So good afternoon and welcome to the pre-agenda interview for Tuesday, February 17th, 2026 for the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Would the clerk please read the title of the bill?

Bill 19 resolution appointing Eric Sloan as the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

For the record, we're joined by Councilman Charlotte and Councilwoman Warwick.

Other members may join periodically.

As I believe you are aware, um, prior to your statement or answering questions from members, we have to do an oath.

Um so after I'll I'll read it and then you simply say you do, if you do.

Do you, Eric Sloan, solemnly affirm that the testimony you are about to give before this council shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and do you further affirm that you will faithfully discharge the duties of the Department of Parks and Recreation to which you have been nominated?

I do.

Wonderful.

I'll turn it over to you.

Um if you would if you have a remarks, you can certainly give remarks, but you tell us who you are a little bit about yourself.

I do, and why you're willing to serve in this capacity.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Council members, and thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.

Uh I'm truly honored and excited to be nominated by Mayor O'Connor to serve as director of parks and recreation.

I'm grateful for the trust placed in me and for the opportunity to speak about the responsibility and reach of this department.

Throughout my career in service, I've been fortunate to lead in professional nonprofit and volunteer capacities.

The combination of those experiences, managing teams and operations professionally, leading community-based nonprofits, and serving directly as a volunteer has prepared me for this moment.

I believe I bring a unique blend of transferable skills, strategic leadership, operational discipline, relationship building, and a deep understanding of how programs affect residents on the ground.

My experience leading community-based organizations, combined with my background in organizational leadership and development, people management and program development has shown me how essential strong partnerships, genuine engagement, and thoughtful planning are to building healthy neighborhoods.

Parks and recreation is central to that mission.

This role is deeply personal to me.

My wife and I are raising our four children here in the city of Pittsburgh.

Our family has grown alongside parks, rec centers, and neighborhood spaces.

From a volunteer perspective, I began as a volunteer coach and later led a citywide youth sports nonprofit.

But my services extended beyond youth athletics throughout work through through my work with Bridges FC and as a big brother in the community-based mentorship program through Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

I've seen how recreational spaces and public programs serve as gatherings points, places where mentorship happens, where families connect and where community is strengthened.

What draws me to this role is not just youth programming, but the full intergenerational impact of this department.

Parks and recreation supports seniors through our healthy acting living centers and wellness program.

It strengthens neighborhoods through our rec centers that serve as safe, welcoming hubs, and it promotes food access and local economic vitality through farmers markets and food nutrition programs.

And it maintains the public spaces that residents rely on every single day.

If confirmed, I'm committed to bringing collaboration, transparency, empathy, and a service first mindset to parks and recreation as we work to deliver safe, vibrant, and equitable spaces for every Pittsburgh resident.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And with that, we'll turn over to members for questions.

Maybe we start with Councilman Carkill, work our way down.

Hi.

You too.

Thank you for the comments.

So we don't have a recreation center.

So do you see opportunity there as to like I mean the conversation?

I did.

Yeah.

And they have a nice space there.

And um we did talk and we have supplemented programs previously, but we did talk about uh potential to partner soon, hopefully for spring programming and um also talked about some potential uh partners and nonprofit partners that he could reach out to as well.

And so that was a really productive conversation uh both for us providing support but also thinking about how we can partner externally as well.

Yeah, he he's he's a really great guy.

I'm gonna have him apply for maybe to stop the violence funding, which I think will help his not not that what you were there for, but but uh you know he's um asset to our community works with at-risk kids.

He also works with our immigrant population there.

We have a lot of you know Latino specifically, um which is uh which is really good.

You grew up in Mount Lebanon?

Yeah, right.

My Lebanon High School.

Watch that Tony Griffith working under you.

You know this guy, right?

Uh a little bit.

He was older than me, but uh we've reconnected.

Oh yeah, he was my two yeah.

Been in Highland Park now for the past twelve years.

Oh you're in Highland Park, okay, yeah, right, yeah.

Yeah.

So um speaking of Highland Park, your representative out there, Councilwoman Gross and I have a um site, Brookline Community Center.

You know Brookline uh community park down there.

Behind the ball fields is this big open 1.3 acre site that we had already have plans to for like a farm type of thing for planting, you know.

This we did we undertook this during the whole um you know food shortage after the pandemic or during the pandemic.

But turns out, you know, people really want this and it it really makes sense.

I just want you to come to the site.

I'm bringing Yvette there.

We're gonna schedule something when the weather breaks, and we'll show you.

We actually have a plan that we spent good money on and and everything else.

So um just needs buy-in from the administration and you and Yvette and you know some others, and uh you'll see the potential when you get there.

So I just want you to um to uh come and visit this.

Trying to make the rounds as uh as much as possible and as frequent as possible.

And I was just meeting with the mayor and we talked about Moore Park, we talked about Brookline Community Park.

There are some improvements there that we have listed and we've already kind of taken initiative to work on last year, basically.

So nothing major, you know, moving a pickleball court, Moore Park that we have to do by court order, believe it or not, because of the noise.

Yeah, cooking.

Yeah, right.

So um, you know, little things like that, but but we have really great parks, you know, and we have a great, you know, um have healthy active living centers, I guess is what the name is.

Um and and we have we don't have rad parks, like you know.

But we have big beautiful small parks, like Moore Park, Phillips Park, and the Brookline Community Center, you know, some of the best parks in the city of Pittsburgh, I think.

Just got a brand new pool up at Moore Park.

I don't know if you're aware of that.

I was just there for a meeting last week of mine.

Yeah, right.

Second biggest pool in the city.

It's really really great pool.

So uh really um uh you know, look forward to following through on on those those types of proof improvements.

But uh I really just popped in here to say hi and thank you for meeting with Pastor Wade and uh look forward to working with you and Mr.

President, I think you're gonna make a good judge, man swearing everybody in here.

You did pretty good at that.

Do you solemnly swear Who's he gonna lie?

We didn't lie by Park.

We did that.

You know, one of the council members uh enacted that one of them.

So yeah, so he has to play judge now too.

So uh with that, I'll see back to you, Mr.

President.

I'm gonna jump out.

I just wanted to say hello and give me your thank you.

He's the one that needs to be under rug.

We need to put him on there.

I think your car's already running.

Thank you so much for for being here and your uh willingness to serve.

Uh so I'm looking through your your resume here, which is I uh it's gotta be a C V.

This is this is far too long for a resume here.

Um but one of the things I noticed is that you you played college soccer, and that's not something we talked about.

What position did you play?

Uh I played center back.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um did you play?

No, I was hoping you named something that I I was gonna defense.

Okay.

Defense, yeah.

Yeah.

Um so I you know, uh we met yesterday and I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you and and thank you for um uh doing the follow-up that that I asked for.

Um so I you know uh we met yesterday and I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you and and thank you for um uh doing the follow-up that that I asked for um you know I think my my biggest thing is just I I have a district that has a lot of rec centers.

I actually think we probably have the most including ones that aren't necessarily rec centers but that we support and uh just want to make sure that you have familiarity with my district something that we always we always struggle with is is getting um the city to to you know pay as as much attention to third council district as they do elsewhere um so that's you know I I guess my my question I want to ask is is how do you plan on making sure that um you're you're approaching the the whole city um in programming here well first of all I consider myself very hands on so I would like to do frequent visits right not quarterly but as as much as I can weekly obviously might be a little bit of a tall task but uh trying to hit uh every center that we operate at least monthly right and if not me um the external staff that does not work there in order to collaborate with them to think about programs right to have meetings there and so for me in terms of being connected I don't feel like I can be most connected um unless it's actually boots on the ground where I'm visiting there, whether it be with you or a group that you think is important for me to meet with or go on a tour with uh or my staff to actually be there, right?

My colleagues and so I think that's where it starts number one.

But also I think um continued frequent ongoing conversations right with the folks that work at these rec centers with the community groups right that either have programming there or want to have programming there or um collaborate with us on programming and on resources and also just working with you directly um and taking your lead in terms of your recommendations on you know um who you think I should be speaking with who you think I should be partnering with who you think I should be collaborating with.

So I think the combination of those things um will allow me to to stay in touch and to make sure that I'm I'm updated on the ongoing uh programming and just sort of general updates.

Cool uh I also want to ask you mentioned collaboration uh which I think is you know kind of vital to your role as we talked about yesterday uh Parkson Rec is the department that that doesn't necessarily have you know a st uh stated mandate from uh you know in roll in terms of uh you know municipal governance when Act 47 happened the biggest cuts came to to Parks and rec.

Um it is you know I think all of us see it as a as a vital role but it is in some ways it is not like plowing the streets or making sure that the firefighters are putting out fires or or something like that.

It kind of gives you flexibility to to turn the department into what you and the mayor and and council want to see but also with that it's it's really hard to do that um with the budget that we can offer you.

So your collaboration with outside partnerships uh is is vital and I I want to talk to you a little bit about how do you how do you plan on going creating those partnerships um with other organizations be it things like the housing authority or Pittsburgh Public Schools or private institutions you know the REIs and the the things like that that um that can be so important to the work yeah you do.

I I think first it's important internally to see how we're collaborating, right?

Just within our department um I think there's been a little bit of a history of different groups working in silos, right?

So for example is our community enrichment team working across everybody from farmers markets to rec centers to senior centers, right?

Are our food people our food programs outside of farmers markets working across um other groups to offer programming to interject intergenerational rights of families not just to use and so I think the first thing to do is just to look internally and understand where there's been gaps where there's not been enough communication and collaboration across our groups and so I I think there's certainly some opportunity just right there.

But then when we think about outside partners um it's it's understanding first and foremost uh from just a a learning phase in terms of what their plans are because we want to make sure we're collaborating on um the same mandates right um and generally I think you know the partners that we've worked with we have right um but I'm also thinking about outside groups maybe that haven't historically when we're talking about rec centers thinking about the symphony thinking about the zoo thinking about Phips right thinking about other groups maybe we haven't collaborated with previously and how do we get them on a uh programmatic schedule to our specific sites.

So I think it just starts with honestly just reaching out and understanding what kind of programming that they can offer.

I'm thinking about the Aviary as well.

Um and and evolving those programs, right?

Um so I honestly I I would start with um trying to connect with any of those outside groups that have shared interests and shared programmatic uh mandates as us.

Yeah, I'm um you know happy to partner I'm I'm on the Phips board, and one of the things that drives me insane they talk about a lot of education outreach they do reaching out to schools, and it's like North Allegheny, Mount Lebanon and Upper St.

Clair, it's it's never Brechier, you know, and um so I'd be happy to to work on whatever that might look like.

That'd be great.

And one thing I didn't even mention is our collaboration with PPS, right?

I think that there's been uh a gap there, right?

Not just in terms of using their sites, but understanding what programs they have, what programs we have, what we can offer, how we can partner, especially in locations where we might not have a rec center, where we might not have some sort of programming going on and collaborating with those principals and those administrators to understand how can we reach more families, how can we partner with you?

How can we figure out transportation if that is a gap?

So um those are things in my head that I feel like um we can make a lot of headway on.

So I have to add uh you know, I I know you're a McKinsey guy.

Uh in so if I can ask in four years that you'll uh you know, May Mayor O'Connor's four-year term, what KPIs will you be evaluating yourself uh with to determine if you've done a good job at the end of end of this this four years.

Yeah, I think um there's some data that I think can't be quantified.

I'm not trying to evade the question.

But um, you know, one thing would McKinsey allow this.

Uh you should you'll see that my shortest stint was at McKinsey.

So um you know, one thing from just like a numbers and KPIs perspective is understanding how many kids are actually getting into our rec centers.

How many seniors are getting into our healthy active living centers?

And so I need that data in terms of understanding first of all what it was at previously and how we can increase that at the same time, right?

Um as it pertains to support to potential funding, right?

We need that data also um in case we do need some supplemental funding in case we do want to expand or create a new program.

So when we talk about actual KPIs and numbers, I think um I don't have the exact number yet because I don't have the historical data, but I think it's important for us to understand um just how many kids, how many seniors are going to those healthy acting living centers.

Um another thing I think that's super important is like taking a user uh uh sort of a human-centered approach in terms of um an empathetic approach is sort of surveys, right?

Feedback uh from seniors, from citizens, from families of youths, and um understand understanding from sort of for lack of a better phrase, a scorecard, right?

Um what the feedback is, right?

What we're doing well, what we're not doing well, where are their gaps.

So thinking about KPIs from that perspective too, in terms of right, like starting with a baseline, right?

Starting with a baseline of initial feedback, and then how can we evolve that?

How can we make things better if we resurvey three, six, nine months down the line.

Yeah, I mean, um I'm very big on what gets measured gets improved, and if we don't have measurements, we can't say what direction things are going.

So um looking forward to to seeing that and uh you implementing policies around that as we move forward here and and again want to uh to welcome you into my district as much as possible.

And happy to happy to work with you on that.

I know Councilwoman Warwick, when we were at your district meeting the other night, she had talked about surveys and feedback as well.

So if you already have something in place, happy to work with you on that uh and collaborate on it too.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilman Warwick.

Great, thank you.

Um Thanks for being here.

I know we've we've met.

So I um I'm very interested in the work that Parks and Rec does or you know, City Parks does.

Um and I'm glad to be the committee chair, so because there is so much potential.

And I'm definitely excited about the um how much Mayor O'Connor has elevated the department, you know what I mean?

Coming in with um uh especially around our kids, right?

Um I it it was funny just before I was um signing my boys up for dynamo and I thought of you as I guiltily checked the no I won't be no I won't be helping, sorry, box.

Um better look out.

There might be some new uh new asks of parents.

Um but you know one thing I do I think that um so I you know obviously that that that's a great that that's great experience, right?

That's a huge organization and and and I'm sure lots of personalities and and you know managing folks.

Uh but I think you know you have a lot of experience in in sort of talent management HR, and I think that that well, I guess I could ask you.

I mean, it's it seems to me like that is something that could really come in handy in this city, you know, both in terms of growing the department, um, in terms of um kind of helping longtime team members who've kind of been doing their thing for a very long time, maybe you know um switch it up a little bit, and also just building the bench for the future.

I don't know if you want to talk about that.

Yeah, I think you know that that is sort of my corporate career, right?

Um organizational development, staffing, right, organizational behavior, um, people management, people programs.

So I yes, I think, and I had mentioned my opening remarks.

I think there's a lot of transferable skills there, right?

Just looking at our department in terms of you know, quote unquote load balancing, right?

Like what what is everybody working on, where are their opportunities to collaborate, to cross-collaborate across programs.

And like you said, right, like building a bench, um, cross-training is super important for me.

Um I know that everybody has their primary role, but I think it's important to, if possible, be cross-trained to be as a backup or to um to support a potential program that's not your primary program.

You know, one thing also in my head is thinking about like how are we developing and growing our own staff in terms of thinking about the future in terms of thinking about future leaders, right?

And things of future leadership, right?

So um, you know, it's not there yet, but a formalized training program, right?

Thinking about as our staff comes in, where do they not just want to be right now, but where do they want to be in a couple years, right?

And how can I help them get there, whether it is internal training, whether it's external trading, whether it's cross-training, and whether it's you know, just most importantly, getting them involved and exposed to things maybe that isn't part of their primary role if it doesn't take away from their role.

So um so yes, I thank you for mentioning that.

But I think you know, those sort of skills that I've built up in my in my corporate career, I feel like are um gonna be super helpful for me in in just assessing where we can grow internally as a department sort of staffing-wise.

Um and you mentioned so, and and we've talked about this a lot, where you know, we have you know, w where we have, and I have very few rec centers.

So I mean I have McGee um, I think I just have McGee.

And then um I have a senior center.

Yeah.

So it's helpful.

Bergwin following your district.

Bergwin, right.

But that's a community group operating out of so there are some buildings um but active rec centers and and the rec centers are are are McGee specifically um, you know, for talking about the kids.

I mean, it's it's really a hub.

I mean, it is such an amazing resource for the community.

Um not having that resource in other communities.

I I uh you know, whether that's in terms of summer programming, after school programming.

Um I know Mayor O'Connor is very interested in before school programming.

I'm curious to see what that that you know that will look like.

And um and I think there's a need there.

I know transportation is a is a is a tricky piece of that.

Um so yeah, I I just be curious to hear your thoughts on ways and this and I I'm glad that you mentioned the collaboration with PPS and how we can do that to get city parks into either to supplement work that community groups are already doing in their own spaces, uh, you know, utilize our spaces where we don't have programming, and then also um yeah, well, go ahead.

Well, I mean, yes, McGee is a model for what how we want our rec centers to look, right?

Um it's constantly filled, right?

On behalf of Dynamo.

I actually asked if we could rent it out.

The answer was no before I came on.

And then Erica said, wait, am I gonna get fired?

I didn't give you a premise.

Um I think uh for some of our rec centers in the areas where maybe they aren't as filled and as robust as McGee.

I think it starts with education and marketing.

Um I think there's a real opportunity there to think about how we are partnering with not just community groups, but just um the the constituents, the citizens there, right?

How are we getting the word out?

And it might not necessarily be an Instagram post, right?

It might be more grassroots marketing, more thinking about how we can lean on council members, whether they have newsletters, whether they have some groups that maybe they um uh deal with that we haven't necessarily been in touch with.

So I think that uh there's a real opportunity for some evolved um education and marketing to get the word out.

Um and then I also think it's just evolving our programs, right?

Um each of our rec centers offer a little bit of different programming.

So understanding um what has worked, what hasn't worked, and what potential programs uh will attract more kids, more families.

And that's both just internally with us developing them, but also with partnering with groups who come in who uh might be able to offer programming that they haven't seen before.

Um Yeah, I uh I feel I I've said this a bunch of times, I've sort of made this pitch to many people, but I feel like there is an opportunity um with stop the violence funding.

Of course, city parks has because funding is is an issue, right?

You're you're one of our smallest budgets, but do such good work.

And I think that there is really an opportunity uh for city parks to do more um, you know, uh with some of that funding opening up uh to especially in those areas where we don't have rec centers, right?

Where there are there are active community groups who are doing work that has you know for a very long time supplemented what we have not been doing as a city and how we can we can support that via city parks.

You know, I I know you know parks, at least as it's currently constructed, you know, plays a small part in specifically in receiving funding through our city sports programs.

And so one thing I I can say is that we are for the first time gonna be offering a flag football um league in conjunction with Pittsburgh flag football.

Um and that's a new program, right?

So we've done um clinics right at the rec centers, but now it's gonna be an actual league that is free and that will be uh each rec center we're hoping to each have a team, but it's not going to only be geared just towards rec centers, right?

And so um we want to invite anybody who's interested, and obviously it's a free program, um, to join and not only with our own community engagement and marketing, but we're also working with flag football, Pittsburgh flag football, um, to think about innovative and strategic ways of marketing to families and two kids who haven't typically uh participated in these programs.

It also goes to transportation, which we're working on as well, because we do have the vans to make sure we're picking up kids and taking them.

And so and the games will be um at outside of our rec centers at at the fields at our rec centers.

So I think that um could be a good opportunity to just expand some programming and get you know more kids involved with athletics.

And with the flag, are are the um are the existing like community leagues uh participating in those tournaments or no?

So there is a uh a league that I believe plays up at Shanley that is you know you pay for it, but and that was my concern as well.

Like is there gonna be sort of a collision here where um and no, because I think that the kids typically at our rec centers do not participate in that league for one reason or another.

And so I don't think there's gonna be an issue of um the leagues, you know, competing against each other.

There might be a fun sort of championship game between you know one league and another, but um it's gonna be our own programming in collaboration with Pittsburgh Collect Football.

Great, great.

Yeah, I mean I I do yeah, in in sports as well, I think there's an opportunity, but again, it's like how can we support, you know, whether it's staff, whether it's equipment, you know, how can we support the groups that are already doing that work um, you know, yeah, and to allow them to do it whether you know maybe they're only doing it three days a week, give them what they need to be able to do it five days a week, or whether it's space, staff, equipment, whatever.

Resources, you know, the city league, that city football league, I believe through stop the violence, we do provide uh some resources and referees and support that way too.

But um yeah, it's a good point.

Obviously, I know you know council has you know a job of thinking about that stop to violence funding, and you know, we'll take our lead uh from from yourselves, but um as it pertains to sort of programming from parks, I think you know it's been a success and you know, hopefully excited to to continue evolving that if possible.

Yeah, and um thank you for that.

And then in terms of sports, one thing I don't know if this is is um uh I find in Pittsburgh we um it always feels like there's a little bit of a of a void for for girls sports.

I don't know if that's something that that's folks are thinking about at city parks or if you haven't.

I am thinking about that.

I have a daughter who who plays soccer.

Uh I am soccer is always the big one.

I am proud of it.

Specific to dynamo, each year we have increased female participation, which is uh a priority for me.

So um not just thinking about females, but inclusivity as well, right?

And I think about dynamo, we restarted something called top soccer, which I don't know if you're familiar with, it's called the outreach program for soccer.

I actually was a volunteer when I was growing up in the South Hills with Top Soccer, and so it's adaptive programming.

And so we stood that up um almost a year, maybe two years ago now.

Um and so yes, thinking about uh girls, thinking about uh inclusivity, adaptive programming.

So that's a super important priority of mine.

Yeah, because I mean I've seen uh um parents in Greenfield in particular, you know, sort of stand up a girls basketball team, you know, admigy or whatever, or also uh uh a girls baseball team.

But it's a lot for a parent's, you know what I mean?

So if we can support that, you know, it's it's just it's a big lift, right?

And then of course your kid ages out, and then it's like who takes over from there.

So you know, yeah, it's it's very important.

And you know, when I think about flag football, that is something on our radar um through um through stop the violence in terms of having a female league, because there are some female high school leagues, so we actually we're thinking about that specifically for Pittsburgh flag football, but I think it's a good general point, right?

And um that's something we're we're certainly thinking about.

Great.

And then um finally, you know, with our seniors, again, I I appreciate your your staff did a great job with the Valentine's Day uh event.

Uh it was super, and and I hope I'm excited to work together to try and boost those numbers at the rec center.

See, we have so many seniors in Pittsburgh, so it's sort of like it's like uh it's a little unclear like why aren't we, you know, what why are our rec centers not packed to the gills, right?

Or sorry, our our our healthy active living centers.

So yeah.

I think um yeah, that was a great event, right?

And we need to think about not just them coming in for events and for bingo, right?

What programming are we offering?

How are we staying in touch with them?

How are we marketing?

How are we educating them?

Uh, and what outside groups can we partner with um to to bring them and to have them continually coming.

So um yes.

I mean it was Valentine's Day, and so you know, not always gonna be that big of a crowd, but how how can we make it that big or almost as big?

Yeah, just on normal days where that might not be some sort of special event.

Yeah, and also I mean transportation too, obviously we're you know, we're talking a lot about fleet, but you guys, I mean that's a big part, right?

Especially with seniors.

Yes.

Is their ability to get to a thing, like whatever it is, whether it's a trip to Walmart or of or an event, you know, so so having those vehicles to be able to come pick folks up.

Um it's all part of the part of the big picture.

Well, thank you.

I really appreciate it.

I'm excited, you know, and um excited to continue working together and uh yeah, welcome, welcome aboard.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Councilman Mosley.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you for your willingness to serve and thank you for your time uh last week or the week before.

Um, you know, just having introductory um touch base.

A lot a lot of my questions, um, you know, you know, we're we're you know, already asked, I don't want to be redundant.

Um, you know, but I I I did want to, you know, to elaborate a little bit on you know, utilizing, you know, uh facilities, you know, across city facilities and PPS facilities, but also um you know, adding you know, community spaces, you know, whether it'd be houses of worship with um gathering spaces, you know, and my district in particular, like the Kingsley Association had a conversation, you know, with Mayor O'Connor, you know, about you know, how can we potentially utilize spaces like that, C C A C Homewood, the P C E C in Homewood.

Um, you know, we definitely have talked about you know kind of code utilization, PPS facilities, and we even talked about that in our conversation, you know, particularly in neighborhoods that don't have um healthy active living centers um or or rec centers, you know, have you also you know given thought to partnerships, you know, with nonprofits and community groups that also have spaces that could potentially you know be utilized for for programming.

Would you like to you know elaborate on your thing?

I don't know if you're here when um Councilman.

No, that's uh when Councilman Kacko was was talking about I I went and visited um uh Grandview Church in in Beachview and he had requested that I meet uh with them because um they're in a spot where uh they don't have a rec center near them, right?

So I'm speaking about rec centers, but just generally thinking about sites that uh we don't actually you know offer uh programming in right now.

And so um, you know, I met with them and we have you know supplemented some programs previously, but um thinking about more formalizing that sort of on a weekly or you know twice a week basis over a you know eight to twelve week um program.

um uh Grandview Church in in Beachview and he had requested that I meet uh with them because um they're in a spot where uh they don't have a rec center near them right so I'm speaking about rec centers but just generally thinking about sites that uh we don't actually you know offer uh programming in right now and so um you know I met with them and we have you know supplemented some programs previously but um thinking about more formalizing that sort of on a weekly or you know twice a week basis over a you know eight to twelve week um program and so when I think about that when I think about senior programs I I think that's a great point right like how can we help how can we partner right with them if they have people on step or external organizations that also want to make an impact if we have shared goals right sharing resources and and thinking about what sites um where we don't have a healthy acting living center where we don't have a rec center how can we partner together to offer programming right and so obviously that comes with um you know potential transportation our own staffing capacity potential funding but um yeah I mean where we're able we would love to do that and to partner with the appropriate groups um to offer that programming um because that's that's our goal right now obviously we operate healthy acting living centers and rec centers but we have more sites than that from the city but then there's also groups that operate sites that that want and need our help and so uh we're certainly open to helping where appropriate sure I I appreciate that because one thing that you know I I think about a lot um and it seems like mayor connor is thinking similarly and you know obviously he's been talking about you know before school but I've been thinking about how does you know parks a rec, PPS and youth serving organizations, you know, kind of you know figure out a way to align programming so that you know we know you know you know before 7 30 you know that's prior to school so that would be some type of you know um before school programming but then you know around three ish you know about you know in the next half an hour hour from now you know the you know the the the schools um you know will be done for the day and then what type of programming then exists you know whether it's parks and rec PPS you know or you serving nonprofits and you know looking at each neighborhood kind of as a matrix and say okay in Hazelwood you know um you know at 330 these are the potential parks and rec offerings these are the potential PPS offerings after school programs and then these are the youth serving nonprofits you know and kind of building um kind of a snapshot you know by community um you know what you know you know types of programming that we have so looking at you know from 3 p.m to you know maybe 10 p.m for you know the older kids you know the 16 17 18 year olds but then also thinking about um you know you do have the weekends of well have you given you know i you know any any thought to that kind of yeah I think you know collaboration I think proactivity um is is super important here right not being reactive and I think proactivity as it pertains to programming as um councilwoman Warwick had sort of asked about my sort of corporate professional life as it pertains to you know recruiting and people management program management I mean that's you know sort of what I live and breathe in terms of not just programming for next week right like what what offerings do we have who are we working with and let's you know get it on a piece of paper right so that let's let's programming it program it and and market it out right early right not a week before maybe a month before right maybe six weeks before so that um those who can participate have enough lead time to maybe not sure participate in other things right um so that they can plan so that we can think about transportation not the day of but the week prior or multiple weeks prior.

So you know what you just said I think is is a mandate for me in terms of um being organized, being proactive being programmatic and then from there how are we getting it out to the appropriate groups and who are we partnering with sure and and one of the things that I've you know thought about is you know really you know thinking about you know these spaces you know it's multi-generational like lifelong learning you know spaces whether it's like you said Grandview Church um and council and Coghills district or you know the Kingsley Association where you know maybe the 16 year old you know child is you know in the night basketball league you know while at the same time grandma you know is is learning Canva.

Right.

You know what I mean you know or you know or just something you know similar to that and thinking about you know not only how do we collaborate you know across spaces and venues but then collaborate um you know uh across uh programming um and and I think that you know your background um you know in the corporate space I think would be helpful because one thing that that that we've been talking about a lot you know we I guess that was in December when um when Travis Williams and Patrick Joyo from the Pittsburgh Pirates you know were here and one thing that we talked about um you know beyond them you know uh improving their payroll and I think I think that was that I'm gonna I'm gonna say city council should take credit for you know the the recent uh free agent signings that the pirates have made and upping the uh and upping their payroll but but on but on a serious note um you know we did talk about you know figuring out ways to get our sports teams to have more skin in the game being that they get so much support you know from the city you know whether it's you know the River Hounds, the Steelers, you know the Pirates, you know the penguins and you know and figuring out you know um you know particularly in lieu of you know um you know parts of rec, you know um doesn't have the hugest budget, you know, how can we potentially supplement that you know with strategic partnerships particularly with our sports teams.

And I think I think that was that I'm gonna I'm gonna say city council should take credit for you know the the recent uh free agent signings that the pirates have made and upping the uh and uh and upping their payroll, but but um but on a serious note, um, you know, we did talk about you know, figuring out ways to get our sports teams to have more skin in the game, being that they get so much support you know from the city, you know, whether it's you know, the River Hounds, the Steelers, you know, the pirates, you know, the Penguins, and you know, and figuring out, you know, um, you know, particularly in lieu of, you know, um, you know, parts of rec, you know, um doesn't have the hugest budget, you know, how can we potentially supplement that you know with strategic partnerships, particularly with our sports teams?

Yeah.

I agree completely.

So yeah.

Um and then when and then I just had two other two other quick points slash questions.

Um, you know, we you know, we spoke, we both talked about you know the kind of nuance base, um in in youth sports with like the travel teams and you know, my older sons plays travel baseball, my younger son plays travel basketball, and they haven't, you know, played rec ball um, you know, for f for a number of years, and you know, one of the things, and this is definitely more of a long term thing, but I think it would be um you know interesting to look at you know, parks and rec and potentially partnerships with our professional sports teams to you know, establishing you know, some venues, you know, within the city that that that can attract you know the same kind of programming that you see in no off season, you know that you see at all American, um over in Trafford, you know, no disrespect, you know, to Trafford and and and the North Hills, but you know, I would love to see you know us be able to attract those kind of tournaments.

Um, you know, you know, w when my son played for the Diamond Dogs, you know, we spent you know, weekend after weekend in Ohio, Strongsville, Cleveland, and you know, we have you know, five or six teams from the Diamond Dogs, you know, staying in hotels, right, going to restaurants all weekend, and and I think it unless you're in that kind of AAU travel sports world, you don't really even understand the economic engine that it is for regions that can attract you know those tournaments, and while we also definitely want to support our rec programming and our folks that can't either, you know, because of time, price point or whatever, participate, you know, in travel sports, you know.

I think you know, Pittsburgh in the long term, this is long term kind of capital projects, but I think it would be great to begin those conversations with our professional sports teams because you know, at the end of the day, you know, Trafford is great, you know, North Hills is great, but if we could, you know, bring those kind of tournaments um, you know, to the to the to the actual city of Pittsburgh and and folks really enjoy the amenity amenities, which I think are greater, you know, with the with you know, within city city limits, do you just have any just initial thoughts about the ideas of sparking those conversations, being you know, your knowledge of rec sports as well as your knowledge?

I agree with sports.

And and I'm guilty of it too, right?

I have children that play club soccer and travel hockey, and that's just because you know, that's what we need to do to, you know, those are the resources there or the you know, the leagues there that we need to participate in.

But um, I think there's a healthy middle ground that like you said, maybe not, you know, this summer, but maybe you know, within the near future, maybe next year, right?

How are we we have so many baseball fields, right?

We have so many spaces just across rec centers, across PPS, right?

Sports just in general.

And so I agree with you, right?

And whether that's through our city sports team or you know, via another sort of strategic way, I think um I agree with you.

I think there's a real opportunity for us to host tournaments, to host leagues where it isn't, you know, families needing to shell out thousands of dollars, um, but it's still competitive, right?

For the kids and fun most importantly, right?

And so um I know we've you know talked about that one on one and uh and would love to you know to think about that more.

But um I do think there's a real opportunity just to utilize what we have in the city to to offer that.

Right.

And and and my and my last um question is like your your thoughts about expanding um you know, arts and music programming, you know, within parks or rec.

I didn't and maybe you could, you know, give us, you know, in in your short time in your role, you know, have you been able to assess you know the arts programming and the music programming, but I even think about like nonprofits that have music studios and their facilities and you know and and and you know, because some you know, some some youth like you know, they don't play basketball, you know, but they may like to rap, they may like to sing, they may do poetry, you know, and and things like that, and think about the the the the performing arts and how that potentially in partnership with youth serving organizations that also do that work, not to kind of get into their lane and take over that lane, but you know, figuring out you know how parks and rec could also not just focus on sports, you know, but also the other, you know, types of you know entertainment.

There's a real opportunity there, right?

Like in terms of organizations I've I've spoken to, like the answer is just like yes, how we can partner, right?

How can we partner?

How can we do sort of a pilot program?

How can we come to rec center?

You know, and thinking more broadly, just in terms of exposure, right?

Thinking about like, you know, like the symphony, right?

Or uh or or or dance organizations, right?

It doesn't, you know, have to be anything specific, but outside of sports, I think you're right.

I think there's a real opportunity for us to partner with those organizations to to offer programming at our rec centers at potential special events, right?

At at parks.

And so um, yes, obviously not fully there yet, but I think that um outside of sports, that's that's really important for us to work with those specific organizations.

And also um underneath all of this is a real opportunity for training for our own staff as well with these organizations, right?

So, you know, if we don't necessarily specialize in some specific program, how are we getting our folks trained to offer that after a pilot program so that we can take it over and organically start those programs ourselves?

So thinking about training in conjunction with these programs is is really important to me as well.

Right.

And and the last thing that I'll say uh, you know, particularly you know, around utilizing, you know, our facilities as uh my steam colleague um from District ACES to my left, who's my co-partner at the Marshall Mansion, look forward to working with you.

And I got the email today to see it's already on your radar.

Um, you know, it's something that we we work on very closely uh over the last two years of really figuring out, you know, how do we get the most out of that space?

And I know uh the folks in in Point Breeze, you know, and Squirrel Hill, like in the kind of overlapping areas of District 8 and District 9 where we represent and kind of the Marshall Mansion kind of really like sits at the border of all of our districts.

Um looking forward to working with you on that and figuring out ways to really not only you know connect the Point Breeze community, but there is a growing interest in North Point Breeze and Homewood and Larmor and East Liberty and Shady Side, that like the kind of communities that surround the Marshall Mansion, and we think that's a really interesting you know, opportunity to not only utilize that space but make it kind of a cross-neighborhood hub in the in that part of the East.

And so I look forward to working with you on that and many things uh throughout the district.

So thank you for your willingness to serve and thank you for your time today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Strassberger.

Of course.

And we apologize for being a little late and missing your um intro, overlapping meetings, is what happens on Tuesday sometimes.

But um uh I really just want to reiterate first um what I've heard my council colleagues say that we have such an opportunity, I think, to look not just at our physical buildings and what we currently do when it as it relates especially to rec centers, but to you know, take advantage of all the other the the the just the the wealth of um resources that we have throughout the city and just my my personal take just to say it a slightly different way is if you have if we could map out um the city where we certainly currently have sort of after school, before school, after school out of school time deserts and figure out what's missing, or maybe it's not missing because we're just not counting what's already happening there, right?

It's just not a city thing, starting to break down the silos of what city, what's not city, and just can't it kind of count it all.

Like we're all in this together, making sure that our our young people are are um having have enriching opportunities outside of school, like that would be my goal um is to see it visually throughout the entire city.

And maybe the thing that works for you know some of this this the young people in some parts of the city is actually going to some um recreation center or activity outside of the city, right?

And that we're counting that, and that's okay.

So um so I won't belabor that because we've we've already had some great discussions about that today and you know, one-on-one as well.

Um but I would say that as we're con as we're broadening our or continuing to broaden our thinking and the scope of what of what's possible in a lot of our spaces or outside of our own physical spaces.

Um I hope that you'll use all of us as resources.

We know our our district so well.

We know the the arts organizations and the youth serving organizations and the spaces like as well as anyone.

Um so um please lean on us for ideas for additional programming.

Um I also think that the the richness of our um the older adults in our communities who are who are also needing to get out of their homes and serve and feel purposeful and useful can be great resources for tutoring for this and that in our rec centers as well.

So um the so that that leads me to um uh older adults in our healthy active living centers and we had a great post agenda last year.

It was last year.

The years all blend together, but it was last year.

Um focusing on um what a model would look like for um for older adult programming and you know, we heard from so many from um Lou Ann here at Parks to folks representing uh Dr.

And you know, we heard from so many from Lou Ann here at Parks to folks representing uh Dr.

Gilliard from the um area, Allegheny area on aging to agency on aging to you know um rec center leaders out in Plum that have been together for two years studying this work and looking at models like Rochester, Michigan, where they have attracted population because of the way that they serve their older adults, right?

And I think that we could um with our aging population and with um our need to attract additional residents, our residents don't necessarily have to be working age, they can be you know, they can be older and retired and and the types of folks that we want to attract here.

So um I guess my my question is are there additional opportunities that you see to really, you know, we are we obviously don't have it in the budget to build like one amazing, you know, 30 million dollar senior center hub that's gonna do everything for us.

But so with the limitations that we have, are you are there ways that you think that we can level up?

I think um first of all, looking at our programming, right?

Um outside of like I had said previously, right?

Like outside of bingo on Fridays every two weeks, right?

Sticking with what is helping, what is attracting uh our seniors, but also you know, looking at what we can evolve.

Um and I had mentioned this previously, but like looking internally, just within our own groups, for example.

Um, you know, we have city farms, right?

Who goes around and help with gardens, right?

We haven't gone to senior centers to help them build a garden, right?

Is there an opportunity there just looking internally regarding the programs we have to start that, right?

We're thinking about that.

We're thinking about you know some of the community enrichment that we're doing with the youths, right?

Like what um can we be doing at the at the Healthy Acting Living Centers as well?

So I think it really starts with just looking internally at all the great programs that we are offering.

Um maybe in a silo, and how can we expand that, right?

How can we collaborate just internally across and then I think externally we're you know we're talking about external groups working with with rec centers, but how does that um also work with with healthy acting living centers too?

So looking at that, and then you know, education and marketing as well, I think is important.

We had um at the Valentine's Day event, there were some seniors um in Hazelwood that that was their first time there, and they just said we didn't know about this, right?

So how are we reaching these folks to make sure that they see what the programming is and connecting them and getting them there?

And if transportation um is a need or is an issue, how are we um helping to get them there?

So those are some things you know that that we're thinking about that I think could be some sort of immediate wins in terms of evolving our programming.

Yeah, and certainly, you know, as we've as you've alluded to, there are many of us who have not only newsletters and e-newsletters, but um social media accounts, and it's often the case that we're you know, we're all leading very busy lives, and so we don't proactively go and search to see what's happening, but if there was some regimented way what that you all could share with us to get it in time for our newsletter, to get it in time for to get it out ahead of time on our social media, and then we then not only do we know about it and we can share it with targeted audiences or our general audiences, but you know, as someone who does not have an official city rec center or hack health health healthy active living center, um uh, you know, I'd I'd I I would love to go to visit someone else's district and see what's going on in some of those um some of those events and be happy to um to go anywhere in the city just to kind of see what's going on um in our amazing like what's already happening that I know is incredible that we can even you know further improve.

So please let us know about that so we can also attend.

It's it's a good point though, like when I think about you know uh working in people management or you know, something as simple as like sharing a new job requisition, right?

Like going to the specific hiring leadership and saying, hey, can you like reshare this on LinkedIn, for example?

So us going to you all to say, hey, we have this program coming up in three weeks.

How can we work together to make sure that we are reaching those, you know, those eyeballs, reaching those families, and whether that's a share on a social media post, whether that's sharing in a newsletter, whether that's uh you know, an email group.

So I think yeah, there's a real opportunity for us to connect with you uh more um and and work with you on it.

And if it's one that's a particularly great one to visit, you know, let us know.

This is the one to come to, please come to it, you know.

Yeah, great.

Um that's really all I had.

I um appreciate all of your your time today and your um all the you've the time and the energy put into it so far.

So look forward to working with you more.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, Councilman Gross.

Hello, can you see me?

Can you hear me?

We can hear you.

There I am.

There you go.

Can you hear me okay?

Yes.

Thank you.

I apologize.

I'm out sick today.

Um, but I'm glad to be on camera with you all.

Um director, I'm um we spoke in a pre-interview, and I've got your resume in front of me.

I wasn't on for your introductory remarks, but my staff, thank you, has given me some of the notes that you said earlier in the interview.

Um we've covered a lot of topics.

I'm really happy to hear the discussions about facilities.

I feel like we we touch on those subjects um at least once a year during like budget season when we've talked about like I've got facilities in my district that are long overdue for reinvestment.

Um, but I'm really glad that you are thinking about the ways that we need to maybe look at the demographics and the changing needs in neighborhoods.

Um, and I like to remind everyone and in some of the city doesn't change rapidly, but some of the city, like the district that I represent does change rapidly, and we have parts of the district where everyone used to be seniors, and now the streets are full of young families and children, um, and we adjust our programming the best we can, but we also need to maybe adjust the facilities and the locations of those programs.

So I think you've touched on it a little bit, but I didn't know if you wanted to expand those thoughts at all.

Um yeah, I I agree with you first and foremost.

I think you know, we need to look at um the demographics within each area and uh whether that's youth, whether that's seniors, um, whether there is or isn't a site where we're currently operating from, um, soliciting feedback from those local community groups, those local councils, and understanding um, like I've said, what what has worked, what programming has worked, what programming maybe um has been asked for, right?

That we have not delivered on that could be an opportunity.

So I I think uh it's important to hear first from those that are the participants in the programs.

But um yeah, I'll I'll stop there.

I don't know if that fully answers your question, but but but but I I agree with you in terms of you know thinking about evolving our programs, but also um, you know, adjusting them to the specific folks that are there.

I think the other thing too is to when I when I think about collaboration is is understanding what other districts are doing, what other rec centers, um, what the programming is there, what other health healthy acting living centers, uh, what programming is there, and and if it's successful, can it be duplicated in other um programming in other sites?

Great, great.

I look forward to that.

I think that's kind of like a challenge in front of us that we're all gonna need to work on for a while to um do that engagement, make those decisions, keep budgetary issues in mind, etc.

Um my staff has provided me with some notes.

Um we were glad to hear you mention just a few minutes ago the idea of connecting our city farms program to a healthy active living centers to our senior centers, which is a fantastic idea.

I'll remind council that we have a children's garden um at is it Ormsby, I think, on the south side.

So the idea of kind of um tailoring uh what is gardens and the kinds of plans and the kinds of installation that you do to the program that you're targeting or the age group you're targeting, um has been really popular there, right?

So parents are engaged, and the kids there's a lot of young children's programming at Orm C, and so it's lovely that they have a garden that matches it.

Um, and that's been supported by our parks and rec department city farms program.

Um the other sites that um parks and rec reaches out to both actively through our own employees, and then um from the funding that the Food Justice Fund provided to grantees to do commun outreach to community gardens work.

We've tracked over the last five years that in 2020, there was only I think four gardens in the city that was actively supported by the by the city in terms of materials or funding or technical assistance or outreach, those kinds of things.

So four gardens in 2020.

And in 2025, Parks and Rec touched 55 gardens, which is just a fantastic.

I think it's something like one like 1,200% increase.

Again, it provides a kind of different programming that doesn't fall just in the bucket of athletics.

But I also think, you know, the recreation space, the healing activities, it's multi-generational across all of these sites.

I've got notes in front of me that says there's something like volunteers in the age ranges of five years old to 82 years old at the community gardens.

And so it really is a place where you have not just like senior programming, but like multi-generational programming.

So I I hope that we can look forward to expanding the ways that we invest in all of the food programming.

And I wanted to hear your thoughts about that.

I agree.

I think you know uh food equitability is super important, right?

And that that falls underneath parks and rec.

And so um I know we already have some uh programs that from last year that are still ongoing, right, for through the food justice uh program.

But you know, and also goes to our farmers' markets as well, right?

It's not just city farms, it's not just our food justice program.

So I I think that's vital, right?

And and I mentioned that sort of in my opening remarks.

Um I think it's it's very important.

So we are looking at that sort of like full scale, right?

The full umbrella of you know where we are operating in the city, uh, where we can potentially expand, right?

Where we haven't had specifically a farmer's market previously, um, and then just thinking about like how are we getting people there?

How are we educating, how are we partnering um with uh our citizens, but also with um, and I and I go back to this again, but with external groups that have partnered with us historically, but also maybe creating some new partnerships to think about food education and marketing as it pertains to how we can best serve.

I love that um response.

We have, I think, the most enthusiastic feedback from the gardens that we not only provided as Councilman Coquill knows, like no, we provide like truckloads of wood chips, which if you don't know gardening, it's in high demands for every garden.

Um, we bought seedlings for gardens, fencing, whether you're talking about groundhogs at the ground level or deer with tall fencing, is a really high demand.

And you kind of in some parts of the city you can't you cannot have a garden without the fencing.

Um it just you know, people abandon them.

They it's just you know, all of the plants get eaten um non-stop, so it's really discouraging.

Um so I think that that's a great place for the city to step into.

We also know that it's like super affordable.

We buy lots and lots of stuff, so it's easy for us to buy these things, it's really pennies compared to our total budget.

Um, but it's it's not impossible for a bunch of volunteers, right?

Or it it can be really prohibitive for a bunch of volunteers to buy um those either material supplies or the ongoing things like seedlings.

Um so I know in my district, because we have um really experienced farmers, people who had farmed professionally, that they are measuring their produce, and so um they doubled their production because we're able to help them expand their footprint with soil and fencing and the kinds of things I mentioned.

I think that one of the things we can work on together is how to measure the impact um at these sites across the city.

So again, if we're like touching something with 55 sites, either directly with our own staff and supplies or indirectly through re-grantees or partnerships.

Um people know how to do this, it's just that we kind of haven't staffed up the capacity in parks and rec to do that.

Um I think that that would be um I think it'd be really eye-opening and really encouraging people.

We have again that one site where we know that they doubled their produce in one season.

And all of that produce was donated.

So the all of the production of the garden is donated to a local food pantry in the Hill District.

So it's really incredibly like they wouldn't have the fresh foods if we hadn't been for this community garden that's on Pittsburgh City Park and Westland Park.

Um and had the support of supplies from C Farms.

And all of that would have meant that you know we had households in the city living on just kind of packaged foods instead of having um basically I think it's something like 50 gallons of produce weekly um in the summertime.

So that's that's a really I think it's a area for us to improve upon.

Um how our gardens both partner, but also kind of like what are the outcomes that we're able to achieve by providing these things.

Do you have any uh thoughts?

Sorry, I it's also strange I can't really see you while I'm talking, so I apologize.

Yeah, no problem.

I I agree.

I think it's um measurable results is super important, Councilman uh Charlotte had asked me sort of about uh KPIs, right, in terms of how to measure uh results, right?

So I think the point you made in terms of you know measuring the impact that we are making is is really important, and we'll also inform you know us, right?

And uh and if possible, help with funding, help with support, help with resources as we want to grow this program.

So uh I do want to comment that I I think that um that measuring that impact and just more broadly across right the department, um thinking about how qualitatively and quantitatively we are measuring impact across all programs is super important for us to inform on what you know we think will work and what we can do in the future.

Thank you, appreciate it.

Um I think I'll stop my questions there, um, Mr.

Chair.

I will follow up, I think, with an email because I do have kind of even more reporting out about the food systems work, and I'm eager to share it.

So we can follow up at another time.

Great, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um for me, I think almost every question I had has already been answered.

What I will say is I'll simply flag for you towards other um council members talking about sort of shared resources and sort of the big picture.

I have had preliminary conversations with PPS about the potential for the city to sort of program on their their facilities.

So we talked about Shinley Field in the Upper Hill District as an example, being able to program it similarly to how Shinley Oval is programmed.

Um and then we also talked about the basketball courts in Manchester, um, which are owned by PPS, but not necessarily maintained that well by PBS.

So could we have a cooperation agreement that allowed the city to come on and then potentially fix up and maintain and then program?

And then lastly for you, um, I'm assuming you've been to Ammons Rec Center.

It was just there on Friday for the MLK basketball event that was rescheduled.

Okay, cool.

Um so long story short, um you've seen the uh jerseys and the rafters.

So last year, the organization that initiated that started that process again for the next round of Hall of Fame and sort of inductee jersey that were going to go up.

And I believe Dwayne and Parks and Rick even had identified the vendor.

We just have to pick back up the conversation in terms of making the selection of who gets hung next purchasing the jersey that then obviously having them hung.

So what I would like to do is copy you on an email um with the person who's leading this effort to pick that conversation back up.

It's their belief that they could be if we start the conversations renew them now, we'll be good to go around April with being able to have the ceremony and do all of that.

So I'll just copy you on that.

Yeah, if why anything else?

If not, then we've exhausted the business of this pre-agenda interview, and this meeting is adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.