ACCA 2018-2020 Board of Directors Nominations

Meet the Candidates for the 2018-2020 Board of Directors

Allegheny City Central Association logoAt the Allegheny City Central Association General Membership Meeting on Monday, May 14, 2016, members will vote for individuals to fill open positions on the board of directors. Those elected will serve for two years, through May 2020, and join five other board members whose terms expire in 2019. Here is background information for each of the candidates.

Kathy Deis

Kathy has lived in the Mexican War Streets Historic district for over 15 years after building a new home in a restored “shell” on Buena Vista with her husband Dan. Kathy has been active in both the Mexican War Streets Society and ACCA. For the past couple of years, she has been the treasurer of ACCA. Presently Kathy also takes care of the Drovers Way Garden.

Kathy has always maintained an active engagement with Allegheny City Central Association’s initiatives such as the Garden Theater Project, City of Asylum, Allegheny Commons Initiative, and related developments to rebuild and improve the local neighborhoods. Having two grandchildren and their parents living in the MWS, she cares very much about the future of the neighborhood.

Kathy has been a certified Master Gardener (New Jersey) and has served as a Docent at Phipps Conservatory for the past 14 years. She is an active member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute programs at both University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University and continues to actively travel the world.

Patrick Dexter

Patrick is running for re-election to the Board of ACCA. He is currently serving as the President of the Board, and represents ACCA at the Northside Leadership Conference meetings and events.

Patrick has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years – first as a renter and now as a homeowner on Alpine. “In that time, I’ve seen incredible growth and change in this neighborhood,” Patrick says. “I hope to serve you all to see further growth in the future.”

Nicholas Ross

Nick has finished his first term on the Board of Directors while also serving as Secretary. A Monterey Street resident of five years and Pittsburgher for the last ten, Nick found a niche for his passion of community involvement and professional knowledge of transportation planning and design in the Northside Bike & Pedestrian Committee. A Transportation Engineer with downtown firm HDR by trade, Nick has focused his community volunteering efforts on making streets and trails in all Northside neighborhoods safer, more accessible, and pleasant for all residents. In 2015, Nick was elected Chair of the organization and has been an active participant in several One Northside initiatives through the Buhl Foundation. He’s committed to pushing the neighborhood’s continued resurgence in a way that improves the lives of our current residents and welcomes all who wish to make the Northside a better place.

Outside of work and community meetings, Nick and his wife Danielle enjoy experiencing other American cities on the grid, backpacking through wilderness areas off of it, and seeing as many Phish shows as adult life allows.

Patrick Sweeney

A native Northsider, Patrick originally hails from Brighton Heights, where he attended St. Cyril’s. He moved with his family to Indiana, PA when his father began working as a professor at IUP. After high school, he earned his BA in Economics (1992), and his JD (1996) at the University of Pittsburgh.

Patrick joined the Allegheny County Public Defender’s office in 1997, and has been there ever since. His practice is primarily in the adult Trial Division, but his work in the PD’s office has brought him before judges in all Divisions of the Court of Common Pleas. The PD’s office is a unionized workforce (the United Steelworkers), and Patrick has served co-workers as union steward since 2009.

Prior to returning to the Northside, Patrick lived in the South Side for 20 years, and is still a member of Prince of Peace Parish, volunteering with the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He served as the Vice Chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee in 2013-2014.

Patrick moved into the Central Northside in 2013, and owns his home on Filson Street. He is a member of the Elks (Allegheny Lodge) on Cedar Avenue, and is a regular at the West Park dog park with his adopted Yorkshire terrier-mix Fiona.

Andrew Wickesberg

Andrew Wickesberg has been a resident of the neighborhood for nine years, moving from downtown Pittsburgh with his wife Katie in 2009. He has served on the board of ACCA for seven years, including three years as president.

When Andrew is not representing the neighborhood, he is a full time member of the Pittsburgh Symphony, performing every weekend at Heinz Hall and touring internationally representing the city of Pittsburgh. In his spare time, Andrew teaches violin and viola lessons at the City Music Center, and conducts the Symphonette youth string orchestra of Three Rivers Young People’s Orchestras.

Matthew Williamson

Matt is a carpenter who has lived in the neighborhood since 2009 and served on the board since 2014. He is running again to help ensure that the outer streets of Allegheny City Central continue to have a voice on the Board of Directors.

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