Theresa Smith

December 2, 2008 412-921-5927 OR 412-969-4991 (mobile)

Long-time Community Advocate Announces Candidacy for Pittsburgh City Council District 2

(PITTSBURGH) – A 20-year community advocate, volunteer and mother, who for the last three years has served as secretary for the 28th Ward Democratic Committee, has announced her candidacy for Pittsburgh City Council District 2.

Theresa Smith, 49, is seeking the seat vacated by Pittsburgh City Councilman Dan Deasy, recently elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Smith, the married mother of three and grandmother of two, serves on several school and community committees. Over the last two decades, her volunteerism has spanned across Allegheny County, and in some cases, statewide, earning her results and recognition.

The Westwood resident is president of the Crafton Heights, Westwood, Ridgemont Community Council; vice president of the Westwood/Oakwood Athletic Association; is active in both the Sheraden and Banksville community organizations and has volunteered on several Mount Washington area projects. In her role as the West End coordinator for the Pittsburgh Campaign for Student Success, she helped to create jobs and formed a team working toward creating a community multipurpose center to serve District 2 residents.

She also is a Weed & Seed committee member; the West End coordinator for the Moms & Cops program and was instrumental in working with elected officials and community leaders to reopen the Zone 6 police station.

Building upon her platform that an engaged, active community is a stable one, Smith intends to continue with the initiatives that have made her a highly reliable community advocate. She plans to advance her efforts to develop programs to unite communities, maintain a strong police presence and reduce neighborhood blight. In fact, Smith formed the South West Enhancing Environment Program (SWEEP) a program to help end blight and bring homes in the region up to Bureau of Building Inspection (BBI) codes and the South West Eco-Evolution Team (SWEET) the first West End environmental program, which is responsible for creating a bike/walking trail out of recycled materials amongst other projects. The Pittsburgh native continues to work with local community leaders to form a new community development corporation and has begun a new position as a supplemental educational coordinator.