CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director, Shared Services and County Relations
Job Titles:
- Public Trustee
- Lebanon Commissioner, Former President of the Mt. Lebanon Library Board of Trustees
Barbara Logan is a former Mt. Lebanon Commissioner, former President of the Mt. Lebanon Library Board of Trustees, former President of the Friends of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library and has served on the boards of various other charitable institutions. She is an emerita member of the Board of Planned Parenthood and member of the Action Fund of Planned Parenthood. She was appointed to the Board of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Museums by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
Allegheny County Councilperson, At-Large, Bethany Hallam is a native Pittsburgher. She graduated from North Hills High School in 2008, and from Duquesne University in 2012 with a B.A. in Public Relations and Spanish.
She has been a vocal supporter of all varieties of criminal legal reform since long before she was elected to office. During her ten-year battle with Substance Use Disorder, she had multiple run-ins with law enforcement that resulted in dozens of summary and misdemeanor convictions. She has paid tens of thousands of dollars in fines and fees, spent time on probation and in the Allegheny County Jail, and had her driver's license suspended as a result of these convictions.
Councilperson Hallam ran for office as one of the first people in the country to do so as a formerly incarcerated person in long-term recovery from Substance Use Disorder, garnering nationwide attention and bringing the conversation of criminal legal reform more into the mainstream. She is now the youngest person to have ever been elected county-wide in Allegheny County, representing over 1.2 million people in one of the largest legislative districts in the nation.
She ran on a platform of environmental justice, transit justice, housing justice, racial justice, and social justice, recognizing how the struggle for clean air and water is intertwined with the fight against racist displacement and gentrification, and how the fight to have housing recognized as a human right must include transit as a human right for it to be truly equitable and inclusive.
Councilperson Hallam uses her position as an elected official to speak all around Pennsylvania about the unjust treatment of those in our criminal legal system and, specifically people of color and lower-income populations. Serving on Allegheny County's Jail Oversight Board, she uses her lived experiences to advocate for better jail conditions. She also serves as the Chair of Allegheny County Council's Appointment Review Committee, where she is working to ensure those appointed to the myriad boards, authorities, and commissions throughout the county are and remain committed to the vision of a more justice, equitable, and inclusive Allegheny County.
Job Titles:
- Emeriti Trustee
- Emeritus Trustee
Job Titles:
- Term Trustee
- Member of the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Network
- Role of President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh
Betty Cruz assumed the role of President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh in January 2020. Prior to joining the Council, Betty served as the leader of Change Agency, a social enterprise which she founded in 2016, and Project Director for All for All, an immigrant inclusion initiative. Betty has extensive experience in community outreach, communications, partnership-building, and program management - spanning nearly 20 years. She has developed citywide initiatives for Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto, managed major accounts for a national nonprofit dedicated to building playgrounds across the U.S., and supported public relations for global brands representing a wide range of industries.
Originally from Miami, Florida, Betty is the daughter of Cuban immigrants and a first-generation college graduate. She holds a B.A. in History from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) where she was selected for the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership Portfolio Program and U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship in Portuguese. Betty is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
In recent years, Betty has received the following accolades: 25 Essential Pittsburghers by NEXTpittsburgh in 2019, Pittsburgh Magazine 40 Under 40, Global Pittsburgh Immigrant Champion, 2018 Women of Achievement, 2018 CLASS Community Heroes Award, Islamic Center of Pittsburgh for Humanity Day, The Incline as a Community Leader, Peace Islands Institute and Turkish Cultural Center for Public Service, 2014 YWCA Racial Justice Awardee in Government, and GSPIA 4 Under 40 Distinguished Alumnus. In 2015, Governor Tom Wolf appointed Betty to the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs.
Betty serves on several local boards including Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and City Theatre. Betty is a member of the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Network and is a Next City Vanguard. She is also part of Leadership Pittsburgh XXXVII class.
Bruce Kraus was born and raised on Pittsburgh's South Side. He was an interior design consultant when he joined the South Side Chamber of Commerce. While serving as President of the Chamber of Commerce, he was appointed to Mayor Tom Murphy's Graffiti Task Force, where he allied with local businesses and community groups to help remove unsightly vandalism from Pittsburgh's buildings and streets. Mayor Murphy also appointed Bruce to the Clean Pittsburgh Commission - beginning a long and continuing dedication to transforming Pittsburgh into one of the greenest and cleanest cities in America.
In 2006, after an unsuccessful bid for the District 3 seat, Bruce returned a year later to take his seat as District 3 Councilman.
As Councilman, Bruce has been at the forefront of a number of key civil rights issues, including the passage of a progressive Allegheny County Human Relations Commission, designed to combat discrimination in housing, public accommodation and employment and the city's first uniform Domestic Partner Registry.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Neighborhood Libraries
Carol Robinson has been engaged in the work of Carnegie Library for over a decade. She both volunteered and consulted with CLP prior to joining the Board of Trustees.
Carol is President of Robinson Management, Inc. where she provides consulting services to area nonprofits and businesses. Additionally, she is engaged in real estate management and venture investing. Carol was Vice President of Gateway Travel Management that was merged into Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Earlier in her career, Carol was Vice President of advertising and public relations for a national retail chain. She graduated with a BA from the University of Pittsburgh, holds a Master of Science in Journalism degree from the Medill School at Northwestern University and a Master of Public Management degree from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Carol also serves as a board member of several nonprofits and is a past president of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank board.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean
- Life Trustee
- Employee of Carnegie Mellon
Carolyn Hess Abraham is the associate dean for Advancement in Carnegie Mellon University's College of Fine Arts (CFA). Hess Abraham serves as a senior member of the CFA management team and leads and manages the direction, planning and execution of fundraising and alumni relations activities for the college. She is responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive fundraising and alumni relations strategy for CFA, working with the college's current team to maximize advancement efforts among various audiences.
A 26-year employee of Carnegie Mellon, Hess Abraham joined CFA in November 2016 from the Tepper School of Business, where she served as executive director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. Hess Abraham has extensive experience in personal, corporate and foundation fundraising programs, including philanthropy, research support and experiential learning student projects.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University in economics and international relations, and her MBA from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. She has served as an adjunct professor of business administration at the Tepper School and as a lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. She is an active volunteer/board member in several Pittsburgh civic organizations.
Job Titles:
- Real Estate Agent With Lavelle Real Estate, Inc
Councilman Lavelle is also a proud licensed Real Estate Agent with Lavelle Real Estate, Inc., a family owned and operated full service real estate firm since 1951. He is also Vice-President of a local film company, Fear No Man Productions, LLC.
Councilman Lavelle was recognized by Cystic Fibrosis as one of Pittsburgh's 50 Finest in 2002. Pittsburgh Magazine most recently recognized him for being one of Pittsburgh's 40 Under 40 in 2009.
He is married to Rachel Riley-Lavelle and they are the proud parents of a daughter Saniya. They reside in the Hill District.
Job Titles:
- Term Trustee
- Representative Dan Miller
Councilwoman Deb Gross was sworn in on January 4th, 2016 to begin her first full four year term as the District 7 representative. Her district includes the Strip District, Polish Hill, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Friendship, Stanton Heights, Morningside, and her home neighborhood Highland Park - where she lives with her husband Stan Caldwell and two children, Theodora and Stanley.
She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from the University of Florida and a Master's Degree in Sociology from Duke University. She is a firm believer in the power and promise of Pittsburgh neighborhoods and has worked as a community organizer, strategic planner, and fundraiser for a variety of organizations including the Lawrenceville Corporation, Women and Girls Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance during her career.
Deb's policy interests and initiatives revolve around improving the quality of life for Pittsburgh families, supporting local and minority owned businesses, creating accessible, resident-friendly infrastructure, and eliminating neighborhood blight while increasing affordable housing options. Her work also focuses on establishing connections and relationships between a diversity of stakeholders to develop cohesive, equitable plans for moving Pittsburgh forward.
Job Titles:
- Life Trustee
- Retired Vice President & Controller of the United States Steel Corporation
Gregory A. Zovko is the retired vice president & controller of the United States Steel Corporation. He joined U.S. Steel in 1983 as a management associate in the accounting and finance department at its Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh. During the next 14 years, he progressed through a series of increasingly responsible positions in corporate audit and accounting before being named controller for Mon Valley Works' Clairton Plant in 1997.
Gregory moved back to headquarters in 1998 to serve as manager-financial analysis, and one year later, he was named controller for the entire Mon Valley Works. In 2002, he returned to headquarters when he advanced to assistant controller-operations accounting & financial analysis. He was named controller-flat-rolled products & assistant corporate controller in November 2007. Gregory was elected vice president-accounting in June 2008 and oversaw accounting functions for all of U.S. Steel's business units, including North American flat-rolled and tubular as well as European operations and also directed financial analysis activities. He was appointed to the vice president & controller position in April 2009, adding the role of chief compliance officer to his responsibilities. He retired from U. S. Steel in June 2014.
A native of Pittsburgh, Gregory earned a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from The Pennsylvania State University in 1983, a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1988 and a Master's degree in tax administration from Duquesne University in 1998. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Job Titles:
- Term Trustee
- Regional Director for BNY Mellon Wealth Management
Huma Mohiuddin is a Regional Director for BNY Mellon Wealth Management. She works with a team of experts that help individuals and families create tailored wealth management solutions to meet their investment, trust & estate, wealth planning, and private banking needs.
She has more than 20 years of experience in the investment management industry, serving as a Investment Advisor for JPMorgan, a Equity Research Associate for Northern Trust, and a Financial Advisor for Morgan Stanley.
Huma received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree from The Ohio State University. She also serves on the Board of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and on the Shady Side Academy Alumni Council.
Jake Pawlak currently serves as Deputy Mayor for the City of Pittsburgh and Director for the Office of Management and Budget. Prior to joining the Administration, he served as Transition Director for Mayor Gainey.
Jake has worked at all levels of government, as well as on numerous civic advocacy efforts. In 2011, he was the Community Engagement Director for the "Our Library, Our Future" initiative that successfully campaigned for the library tax. More recently, Jake served as program director for the Pennsylvania Alliance Foundation. He also held roles with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, where he was responsible for each Authority's engagement with the Mayor's Office, City Council, City Departments, and other government agencies and outside partners.
Jake received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from the University of Pittsburgh. A lifelong Pittsburgher, he currently lives in Highland Park.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Main and Statewide Services
Job Titles:
- Term Trustee
- Director of Engineering for the LINCC
Jeremy Kubica is the Director of Engineering for the LINCC project, where he leads a team working at the intersection of state of the art computer science and cutting edge astrophysics. Previously he was an engineering director at Google and co-lead of Google's Pittsburgh office.
Jeremy is a graduate of the Ph.D. program at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute. His thesis research focused on large-scale data mining problems and the search for structure in large, noisy data sets. Previously, he received a B.S. in Computer Science from Cornell University and a M.S. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is the author of several books designed to introduce people to computer science
Mr. Bernard began his professional career in 1984. He is currently a principal architect at ikm, inc. He has worked on a broad range of project types, including corporate, banking, commercial, education, healthcare and housing. In addition to being an active member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Mr. Bernard also holds National Council of Architectural Registration Boards(NCARB) certification and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
Job Titles:
- Founder of the South Side
Job Titles:
- Director, External and Government Relations
Job Titles:
- Term Trustee
- Relationship Manager for Glenmede 's Center for Family Philanthropy
Kenneth E. Spruill, Jr. is a Relationship Manager for Glenmede's Center for Family Philanthropy and Wealth Education. He leads the team responsible for providing philanthropic advice and education, as well as administration of charitable trusts, foundations and donor-advised funds. Mr. Spruill guides clients in articulating their philanthropic and family goals and delivers solutions to integrate philanthropic considerations and multi-generational education into their goals-based wealth planning and administration.
Mr. Spruill joined Glenmede with nearly a decade of experience in managing foundations and advising clients on strategic grantmaking, most recently serving as Senior Philanthropy Advisor of Private Foundation Solutions for PNC Private Bank Hawthorn. Mr. Spruill also served as a Senior Talent Consultant and Manager of Diversity Strategies for PNC. Before joining the company, he worked as an independent diversity consultant and served as the Workforce Diversity Officer and as a Relationship Manager for Wachovia Corporation.
Mr. Spruill earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from North Carolina State University, where he was a John Tyler Caldwell Memorial Scholar. He is President of the Board of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania and is a Board Member of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and Silver Eye Center for Photography. Mr. Spruill was recognized as one of Pittsburgh Magazine's "40 Under 40" and one of the New Pittsburgh Courier's "50 Men of Excellence".
Job Titles:
- Director, Finance and Administration
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Programs and Partnerships
Job Titles:
- Director, Public Services
Job Titles:
- Director, Communications and Creative Services
Job Titles:
- Term Trustee
- Representative Dan Miller
Job Titles:
- Director, Human Resources
His professional career until January 2010 has included working as a Pittsburgh City Council Legislative Aide for former Councilman Sala Udin, and Chief of Staff for the 19th Legislative District's Honorable State Representative Jake Wheatley, Jr. Daniel honed his skills as an advocate for working-class families, seniors, fair governance, and good democracy. He has served with Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) where he also learned the inner-workings of government and how to best implement public policy that benefits neighborhood residents. In addition, Daniel works for his family's business, Lavelle Real Estate, Inc. in various capacities including real estate brokerage. His strong work ethic comes from a tradition of family entrepreneurs whose businesses have served as cornerstones for empowering local residents and strengthening our City through good and bad times.
Motivated by his parents, Robert and Phillis Lavelle, and his grandparents, Robert and Adah Lavelle, Daniel has consistently pursued the values and practices associated with public service. His family-instilled commitment to providing service for people was reinforced by his grandfather's advice, "If you recognize a problem and then can grasp the nature of the solution, then you have an obligation to use your talents to help fix the problem." Following his grandfather's words, Daniel chose a career in public service to help fix the myriad of problems facing his community. Daniel's significant experience in bringing people together is also driven by his passion for building coalitions amongst citizens, elected officials, and interest groups. In 2009, Daniel further followed his grandfather's advice and ran for Pittsburgh City Council. He was elected into office November 2009 and sworn into office January of 2010.
Upon election, Councilman Lavelle stated he would bring the same hard work and spirit of collaboration to the office that he has demonstrated in his work to date. He emphasized the importance of addressing issues such as public safety, job preparation and development, housing, economic development and access to quality education from pre-school through college. His goal is to ensure the district is made attractive, safe, and prosperous for everyone. He believes people will come back to live here and our children will stay here and succeed.
Job Titles:
- Director, Facilities Development
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Collection Development