Councilwoman Deb Gross was sworn in on January 4th, 2016 to begin her first full four year term as the District 7 representative. Her district includes the Strip District, Polish Hill, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Friendship, Stanton Heights, Morningside, and her home neighborhood Highland Park – where she lives with her husband Stan Caldwell and two children, Theodora and Stanley.

She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Florida and a Master’s Degree in Sociology from Duke University. She is a firm believer in the power and promise of Pittsburgh neighborhoods and has worked as a community organizer, strategic planner, and fundraiser for a variety of organizations including the Lawrenceville Corporation, Women and Girls Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance during her career.

Deb’s policy interests and initiatives revolve around improving the quality of life for Pittsburgh families, supporting local and minority owned businesses, creating accessible, resident-friendly infrastructure, and eliminating neighborhood blight while increasing affordable housing options. Her work also focuses on establishing connections and relationships between a diversity of stakeholders to develop cohesive, equitable plans for moving Pittsburgh forward.