Sharene Shealey, of North Point Breeze, mother of three, is the Pittsburgh Public Schools’ newest director. She joins Mark Brentley Sr., Thomas Sumpter and Dara Ware Allen as the board’s African-American directors. Shealey succeeds long-time District 1 director Randall Taylor representing Homewood, East Hills, North Point Breeze, South Point Breeze, Lincoln-Lemington, Friendship, parts of East Liberty, and Shadyside.

SHARENE SHEALEY

Shealey is an air quality specialist with Reliant Energy. She holds BA and MS degrees in chemical engineering from Howard University and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively. She is an active participant in the Parent Student Community Council at Pittsburgh Colfax K-8, where her two youngest children attend school.

Richard Egerton has worked at Subway on Lyle Boulevard in McKeesport for four years. In all that time he could count on an 11 a.m. to noon rush of employees from the Dish Network facility across the road. In March, that will end, as Dish Network shuts down and its 600 employees will no longer patronize surrounding businesses.

SHUTTING DOWN—The 105,000-square foot Dish Network customer service call center in McKeesport will close in March, affecting 600 employees.

What does that mean for Egerton and Subway’s five other employees?

“I’m expecting a loss of business,” he said. “I mean, we’ve got other customers, but we’ll probably have some layoffs.”

This year has brought many things for Rev. Brenda J. Gregg. Her non-profit organization, Project Destiny, has grown. She was the recipient of the Pittsburgh branch NAACP Pastor of the Year award and was appointed to a new position. In October at the Third District Planning meeting, Rev. Gregg was appointed presiding elder of the Ohio Conferences’ Springfield/Xenia District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

DOWN TO BUSINESS— Rev. Brenda J. Gregg in her office at Project Destiny, a non-profit organization that provides a safe place for youths in the North Side community.

“I am very excited about my new position and appointment. I think that with my administrative background I will be successful,” Rev. Gregg said. She also added that it is bittersweet because with her new position means that she has to leave Greater Allen AME Church, where she has been for more than 15 years. Reverend Peter Matthews, a minister from Cincinnati, will take her place at Greater Allen.