Our Board
Barbara Barnes
Barbara became a Journeywoman Sprinkler Fitter in 1983. While a member of the union (UA LU 542) she served in several finance positions and retired in 2005 with 25 years of service. Since then she has represented women in non-traditional union jobs for the Coalition of Labor Union Women and as a member of the Allegheny County Labor Executive Board.
Born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania, Erin returned to the area a few years ago and was dismayed at the state of electoral politics in the region. Her passion is to see progressive women elected to office and she’s excited at the gains that have been made! She is a nonprofit management professional who advocates and believes in racial and gender equity, economic justice, and fights for a healthy environment for all.
Erin Belitskus
Jann Chirdon
Jann has worked in the political arena for more than 40 years. Her work includes all phases of political campaigns, candidate recruitment and issue lobbying. Jann has served as president of the National Women’s Political Caucus – PA Chapter; Regional Director of the PA Women’s Campaign Fund, and president of the Women’s Leadership Assembly of Western PA.
Ashleigh Deemer
Ashleigh is a founding member of WTF Pittsburgh. Having run for office herself, she knows what women are up against– especially those striving to break the mold and create change. Ashleigh has built a career as an advocate for the environment and public health, and authored a successful paid family leave bill for Pittsburgh as then-City Councilor Natalia Rudiak's chief of staff.
Brandi Fisher
Brandi is the President and CEO of the Alliance for Police Accountability. She works to form relationships between the community, police, and government officials to help end racial profiling, police brutality, and injustice in our communities. Her work in advocacy, education and policy over the past 8 years makes her a vital part of our community.
Jennifer Grab
Jennifer is the Commissioner of the Steel City Softball League, the longest running LGBTQ+ sports league in the city of Pittsburgh. She volunteers with and serves on the board of the Kiwanis Club of Sheraden and was named the club’s 2012-2013 Distinguished Kiwanian. Jennifer has a B.A. in Political Science from Chatham College, and a juris doctorate from Duquesne University’s School of Law.
Kathryn Harrison
Katie is an attorney with a practice focused on commercial insolvency matters at Campbell & Levine, LLC in Pittsburgh. She is also involved with various pro bono legal clinics. Katie was a delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention for Hillary Rodham Clinton and a member of For 45, a national network of 40 and under fundraisers for Secretary Clinton.
Aryanna Hunter
Aryanna grew up the youngest of ten children in a family that lived below the poverty line. In 2001 she joined the US Army just weeks after the attacks of 9/11 and is an Iraq War veteran. Currently Aryanna works as a Global IT Project Manager for multiple Fortune 500 companies, defense contractors and the Department of Defense. She is also founder of the non-profit American Nutritional Security.
Diane Petronko
Diane has a long history of advocacy for women and girls beginning with her work in the '70s to teach nurses to be assertive and challenge the male- dominated health care system. She has been an author, workshop facilitator and trainer, business owner and health care professional. She serves on the Board of the Women and Girls Foundation and is active with other civic groups including the ACLU.
Emily Pierson-Brown
Emily is an architect and planner with Perkins Eastman where she focuses her work on building equitable and healthy communities. In 2018, Emily co-founded the current iteration of Women+ in Design Pittsburgh, an organization that focuses on building a support network for women's leadership, mentorship, and professional development in architecture and design.
Diane Powell
Diane is National Outreach Co-Chair for Black Women for Positive Change – a volunteer, global network. She is recognized for her work in violence prevention, female empowerment and politics. She holds a Masters Degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.
Marie I. Rivera-Johnson
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Marie is a labor and employment attorney with Cohen & Grigsby, P.C. and is active in professional and community organizations, such as the Hispanic Attorneys Committee and the Judicial Council for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. She serves on the boards of the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE) and The Midwife Center.
Natalia Rudiak
Natalia is the youngest woman elected as a City Councilor in the City of Pittsburgh, serving two terms from 2010-2017. In this role, Natalia spearheaded the creation of the Commission on Gender Equity. She has chaired Council’s Committee on Finance and Law where she wrote legislation codifying best practices in fiscal management for the development of the city’s $540m budget.
