Allegheny County Democratic Committee

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Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis

August 24, 2021 By

Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis was born and raised in Allegheny County. As executive director of a regional nonprofit, Michelle has spent the last 12 years providing educational programming and technical assistance that focuses on environmental health and addresses the myriad of social determinants of health. Her emphasis is working with and in environmental justice communities. Michelle has used this expertise to work closely with several Allegheny County departments. Prior to that role, she worked for 14 years for a regional land trust acquiring properties for the protection of the environment and the public’s benefit, including additions to North Park and South Park. Michelle is married to David Chapkis and they have three children: Sofia, Dominic and Julia. She was part of the first graduating class at Woodland Hills High School and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as attended Leadership Pittsburgh. Michelle has lived in Plum Borough since 1999 and participated on the borough’s comprehensive planning and zoning ordinance committees. She currently gives back to her community by serving on the Plum Zoning Hearing Board.

Theresa Kail Smith

March 23, 2021 By

Theresa has lived in Pittsburgh nearly her entire life and raised her three children here. As her children grew, so did her civic engagements. Theresa became involved with and worked at a host of nonprofit organizations such as the Pittsburgh Public Schools, The Neighborhood Learning Alliance, and many local athletic associations and community groups. She has nearly three decades of experience in volunteerism. Through her extensive volunteering, Theresa gained a vast amount of knowledge of the neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh and its residents. She is currently a board member of the Pittsburgh Land Bank and Bishop Canevin High School as well as a member of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

As a member of Council, Theresa is dedicated to everyday quality of life issues. Since being elected in 2009, she continuously worked on the social service, development, and environmental needs of District 2.

Theresa comes from a very large family and currently resides in the Westwood section of District 2. She raised three wonderful children and enjoys spending quality time with her seven grandchildren.

Erika Strassburger

March 23, 2021 By

Erika started her career as an environmental advocate, fighting for clean water and healthy air. Working in environmental advocacy for nine years, Erika organized and empowered communities to stand up to big corporations and demand clean air, clean water, clean energy, and climate justice. For the past seven years, she has proudly served East End residents, first as District 8 Chief of Staff, and now as a Council Member. She is running for re-election to ensure that what she has accomplished thus far is only the beginning.

Since being sworn in on City Council in 2018, Erika passed legislation to guard against employment discrimination for pregnant workers and their partners throughout Pittsburgh; led the charge to overhaul and modernize Pittsburgh’s waste and recycling code; passed policies to prevent against discrimination based on gender identity and expression, as well as citizenship status and language spoken. As the Council Member representing part of Squirrel Hill, Erika was immediately impacted by the October 27, 2018 synagogue shooting. In response, she helped lead the way on a package of gun sense ordinances and an increase in funding for the City’s violence prevention initiatives. She has been an outspoken advocate for environmental justice, gender equity, communities that welcome and work for everyone, safe, complete streets, and an open, transparent, and responsive government, and is passionate about offering new ways for all city residents to be informed & involved in city government.

Erika also serves as Vice-Chair of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and sits on the boards of the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Museums, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, and the Advisory Committee of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Center for Women. She is also a member of NewDEAL Leaders, a national organization of local and state leaders. She lives in Squirrel Hill with her husband, Jordan and their son, Evan.

Kevin Kraus

Kevin Kraus

March 23, 2021 By

Kevin M. Kraus was appointed to Chief Deputy of the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office on June 5, 2014 by Sheriff William P. Mullen where he continues to serve today.

As Chief Deputy, Kevin is second in command at the Sheriff’s Office and tirelessly oversees and manages the daily operations of 169 sworn and 34 civilian personnel within the Civil, Courts and Investigations divisions.

Back in March of 1993, Kevin became a police officer with the respected Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. He served the City of Pittsburgh for 21 esteemed years and worked through the ranks of Detective, Sergeant and Lieutenant. For 12 years, he served as Lieutenant of Major Crimes, Investigations Branch, responding to and overseeing the criminal and administrative investigations of all police-involved incidents entailing serious injury or death to any party, responding to homicide and major crime scenes and managing those investigations while commanding a staff of 9 supervisors and 100 detectives within the 12 divisions of Major Crimes. He was also entrusted to serve as the Interim Commander of the Zone 5 station, which is the city’s most active police district.

He may be recognized by most for his 11 years serving as the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police media spokesperson and the coordinator of the Allegheny County Crime Stoppers of Pennsylvania television program.

He also received numerous acclamations and was the recipient of the prestigious Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Officer of the Year award for leadership performance, as well as the agency’s Meritorious Service Award for his effective implementation of crime suppression strategies. He also received the Law Enforcement Agency Directors award for outstanding leadership performance.

Chief Kraus is an alumnus of La Roche College, where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a degree in Administration and Management. He is also a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy and completed police executive training at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, both of which are only offered to selected top law enforcement officials.

Chief Kraus is a member of the FBI National Academy Associates, Inc. (FBINAA), Greater Pittsburgh Police Emerald Society, North Hills Boroughs & Townships Police Association, Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network (MAGLOCLEN), Western PA Chiefs’ of Police Association, International Association of Chiefs’ of Police (IACP), Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association (PSA) and has been a 23-year resident of the Northside. He and his significant other live just north of the City of Pittsburgh in Ohio Township with their two dogs, Bagel & Karley.

Key Accomplishments include:

Spearheaded drive-thru mobile Firearms License to Carry events and launched the reopening of the Firearms Division with online appointment scheduling and dedicated Deputy Sheriff’s to safeguard health and safety procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coordinated with local communities throughout Allegheny County to promote the Sheriff’s Office Project D.U.M.P initiative to help curb the local drug overdose crisis and combat the opioid epidemic.
Strengthened the public’s awareness of Sheriff’s Office crime prevention initiatives and programs using our website, social media platforms and television interviews to expand our law enforcement mission and keep citizens apprised especially when wide scale health and economic futures hung in the balance.

Directed with the Sheriff’s Office Policy Review Committee to implement progressive policies and procedures to maintain Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (PLEAC).

Endorsed leading-edge technology to align with the Sheriff’s Office commitment to provide the highest degree of public service expressly in response to recent events and the demand of transparency while protecting our law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day.

Partnered with federal enforcement agencies and participated in Federal Task Force enterprises on fugitive apprehension, terrorism, human trafficking, narcotic trafficking and other violent progressions.

Served Allegheny County residents by working with community partners and mobilizing resources through food, school supplies, clothing and toy donation and distribution as well as coronavirus prevention and safety literature for over 10,000 senior citizens.

Chelsa Wagner

March 21, 2021 By

Chelsa Wagner is currently in her third term as Allegheny County Controller. Prior to that she was a three term state representative representing the southern and western neighborhoods of the City of Pittsburgh and South Hills suburban communities. Chelsa was raised in the South Pittsburgh neighborhood of Beechview and now resides in the city’s North Point Breeze neighborhood with her husband and their two sons. She graduated from Seton-LaSalle High School and went on to earn a degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago. After college, Chelsa took her passion for policy and became a Business Analyst for a large private corporation, working to reform large state and municipal governments across the country. She returned home to attend law school at the University of Pittsburgh. Chelsa is married to Khari Mosley, and resides in North Point Breeze. They are the proud parents of two sons, Thaddeus , 11 and Isaiah, 8. Both boys are Pittsburgh Public Schools students at Colfax Elementary. Chelsa and Khari enjoy supporting community youth sports and cheering on their boys all year round.
​
Chelsa’s statement on her candidacy:

I am running for Judge because I believe we are at a crossroads. Other than my family, nothing has been a greater honor and privilege than my career in public service. Since I first ran for office in 2006, I have been driven by a desire to use my individual skills and passion for the betterment of our society in the most impactful way.

My work has always centered on demanding that our governmental institutions live up to their ideal, to those lofty promises of our democracy, and that work has been guided by my legal training and education, to be a “zealous advocate.” Over the years, I have led or helped to lead our community to favorable resolution on many efforts people believed to be impossible, but through strategy, study, diligence and creativity, we overcame daunting obstacles. From healthcare access, environmental justice with water and air quality, to standards for employees, being the first office to ensure paid family leave and minimum hourly wage standards, along with grassroots advocates, I’ve led the charge to demand that our governmental institutions meet their promise.

Entering 2021, we are indeed at a crossroads and inflection point, where our democracy is challenged by the fragility of our institutions, public mistrust, and the very meaning of justice. The times we are in have led me to explore more deeply my own role, as an individual, and more so as a public servant. It is a combination of my own passion for justice, the call to duty of our present times, especially as a mother thinking of the world we will leave our children, that have led me to declare my candidacy for Judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.

We need judges who not only have tremendous commitment to upholding the highest standards for the litigants before them in their own courtrooms, but also deeply consider their respective role in our justice system in this moment in time. The role of Judge is two-fold: to adhere to the highest standards in her own courtroom, but also to be a leader in our system of justice, and in a larger sense, in the role of our justice system as the cornerstone of democracy. Here, as we enter 2021, we know we have much work to do, but we also have tremendous opportunity.

All politics has always been local. While I believe there are many laudable benchmarks that have been achieved in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, I fervently believe there is much work to be done, and that work requires judges who are introspective and audacious leaders, willing to take on the very promises of our democracy.

This is why I am running to be a Judge on the Court of Common Pleas at this momentous crossroads, a fragile time with respect to our democracy and system of justice, yet also a historic and opportune time in our system of justice, when we will elect perhaps more judges than ever before in our county’s history. Reforming our justice system will be no simple task. But the experience to compel reform is what I believe to be the unique skill set that I bring to this race.

I hope to earn your support, and I hope that in the future, we’ll all be working not just on a vision for justice, but a new reality. I humbly ask for your support and I believe that together, we can be audacious, we can seize the moment, and truly make this the time that we delivered on the too elusive promise of “justice for all” as the cornerstone of democracy.

EDUCATION & WORK​

AB in Public Policy, The University of Chicago
JD, The University of Pittsburgh School of Law​
Currently serving as Allegheny County Controller

​Prior Experience includes:

Pennsylvania State Legislator (three terms, member of the House Judiciary Committee)
Attorney in private practice (practice areas have spanned litigation, employment law, immigration & business transactions)
Business Analyst specializing in government reform, consulting to large state and municipal governments

Please visit www.electchelsa.com to read Chelsa’s full bio and resume.

Pat Catena

March 7, 2021 By

Meet President of County Council, Pat Catena –

Council President Catena has strong academic and work experience along with the the results to show it. His professionalism,creative vision, persistence and self-motivation show in his strong leadership skills. Being recognized by his peers to lead County Council in his 1st term and one of the youngest members to serve as President. President Catena has served many years working his way up through his career in Finance. In his professional advancement, he has created a foundation in analytics and Revenue Cycle Management to improve operations and all facets of the business from sales, regulatory compliance audits, and finance to meeting or exceeding operating results and income. His business experience is an asset to the community of Carnegie and across Allegheny County in District 4.

Memberships/Affiliations

Member Jail Oversight Board
Former Member Allegheny County Conservation District
Board Member Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Former Carnegie Borough President
Former Member of Carnegie Borough Finance/Budget Committee Chair
Former Chair of Carnegie Democratic Committee
Former Secretary and Former Vice President of Char West Council of Governments
Member of Sts. Simon and Jude Parish, Scott Township
Former Board Member of Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall
Supporter of the Steel City Vets, Knights of Columbus and the Light of Life Mission
Former Member of the Carnegie Historical Society, Board Member
Former Treasurer/Organizer for the Carnegie Arts and Heritage Festival

Jack Betkowski

March 7, 2021 By

I am in my second term as a Ross Township commissioner. My tenure on the Board of Commissioners has given me a fuller understanding of the issues facing our local communities, and what it will take to address them. As a member of the Board, I serve on the Public Safety and the Finance Committees. Also, I serve as the Ross Township representative on CONNECT and the North Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG). In addition, I am a Director for the Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania Association of Township Commissioners (AC&WPATC). Prior to being elected commissioner, I served as a member of the Zoning Hearing Board.

I am currently retired, after a 34-year career, from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. In my professional life, I was trained as a project manager and worked extensively in payments processing. I received my MBA and my BSBA with a concentration in Computer Information Systems from Robert Morris University.

Lisa Borrelli Dorn

March 7, 2021 By

As a longtime Mt. Lebanon resident, a Dormont small business owner, the mother of three young adults, a long standing member and former Solicitor for the Mt. Lebanon Democratic Committee, and the Vice President of the Dormont-Castle Shannon-Mt. Lebanon Rotary Club, I understand our communities’ needs and challenges. Because I know Mt. Lebanon and Dormont very well, I can empathize with the difficult situations and complex issues people face.
I have been involved in our community as an Officer and Board Member of the Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association, Commodore of the Mt. Lebanon High School Crew Team, Boy Scout Troop 28 Committee Member and Mother of an Eagle Scout, PTA Officer and Member, Relay for Life Activities and Entertainment Chairperson, and the current Chair of the Mt. Lebanon Community Relations Board. I am also a participant and coordinating member of the Community Relations Board/ Mt. Lebanon Commission’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiative, as well as the co-chair of the CRB’s very popular Residents’ Academy.
I am currently a Senior Assistant District Attorney investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases, handling preliminary hearings at Magisterial District Courts, and working on special projects including education and legislation initiatives. I am the ADA responsible for DUI Treatment Court, helping defendants obtain necessary treatment while fulfilling their sentence without re-offending. This progressive program had a 92% success rate with the graduates returning to the community as productive, employed, and reengaged with their families. As an ADA, I became a member of the Steel Workers Union, USW local 3403-74.
I have acted as a mediator for both Family and Civil law matters and as an appointed Special Panel Arbitrator for Allegheny County handling appeals of civil magisterial decisions, as well as landlord/tenant matters.
I live in Mt. Lebanon with my husband, Dr. David Dorn, our son, JD, 2 dogs and 3 cats.

website: www.Lisa4Judge.com
twitter: #LBD4MDJ

Jim Motznik

March 7, 2021 By

Jim Motznik is a lifelong resident of Brookline and served as district judge for the last 11 years. He attended Seton LaSalle high school and furthered his education at Robert Morris University.

Motznik began his career working for the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works where he served as a foreman. Following his time there, he moved to the Council Chambers as Chief of Staff for three years. Upon the retirement of his predecessor, Motznik ran for City Council, District 4. For the next ten years, Jim served as the South Pittsburgh City Council member.

After longtime District Judge Charles McLaughlin retired from his position in 2007, Motznik would successfully run for district judge. Over the course of his career behind the bench, Jim has heard over 80,000 cases for summary offenses, landlord/tenant claims and civil claims. Additionally, he presides over vehicle and crimes’ codes and protection from abuse matters.

As highlighted, Jim has been serving Pittsburgh, more specifically the 19th Ward for his entire adult life. For the last 30 years South Pittsburgh residents have put their trust in Jim.

Nick Martini

March 7, 2021 By

Nick Martini, is a candidate this year for Magisterial District Judge 05-3-13 running to serve our western City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. As district judge, Nick would be the gatekeeper of our judicial system presiding over civil hearings, landlord-tenant actions, City of Pittsburgh Code Violations, traffic citations, emergency PFA orders, search warrants, criminal preliminary hearings, arraignments, truancy, and summary offenses. Nick understands that these are serious responsibilities and is committed to executing these powers responsibly and with integrity.

Nick has lived in our community his entire life and knows this area well. Nick was first elected to the Allegheny County Democratic Committee in 2006 defeating an incumbent committeeman. Nick has been a Ward officer in the 20th Ward City of Pittsburgh, since 2010 holding the position of Treasurer, and in 2014 Nick was appointed City of Pittsburgh Democratic Committee Treasurer, a position he currently holds. He is an alumnus of Bishop Canevin High School and graduated magna cum laude from Robert Morris University, with a double major in Political Science & Social Studies Education. Nick has demonstrated his compassion through his community volunteer efforts.
These are:
• Former West End Alliance board member
• Middle School Mentor at Pittsburgh Classical Academy
• Reading is Fundamental volunteer
• Clean Pittsburgh Steward
• Former Youth Umpire for our local athletic associations
Nick has demonstrated dedication through his professional experience as a:
• Teacher, Pittsburgh Public Schools
• Community Liaison, Council President Theresa Kail-Smith
• Deputy Manager, City of Pittsburgh Youth Policy and Neighborhood Initiatives
• Supervisor, City of Pittsburgh Federal Community Block Grants
• Legislative Assistant, Former State Representative Thomas Petrone

Most importantly, Nick is committed to serving our community with fidelity, defending our constitutional rights, and making decisions based on fairness, not privilege.

In addition to Nick’s many years of experience and community involvement, Nick also has been involved in many campaigns at the local, county, or state level. Nick has proudly worked on campaigns for the following candidates: Former State Representative Tom Petrone, State Representative Dan Deasy, Former State Representative Adam Ravenstahl, City Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, County Executive Candidate Mark Patrick Flaherty, and County Councilman Bob Palmosina.

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