Thank you for visiting our District 6 website. I am humbled and honored that you have chosen me to represent you on Pittsburgh City Council. Currently I serve on the Chair for the Committee on Land Use and Economic Development, and am a board member on the board of the  Urban Redevelopment Authority. It is a truly gratifying experience to represent the Northside, Oakland, the Hill District and the Golden Triangle for the City of Pittsburgh.

As we roll into spring of 2013, I would like to reiterate my goal of making District 6 more attractive, safe and prosperous for all of its residents. People will come back to live here, and our children will stay here and we will succeed here. This is a guiding principle for my office, and one that helps direct and focus my policy initiatives.

Since the start of my tenure, I have initiated a district-wide community health and wellness campaign. Branded as the “Fit in Six” initiative, the aim is to increase the awareness of current health issues affecting the district while providing fun options to promote a healthier outlook for life.

In 2012 we co-hosted the HEAL Health Fair with Representative Jake Wheatley at the new Thelma Lovette YMCA, as well as the Latino Heritage Cup, a soccer tournament hosted at the Schenley Oval which was so successful plans have begun for a second tournament to be held this upcoming fall. In addition, I am excited to announce that we are working on organizing a “Fit in Six” 3 on 3 basketball tournament in April. Stay tuned as we finalize the details of these and other “Fit in Six” initiatives to keep our communities engaged, active and healthy.

On the legislative front, I co-sponsored with Councilman Burgess a package of bills aimed at improving minority and women participation in publicly subsidized development projects that was passed by Council in the fall of 2012. The ultimate goal is to ensure the viability and self-sustainability of our communities, which is accomplished primarily by providing access to good jobs. The MWBE bill package will go a long way towards holding developers and contractors accountable to MWBE participation goals, in the process providing opportunities to MWBE firms and jobs to minorities and women.

The momentum of the MWBE bill package has led me to explore legislation to increase local hiring numbers in City subsidized contracts. I hope to have legislation introduced in 2013 that supports these efforts, and have been studying similar initiatives implemented throughout the country.

Neighborhood blight is another policy focus of my office, and one of the greatest challenges faced by cities across the country. For 2013, my office has been working on a piece of legislation that will hold creditors accountable for the maintenance of residential structures they own which are vacant.

To ensure that I am consistently reaching the community and hearing your concerns, I have a number of community “Meet and Greets” as well as remote office locations scheduled throughout the year. Please take a moment to review the calendar for a date and location near you. All are encouraged to attend these site visits to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas on how to make District 6 an even better place to live.

I appreciate your civil engagement and hope that you will provide your feedback and concerns on issues affecting this great city.

Best Regards,

R. Daniel Lavelle

Robert Daniel Lavelle was born and raised in the Hill District section of the City of Pittsburgh. He attended Pittsburgh Public Schools and graduated from Schenley High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Kent State University in 2000. In 2002, he completed the Leadership Pittsburgh program. Daniel, as family and friends know him, lives in the Hill District with his wife Rachel Riley-Lavelle, a graduate of West Virginia University and the University of Pittsburgh.

His professional career until January 2010 has included working as a Pittsburgh City Council Legislative Aide for former Councilman Sala Udin, and Chief of Staff for the 19th Legislative District's Honorable State Representative Jake Wheatley, Jr. Daniel honed his skills as an advocate for working-class families, seniors, fair governance, and good democracy. He has served with Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) where he also learned the inner-workings of government and how to best implement public policy that benefits neighborhood residents. In addition, Daniel works for his family's business, Lavelle Real Estate, Inc. in various capacities including real estate brokerage. His strong work ethic comes from a tradition of family entrepreneurs whose businesses have served as cornerstones for empowering local residents and strengthening our City through good and bad times.

Motivated by his parents, Robert and Phillis Lavelle, and his grandparents, Robert and Adah Lavelle, Daniel has consistently pursued the values and practices associated with public service. His family-instilled commitment to providing service for people was reinforced by his grandfather's advice, "If you recognize a problem and then can grasp the nature of the solution, then you have an obligation to use your talents to help fix the problem." Following his grandfather's words, Daniel chose a career in public service to help fix the myriad of problems facing his community. Daniel's significant experience in bringing people together is also driven by his passion for building coalitions amongst citizens, elected officials, and interest groups. In 2009, Daniel further followed his grandfather's advice and ran for Pittsburgh City Council. He was elected into office November 2009 and sworn into office January of 2010.

Upon election, Councilman Lavelle stated he would bring the same hard work and spirit of collaboration to the office that he has demonstrated in his work to date. He emphasized the importance of addressing issues such as public safety, job preparation and development, housing, economic development and access to quality education from pre-school through college. His goal is to ensure the district is made attractive, safe, and prosperous for everyone. He believes people will come back to live here and our children will stay here and succeed.

Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle's district encompasses the Northside, Manchester, Allegheny West, Chateau, California-Kirkbride, Central Northside, Mexican War Streets, Downtown, the Bluff, the Hill District, the Strip District, and parts of West and South Oakland. The district lies in the core of the City of Pittsburgh and the Southwestern Pennsylvania region.

He is currently the chair of the Committee on Land Use and Economic Development that has oversight of all of the City authorities as well as most functions of the Department of City Planning.  Councilman Lavelle also serves as the vice chair on the Urban Redevelopment Authority Board. He is also a board member of The Hill District Consensus Group, Wireless Neighborhoods, Oakland Business Improvement District, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Riverlife, Neighbors in the Strip, and Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc. In addition, he is an Assistant Boy Scout Master for Troop 93, based in the Hill District.

Councilman Lavelle is also a proud licensed Real Estate Agent with Lavelle Real Estate, Inc., a family owned and operated full service real estate firm since 1951. He is also Vice-President of a local film company, Fear No Man Productions, LLC.

Councilman Lavelle was recognized by Cystic Fibrosis as one of Pittsburgh's 50 Finest in 2002. Pittsburgh Magazine most recently recognized him for being one of Pittsburgh's 40 Under 40 in 2009.

He is married to Rachel Riley-Lavelle and they are the proud parents of a daughter Saniya.  They reside in the Hill District.