Borough Council

What is the council, and how do council members serve?

The Council of Wilkinsburg is a body of nine elected officials. There are three officials from each of Wilkinsburg’s three wards.

The role of Council is to serve as civilian oversight of all activities of the Borough, including the management of Borough employees. Council is responsible for making policy, passing ordinances, voting appropriations, approving all personnel decisions, and establishing and maintaining the Borough’s budget. The Council also works with Pennsylvania and Allegheny County officials to find ways to stimulate economic development.

Council members serve four-year terms, with no limitation on the number of terms served. Elections occur every other year on odd-numbered years. Each election year, four or five seats on Council are open to voting. The rotation of seats ensures that there are always experienced representatives serving on Council.

Council members elect a President among themselves. The Council President is responsible for presiding over Council meetings, establishing committees, and appointing committee chairs. There is also a Vice-President, who presides over Council meetings in the absence of the President.

Council meets the first and third Wednesdays of most months, with the exception of several holidays. The first Wednesday of the month is the working session and the third Wednesday of the month is the legislative session. Council has only one meeting in August to allow for summer vacation schedules.

Council Committees

Council Members serve on various committees to provide focused effort on areas of interest:

  1. Finance, Budget, and Capital Planning

    Renée Haynes-Johnson (Chair), Moses Workman, NaTisha Washington

    2nd & 3rd Mondays at 6:00 p.m.

  2. Infrastructure and Blight

    NaTisha Washington (Chair), Nicole Santella (Vice-Chair), Kellen Lovejoy

    1st Mondays at 6:00 p.m.

  3. Personnel

    Kellen Lovejoy (Chair), Alexandria Johnson, Renée Haynes-Johnson

    4th Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m.

  4. Public Safety

    Sabrina Gibson (Chair), Chavaysha Chaney, Moses Workman

    2nd Thursdays at 9:00 a.m.

  5. Special Events

    Linda Atkins (Chair), Alexandria Johnson

    2nd Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m.

  6. Joint Tax

    Sabrina Gibson (Chair), Chavaysha Chaney, Moses Workman

    4th Mondays at 5:30 p.m.

 
 

Council Member Profiles

 

NaTisha Washington

President

NaTisha was first sworn into office on January 2, 2024. She is a member of the Infrastructure & Blight committee and the Special Events, Music, Arts, and Senior Committee, and is the Borough Council appointee for the Wilkinsburg Land Bank.

She is currently communications manager at the Breathe Project, where she uses her organizing experience and media skills to educate residents on air quality and petrochemical issues alongside 60+ organizations. Formerly she worked as an Environmental Justice Organizer for 412 Justice advocating with community members to improve the quality of their environment and as the Green Initiative coordinator at Operation Better Block. She has also worked with the Junior Green Corp youth program on issues such as urban farming, vacant lot restoration, and community engagement work within Homewood.

In addition to her organizing work, she also owns a consulting business, Washington Green Solutions, and co-owns a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) consulting, recently named Just by Nature. Her ultimate goal is to ensure that disinvested communities are provided with the resources and investment needed to create equitable, safe, and healthy communities.

NaTisha can be reached at nwashington@wilkinsburgpa.gov.
 
 

Moses Workman

Vice President

Moses Workman was sworn into office in January 2024. Moses has a rich professional background, including roles at Google, various Pittsburgh-based banks, and is a former Wilkinsburg Borough employee. A graduate of the Bradford School of Business with a degree in Computer Programming, Moses is a lifelong resident of Wilkinsburg, currently the Director of Operations at the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, a member of the Wilkinsburg Rotary Club, and serves as a board member for the Wilkinsburg Sun.

Moses can be reached at mworkman@wilkinsburgpa.gov.
 
 
 

First Ward

 

Linda A. Atkins

President Pro-Tempore

Linda Atkins was sworn into office on January 17, 2018. She was re-elected to represent Ward 1 in November 2023. 

She is a longtime resident of Wilkinsburg and a graduate of Wilkinsburg High School. Ms. Atkins holds a BSN and CCM.  She became more engaged in her community by forming and becoming Captain of Hilltop Block Watch in 2013. The block watch has written for several grants; hosted community block parties; holiday parties; done multiple clean up days; developed community partners; developed a Facebook page; and a community garden; among other family-oriented activities. 

Ms. Atkins listens to and seeks to solve problems as they arise.

Linda can be reached at LAtkins@wilkinsburgpa.gov.
 
 

Renée Haynes-Johnson

Councilperson, 1st Ward

Renée Haynes-Johnson was elected Council Vice President at the January 2, 2024 Council organization meeting. She was sworn in to her first term representing Ward 1 on January 2, 2024.

She is a resident of Wilkinsburg for over 37 years. She retired after 29 1/2 years with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Human Services. Renee is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

Renée can be reached at rhaynes-john@wilkinsburgpa.gov.
 
 

Kellen Lovejoy

Councilperson, 1st Ward

Kellen Lovejoy was sworn into office in January 2026 and has been a resident of Wilkinsburg since 2006. He brings more than 20 years of experience in healthcare, specializing in organizational change management and communications. He holds an MBA in Organizational Management from Eastern University and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Penn State University.

Kellen can be reached at KLovejoy@wilkinsburgpa.gov.
 
 

Second Ward

 

Alexandria Johnson

Councilperson, 2nd Ward

Alexandria Johnson, sworn into office in January 2026, brings more than eight years of experience in global diversity, equity, and inclusion, human resources, and organizational development. Her professional background in engagement strategy, equitable systems design, and workforce development informs her people centered approach to public service, with a focus on ensuring residents feel heard, supported, and empowered.

A proud product of Wilkinsburg, Councilwoman Johnson has lived in the community for most of her life. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Penn State University and a Master of Science in Industrial Organizational Psychology from University of Hartford before returning home to invest her skills in the community that shaped her.

She believes deeply in the Borough’s potential and is committed to working collaboratively to strengthen Wilkinsburg for current residents and future generations to come.

Alexandria can be reached at AJohnson@wilkinsburgpa.gov.
 
 

Sabrina Gibson

Councilperson, 2nd Ward

Sabrina Gibson was elected to her first term representing Ward 2 in November 2021.  She hopes to bring a new perspective to Council to help address Wilkinsburg’s shrinking population, high taxes, and blight problems.  She also plans to work on bringing new brick and mortar stores to our downtown and create new programs for the youth in our community that will give them community pride.

Sabrina is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and has lived in Wilkinsburg since 2004.  She spent over thirty years working with at-risk youth at Pittsburgh Public Schools, a Youth Forestry program, Shurman Center, and, most recently, as a Juvenile Parole Officer with Allegheny County.  She enjoys giving back to the community and serves as a poll worker, assisting voters at Johnston School.

Sabrina can be reached at sgibson@wilkinsburgpa.gov.
 
 

Third Ward

 

Chavaysha Chaney

Councilperson, 3rd Ward

Chavaysha Chaney was sworn in as Borough Councilmember on January 5, 2026, as Ward 3 representative. She brings a strong background in public service, community advocacy, and infrastructure equity, shaped by years of professional and civic involvement.

Chavaysha is the Water Equity Director at Upstream Pittsburgh, where she works with municipalities and water systems to navigate state and federal funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. Her work focuses on policy education, local capacity-building, and making complex systems more accessible to the communities they are meant to serve.

She has been deeply involved in community and civic leadership, with experience in local organizing and strengthening resident engagement. Chavaysha is a member of the Shade Tree Committee and serves as Wilkinsburg’s representative on the WPJWA Customer Advisory Council, where she brings resident perspectives into regional water discussions. She is a graduate of the University of Louisville.

Chavaysha’s work is grounded in transparent governance, practical problem-solving, and the importance of resident voices in local decision-making. Outside of professional and civic work, Chavaysha enjoys staying active, spending time with community, and finding quiet moments to read.

Chavaysha can be reached at CChaney@wilkinsburgpa.gov.
 
 

Nicole Santella

Councilperson, 3rd Ward

Nicole can be reached at nsantella@wilkinsburgpa.gov.