Alyia’s family, faith, and hometown have made her who she is: a tenacious fighter for families, communities, and equity.

 

Alyia was raised in Pittsburgh by a single mom, Francine, who worked two jobs, yet still struggled to make ends meet. Each month, Alyia and her mom would need to make difficult tradeoffs between food, rent, and Francine’s asthma and diabetes medications. Despite this, Alyia’s mother and grandmother pushed for Alyia to receive a great education. She has since used her extensive training to advance policies and systems to make communities work for everyone. She knows how stable jobs, good schools, and safe housing positively affect health, and how to advance policies and programs to ensure all families have these critical resources.

​

Last April, Alyia and her husband, Greg, welcomed their first child, Ezekiel, which has made her even more passionate about making sure all families are able to live and thrive in affordable, healthy communities.