Our Team
Who We Are
As an organization and team, we are committed to embodying the best practices in our field. Above all, we strive to be self-reflective, compassionate and hold the highest ideals of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion at the core of who we are and all that we do. The Neighborhood Allies team shares an authentic and underlying purpose of making life better for all Pittsburghers–each coming from a diverse background and bringing our personal experiences, knowledge and expertise to our organization.

Presley L. Gillespie (he/him)
President & Chief Executive Officer



Stephanie Chernay (she/her)
Chief Operating Officer



Sarah Dieleman Perry (she/her)
Director of Economic Opportunity



Presley L. Gillespie (he/him)
President & Chief Executive Officer



Stephanie Chernay (she/her)
Chief Operating Officer



Sarah Dieleman Perry (she/her)
Director of Economic Opportunity



Talia DePasquale (she/her)
Director of Communications and Storytelling



Talia DePasquale (she/her)
Director of Communications and Storytelling



Shad Henderson (he/him)
Director of Equity and Inclusion






Shad Henderson (he/him)
Director of Equity and Inclusion


















Glenn Grayson Jr. (he/him)
Senior Program Manager for Real Estate Development



Glenn Grayson Jr. (he/him)
Senior Program Manager for Real Estate Development



Demi Kolke (she/her)
Senior Program Manager of Corridor Revitalization



Toni Corinealdi (she/her)
Senior Program Manager of Empowerment and Outreach



Tamara Emswiler (she/her)
Senior Program Manager for Social Impact Design



Demi Kolke (she/her)
Senior Program Manager of Corridor Revitalization



Toni Corinealdi (she/her)
Senior Program Manager of Empowerment and Outreach



Tamara Emswiler (she/her)
Senior Program Manager for Social Impact Design


Jael Jones (she/her)
Senior Program Manager for Impact Relations


Karen Lue (she/her)
Senior Program Manager for Digital Inclusion and Innovation



DeOndra Parker (she/her)
Operations and Program Support Manager






Chelsea Contino (she/her)
Communications and Outreach Program Manager





Javier Janik (he/him)
Program Manager of Economic Opportunity




Karen Lue (she/her)
Senior Program Manager for Digital Inclusion and Innovation



DeOndra Parker (she/her)
Operations and Program Support Manager





Chelsea Contino (she/her)
Communications and Outreach Program Manager
Steel Smiling: Organization in Residence


Julius A. Boatwright, MSW, LSW (he/him)
Founder and Managing Director, Steel Smiling




Robin M. Sheffey (she/her)
Program Manager of Wellness Services, Steel Smiling


Courtney Abegunde (she/her)
Program Manager of Implementation and Evaluation, Steel Smiling