Skylar McGinley Pronouns: he/him/his Skylar strives to be a part of the change that he wants to see in the world. He says "a part of" because we can't always do everything on our own. It often takes a united group of people to begin to see the changes we desire. Skylar has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH. After graduating, he took part in the Photography Intensive course at Pittsburgh Filmmakers (now part…Read More
Angela Del Raso Bidwell Extern she/ her/ hers Angela is a Pittsburgh area native. She studied fine art in college and put her creative energy toward a 12-year career in the floral industry which she has recently left to learn about native plants, ecology, sustainable landcare, and the importance of healthy urban forests. She is a soon-to-be graduate of Bidwell Training Center’s Horticulture Technology Program, and is excited to help Grounded Strategies realize its goals of addressing vacant land within the city and…Read More
Maya McCray Pronouns: she/her/hers Maya was born and raised in the Beltzhoover neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating from Pittsburgh Obama Academy, Maya continued her education at Penn State University where she earned her degree in Telecommunications with a minor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. She has always been passionate about Civil and Environmental Rights and is excited to learn and work with the Grounded Team using historical data, modern technology, and community members to ease and improve the use of vacant land.…Read More
Matthew Nealon Pronouns: he/him Matthew grew up outside of Chicago in Naperville, IL where he graduated from North Central College with degrees in Physics and Political Science. Following graduation, he will be attending the University of Pittsburgh Law School seeking to become a patent attorney. Matthew is eager to put his experiences in the realms of policy, advocacy, and community organizing into practice in Pittsburgh. He is very excited to learn more about the diverse communities within the Pittsburgh area and how best to…Read More
Maia Egan Pronouns: she/her Maia is from central Pennsylvania and is going into her fourth year of Landscape Architecture at Penn State University with a minor in Sustainability Leadership and a focus on Designing Sustainable Communities. She is passionate about helping communities and horticulture. Her experience in the professional world of landscape architecture includes residential and implementation work. She is excited to learn more about urban green spaces, the process of community design and the social justice aspect of the profession. In…Read More
Jenna Ruggiero Pronouns: she/her/hers Originally from western Maryland, Jenna moved to Pittsburgh to study at the University of Pittsburgh, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies with a minor in Studio Arts. From a young age, Jenna wanted to study architecture to create tangible change, and she is passionate about intersectionality within the design of the built environment. She is excited to work with Grounded as a Design and Placemaking Intern to continue to expand her community-based design knowledge…Read More
Nicholas Pantalone Nick is a leader in enterprise risk management, internal audit, and internal controls compliance, a Senior Manager in one of the Big 4's risk advisory practices, and a Certified Public Accountant (Pennsylvania). He joined the Board of Grounded to participate in its newly defined strategy and contribute to all things finance-related. Outside of finances, Nick is a good fit for Grounded because of his prior experiences in land restoration activities - prior to attending Duquesne University, he operated a landscaping…Read More
Quentin Rice Pronouns: she/her/hers Quentin graduated from Chatham University with a Sustainability degree in May 2020. Since then she has worked through Serve the Moment, an offshoot of Repair the World, where she did service at a food pantry and learning focused on social justice issues within the Pittsburgh area. She now works with Grounded through Repair the World Pittsburgh as a two-year fellow! Quentin is excited to work with Grounded because of her passion for engaging others for service work, advocating…Read More
Isabella Hartley pronouns: she/her Isabella was born and raised in Pittsburgh PA, where she adopted her love for helping others. She is a senior studying Social Work at the University Of Pittsburgh. She is also minoring in Public Service and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. After school, she plans to get her Masters's in Public Administration. Isabella is passionate about empowering individuals through community engagement and activism. In the future, she aspires to work in Nonprofit Management. She is excited to learn more about environmental…Read More
Gracie Brickner Pronouns: She/They Gracie is originally from southeastern Connecticut. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018. Gracie has worked for various nonprofits around the city in community outreach, programming, and communication roles as well as a community organizer for the United Steelworkers. Gracie is currently pursuing their Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh in Community, Organization, and Social Action with a certificate in Human Services Management. Gracie is excited…Read More
Teresa Mueller Pronouns: she/her/hers Teresa Mueller is an experienced healthcare executive and marketing leader with over 15 years of experience. Her diverse background working across a range of categories in both large and early-stage companies has prepared her to make significant Board contributions in marketing, business strategy, and team development. Teresa started her marketing career in brand management at Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, and HJ Heinz. After 10 years working in large companies, Teresa transitioned to 4moms®, an early-stage company where she…Read More
Isaac Williams Pronouns: he/him/his Gerry Isaac Williams was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and raised in South Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Howard University in Washington D.C. where he studied sociology and the Arabic language. He is currently pursuing the Master of Science in Public Policy & Management program at Heinz College in Carnegie Mellon University. Isaac is passionate about environmental justice and human rights. He aspires to work in the field of international development to ensure social, economic, and environmental justice…Read More