Meet the Candidates

At the Allegheny City Central Association general membership meeting on Monday, May 11, 2015, members will vote for individuals to fill open positions on the board of directors. Those elected will serve for two years, through May 2017, and join eight other board members whose terms expire in 2016.

Here’s background on each of the candidates.

John M. Bornyas, Ed.D.

A fifteen-year resident of the Mexican War Streets, John M. Bornyas lives at 1208 Palo Alto Street and currently serves as an adjunct professor and Doctoral Program Liaison at Point Park University. In 2012, he retired after 35 years in public education in various positions from teacher, principal, director of education, director of programming, operations and middle level education to acting deputy superintendent. During his active time in public education, he worked in the Upper St. Clair, Moon Area, Fox Chapel and Peters Township School Districts. During his time in public education, he played major roles in ten school construction/renovation projects with the most recent one valued at over $61 million.

During the past seven months John served as the interim middle school principal from August to December, and interim high school assistant principal from January to March in the Quaker Valley School District.

Together with adjunct responsibilities at Point Park University, Dr. Bornyas also served as the Off Campus Graduate Education Site Coordinator & Liaison from April 2013 to August 2014.

In 1983, John was the incorporating officer of B & L Hauling, Inc., a closely held corporation that engaged in municipal hauling in the southern portion of Allegheny County until being sold to an international corporation in 2008.  He served as business manager and secretary-treasurer for this company during this time.

Being a proud member of his neighborhood, John served as the Chair of the 2000 Mexican War Streets House Tour, and his home was on tour in 2003 and selected to be part of the house tour in conjunction with the National Historical Preservation Society Conference held in Pittsburgh in mid-part of the last decade.  He has also been a volunteer for various Mexican War Streets House Tours over the years.

Now since he is working only part-time, John is interested in serving on the ACCA Board of Directors so he can volunteer his time, energy and talents to help improve the community where he lives.

Nick Cafardi

Nick is an attorney who specializes in commercial transactions, contract negotiation, corporate finance, and commercial leasing. He currently works as Senior Counsel for an international steel services company with headquarters in Glassport, PA, and previously worked as an associate at a law firm in downtown Pittsburgh, with a practice focused on mergers and acquisitions.  Nick also has experience serving on three nonprofit boards of directors, both as a director and an officer.

Nick and his wife, Alicia, moved to Allegheny City Central in 2014.  They are proud residents of the neighborhood and members of the ACCA.  Look for them walking their ferocious Jack Russell Terrier, Tony, around the neighborhood.

Cody Harding

Cody is 28 years old and has lived in Pittsburgh since 2004. He is originally from the Lehigh Valley and came to Pittsburgh to attend the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating, he worked briefly for both the Heinz History Center and Fort Pitt Museum. Though he remains an avid historian, he returned to school and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2014. Currently, he is employed as a municipal attorney in Westmoreland County. During law school he focused on government and policy, working for both the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

Despite working in Westmoreland County, Cody works to participate in his community. He volunteers with the First Tee of Pittsburgh, teaching golf to City youth. He also participates in regional historical organizations and preservation efforts.

Cody has lived in many neighborhoods throughout Pittsburgh but chose to settle on the Northside for its diverse neighborhoods and numerous cultural resources. He even convinced his parents to relocate to Brighton Heights in 2014. “I value the opportunity to be more involved in our neighborhood. I will work to continue the progress of the ACCA and preserve the Northside’s unique identity.”

Arthur James

Arthur holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and works as a principal engineer for Benshaw designing industrial control products.

Arthur has lived in Allegheny City Central since 2004 and has served on the Allegheny City Central Association board since May of 2011. He has previously chaired the Bylaws Committee. Some of his proudest accomplishments include instituting cloud based services for the organization, shepherding the completion of the Federal and North Master Plan, and overseeing the development of the rebranded Allegheny City Central website. Arthur currently serves as chair of the Communications Committee and as Secretary.

Deena Kelly

Deena Kelly received a Master of Arts degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is currently employed at Bernstein-Burkley, P.C. as Office Executive.

Deena bought her home on Jacksonia Street in 2012. She has served on the ACCA Board since 2013 and as Vice President since 2014. She is the ACCA representative for the Allegheny Commons Initiative and also served on the Communications Committee.

Vince Salvino

Vincent Salvino received a BSBA in HR Management from Robert Morris University in 2005 and a Master of Arts in Industrial and Labor relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2006. Vincent completed an Advanced Internship with The Walt Disney Company in Orlando, FL in January 2007. Vince was a Federal Investigator for the Office of Personnel Management/Federal Investigative Services (OPM/FIS) for three years before moving back to the Pittsburgh area to be a Training Support Specialist with OPM/FIS in January 2011.

Vincent was filmed, along with his fiancé Jason Owens, for an episode of “My First Place” on HGTV in the summer of 2012 when buying their home on Monterey Street. Vincent graduated from the City’s Civic Leadership Academy and has been an active member of the ACCA since October 2011.

Kyle Smith

Kyle is an associate with Bernstein-Burkley, P.C. in the firm’s Business Law group. He concentrates his practice in corporate and commercial business transactions, oil, gas and energy matters, real estate and tax assessment appeal work, and other civil law matters. Prior to joining Bernstein-Burkley, Kyle worked in the global Real Estate group and Business and Finance Department of Reed Smith LLP, where he gained valuable experience assisting with commercial transactions and litigation, real estate tax assessment appeals, land use and zoning appeals, eminent domain proceedings, and disputes regarding real estate leases. Kyle also has experience representing developers and users in commercial and multi-use developments, obtaining local and state zoning, land-use and other approvals and permits, drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, loan document and commercial leases, and reviewing surveys and title insurance policies.

Kyle moved to Pittsburgh in 2008 to attend law school at Duquesne University. Prior to that, he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Pre-Law, from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Kyle and his wife, Brooke, moved into their home on Jacksonia Street in June of 2014.

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