With a lot of work remaining, Humphrey indicated that milestones have been accomplished. Also, meetings are occurring with community leaders in Homewood seeking interest and listening to their needs. A Pitt faculty advisory committee to gain insight and input from each school has been formed. Homewood partners have been identified with an interest in having Pitt operate in their facilities. A heat map has been designed detailing Pitt’s community engagement and urban research. And a Homewood Advisory Council of 17 members to gain insight from community leaders and residents has been organized.
“We heard from a number of residents about the importance of resident involvement in the center and discussed issues of concern both to the community and to Pitt,” Humphrey said. “This was just the first of many such conversations. We look forward to working with the community to ensure the center is a win-win opportunity for both the community and university.”
As a CEC director, Ellerbee will be responsible to serve as a conduit between the university and the community, have knowledge of community and partnership opportunities for Pitt, attend community events and assure that the center is active within the communities they serve.
Prior to joining Pitt’s Office of Community and Governmental Relations, Ellerbee was community affairs and equity specialist at the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The position afforded her the opportunity to build relationships in Homewood and other neighborhoods such as Hazelwood, the Hill District and Larimer. She described her former position as connecting community members to resources provided by the URA. The upcoming Homewood CEC will be located at 622 N. Homewood Ave. The Alma Illery Health Center, on Hamilton Ave., and Tioga St. will be satellite sites.
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