Mayor Ed Gainey and Council President Theresa Kail-Smith have named the members of the new Advisory Committee for Youth and Family Resource Centers in their effort to tackle youth violence in Pittsburgh.
The nine-member committee will be tasked with finding ways to utilize existing city assets to launch resource centers that serve as safe places for kids and youth while providing support services for families in need.
“I believe the work of this committee will be critical for our long-term work to bring peace to our city,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “This is about coming up with ways to use all our city resources to help provide new opportunities and pathways for our kids while ensuring their parents have access to the resources they need.”
The makeup of the committee includes five members chosen by Pittsburgh City Council and four members chosen by Mayor Ed Gainey.
Youth and Family Resource Advisory Committee members:
- Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess
- Councilman Anthony Coghill
- Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle
- Ricky Moody – Community Health and Human Services Policy Manager
- Diane Hobson – Community Engagement Specialist
- Lisa Frank – Chief Administrative and Operations Officer
- Kathryn Vargas – Director of Parks and Recreation
- David Jones – Assistant Director of Community Affairs, Department of Public Safety
- Education Coordinator – Office of Mayor Ed Gainey
“This is about saving lives,” said Council President Theresa Kail-Smith. “We need to do all we can to ensure our kids have a safe place to be and that we are connecting parents and guardians with the help they need.”
The committee will soon convene their initial meeting, where they will discuss their meeting schedule, public engagement, and timeline for putting together their strategic plan to open city-owned facilities in areas impacted by youth violence.