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)
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer


Sarah Dieleman Perry (she/her)
Vice President of Economic Mobility


Talia DePasquale (she/her)
Senior Director of Knowledge Management and Communications

Shad Henderson (he/him)
Senior Director of Public and Private Partnerships


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


DeOndra Parker (she/her)
Senior Program Manager of Fund Development & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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

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


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

Ashley McLean (she/her)
Senior Program Manager for Economic Opportunity

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

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

Tariq Williams (he/him)
Program Manager of Real Estate Services
Steel Smiling: Organization in Residence

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

Courtney Abegunde (she/her)
Operations Director, Steel Smiling

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

Cheyenne Campbell (she/her)
Peer Support Fellow, Steel Smiling