Our Mission
YouthPlaces creates safe spaces and experiences that inspire young people to imagine, explore, and design their own futures.
Our Vision
We believe in the youth we serve. We commit ourselves daily to our mission because, in the end, our youth deserve a chance to succeed. To us, success takes no single form. Our steadfast vision is that youth in our community become happy, healthy, and dynamic adults.
Our Values and Beliefs
Through our mission and vision, we have set a direction for YouthPlaces. That direction is reinforced by the values and beliefs that are shared within our organization.
- We embrace a positive youth development approach, which focuses on building key developmental assets as a means to achieving youth success
- We provide safe, accessible sites where youth can engage in activities without physical or emotional barriers
- We are responsive to youth, actively involving them in planning, implementing and governing the programs in which they participate and incorporating their needs, their interests and their abilities into our operational decisions, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or cultural background
- We are a consistent and reliable presence in the communities we serve. • We collaborate with the communities we serve, engaging families, schools, other youth serving agencies, and grassroots organizations to provide the best possible services to youth.
- We employ individuals who are comfortable with and respectful of the youth they serve.
Talk is cheap, so our adherence to these standards is crucial in order to demonstrate our commitment to our mission and vision. By embracing these values in all that we do, YouthPlaces earns the trust of our youth, the communities we serve and the partners who support our work.

Our History
YouthPlaces was founded as a community response to an overwhelming need for afterschool programs for teens in high-risk, under served communities. Established in 1997 through the Youth Crime Prevention Council comprised of civic, community and corporate leaders, YouthPlaces began with 5 sites and 500 youth, and has evolved to seventeen sites serving over 4,000 youth annually. In 2005, YouthPlaces incorporated as an independent not-for-profit, and in 2012, YouthPlaces established a hub center on Pittsburgh’s Northside that houses managerial offices and program opportunities.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Chair
Mike Denove
Partner
Ernst & Young
Treasurer
Juan Garrett
Executive Director
Riverside Center for Innovation
Secretary
Dr. Quintin B. Bullock, DDS
President
Community College of Allegheny County
Board Members
Dara Ware Allen, Ph.D
President & CEO
City High
Debra L. Caplan
Executive in Residence
Forbes Funds
Brandi Fisher
Founder & Executive Director
Alliance for Police Accountability
Sabrina Saunders Mosby
President & CEO
Coro Center for Civic Leadership
Christopher Ragland
Commander, Zone 1
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police
William J. Sheridan, Esq.
Partner
Reed Smith, LLP
Deanna Sieberkrob
Controller
Carlow University
James E. Taylor, PhD
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
UPMC
William Thompkins
Executive Director (retired)
The Pittsburgh Project
Mike Woychek
Google
Damon Young
Editor-in-Chief
VerySmartBrothas.Com
Honorary Directors
Diana A. Bucco
President
The Buhl Foundation
David J. Malone
President & CEO
Gateway Financial
Frederick W. Thieman
Chair for Civic Leadership
The Buhl Foundation
Our Team
Administration
Cynthia L. James
President & Chief Executive Officer
412.434.0851 x101
Saira Walia
Executive Assistant and Data Liaison
412-390-6501
Finance Office
412.434.0851
Operations
Uwe Calloway
Chief Operations Officer
412.956.5224
Desiree Johnson
Operations Manager
412.584.9679
Management Team
Weston White
Associate Director
412.495.9930
Natalie Jones
Manager of Expansion Implementation
412.312.1107
Natasha Kennedy
Manager of Education and Programs
412.863.1045
Ayodeji Young
Manager of Leadership and Engagement
412.396.8239
Sarah Gethers
Family Engagement Manager
412.584.3263
Katrina Hawthorne
Manager of Behavior Development
412.883.2292
Site Staff
Tammy Brown
Site Manager – East
412.512.1686
Demetra Franklin
Engagement Coach – East
412.584.4802
Brenda Sawyer
Site Manager – McKeesport
412.589.4073
Shayla Evans
Site Manager – McKeesport
412.654.1889
Roget Mitchell
Site Manager – Downtown
412.689.4049
Leanna Lyle
Engagement Coach – Downtown
412.654.4108
Audie Chapman
Site Manager – North
412.961.4891
Andrea Jordan
Engagement Coach – North
Nina Byrant
Site Manager – Duquesne
412.935.3721
Esther Brown
Site Manager – McKees Rocks
412.935.9556