3 more Peduto staffers leave for new positions ahead of new Pittsburgh administration

As Mayor Bill Peduto prepares to leave office in January, three additional members of his staff have announced they’ll be leaving their posts for new positions.

• Gisele Betances has worked with the Office of Community Affairs since May 2020, following a fellowship with the office. She worked directly with local communities and managed several community engagement programs.

Betances managed the City Cuts program at the height of the pandemic and coordinated volunteer engagement with various partners. She was credited with increasing immigrant participation in the Civic Leadership Committee, which teaches residents about local government. She arranged to implement Spanish interpretation for the program, too.

Her last day with Community Affairs was Oct. 29. On Nov. 1, she started a new role as a community programming coordinator for the Department of Public Works, where she will continue to manage community engagement programs.

• Leah Friedman began working for the city in 2017 as an AmeriCORPS VISTA Resilience Fellow with the Office of Sustainability and Resilience before moving to a position as a Community Affairs liaison in 2018. Last year, was promoted to Community Affairs manager.

While working with the city, she launched and managed EngagePGH, the city’s first online engagement program and provided funding and education through Love Your Block and Civic Leadership Academy.

She also helped deliver services to the city’s seniors through Snow Angels and the City Cut Programs and facilitated public engagement opportunities for residents for the Capital and Operating budgets engagement process.

Her last day was Friday. After that, she will move to a new role as the public engagement coordinator for the Department of City Planning.

• Hersh Merenstein, who was the final departure announced Friday, has served as the local government and community relations coordinator for Peduto’s office. He began working for the city in 2016 as communications manager for the city’s District 8 and then joined Community Affairs in 2019.

Merenstein co-authored Peduto’s Marshall Plan for Middle America, helped to craft Pittsburgh’s Dark Sky Lighting Ordinance and assisted restaurants with developing outdoor seating areas while covid-19 restrictions were in place.

His last day with the city was Wednesday. He will be taking on a new role as government and foundation relations manager for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania.

“Leah, Hersh and Gisele have provided unparalleled public service to the communities of Pittsburgh,” Peduto said. “They have listened to our residents, helped them with problems, educated them about city operations and assisted with breaking down the red tape that has traditionally separated residents from the government.”