PWSA in 2011, she had held several customer service management positions at the City of Pittsburgh Department of Water and at PWSA.

Aly Shaw
Pittsburgh United, Environmental Justice Organizer

Aly Shaw, environmental justice organizer, has worked at Pittsburgh United as a coalition organizer for three years, managing the coalition that makes up the Our Water, Our Rivers Campaign. In that time she has built a local movement for water justice and ensured families have access to clean, affordable drinking water delivered by a system run by the people, for the people. She has also worked in watersheds all over the region to build momentum for green infrastructure as a tool for stopping combined sewer overflows, reducing flooding, and making Pittsburgh a more resilient City in the face of climate change. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2014 with a degree in Political Science and is currently a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Public Policy and Management with a 3.82 GPA, expected to graduate in May 2019. Prior to joining Pittsburgh United she was a Coro Fellow in Leadership and Public Affairs.

Billie Vaughn
Founder & Executive Director, Common-Unity PGH

Billie Vaughn is the founder and Executive Director of Common-Unity PGH. Common-Unity's mission it to equip community stake holders to overcome systematic barriers through education, economic and community development. Common-Unity has 3 community sectors that cover Health & Wellness, Homeownership and Development. Billie is a mother to 3 children and a leader in the community who is very passionate and motivated to inspire others through advocacy, empowered by compassion. Billie is currently attending Point Park University for a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Billie holds a public notary license and is also in the process of obtaining her real estate license. Billie is a powerful voice in the community and will continue to take the initiative to represent and fight for the urban communities in Pittsburgh.

Noble A-W Maseru
Professor, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences Director, Center for Health Equity Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Office of the Dean, University of Pittsburgh
Noble A-W Maseru served for more than a decade as health commissioner for the City of Cincinnati Health Department where he oversaw more than 400 employees in seven divisions; seven preventive and primary health care centers; twenty-two school-based health centers; environmental, surveillance, chronic disease prevention and public health preparedness programs; creating healthy communities initiatives; and an annual budget of $49 million dollars. Maseru devoted his energies to achieving a healthier Cincinnati through establishing strategic partnerships with numerous public, private and grassroots agencies with the overall goal of elevating the department's health equity impact on Cincinnati---particularly vulnerable and underserved populations.   
Previously, he served as director and health officer for the City of Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion; vice president with the Greater Detroit Area Health Council; Southeast Michigan's leading coalition of business, labor, health care providers, consumers, and government; a consultant with USAID Africa Division; the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation; and the faculty at Clark Atlanta University School of Social Work.  His work with the Public Health Sciences Institute at Morehouse College to promote academic and research collaboration between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) led to the establishment of the Academy of African American Public Health Programs. Maseru was also the founding director of the Morehouse School of Medicine's Master of Public Health Program. 
 
Maseru's primary research interests are public health policy issues associated with the socioeconomic development of municipalities as it relates to social determinants of health-the Health in All Policies perspective and the public sector's role in achieving health equity for its' citizenry. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, a master's degree in public health from the Emory University School of Medicine, and a doctorate in health policy from Clark Atlanta University.