Dr. Joylette Portlock, PhD, Chair
Dr. Joylette Portlock is the former executive director of Sustainable Pittsburgh. Prior, she served as Associate Director of Science and Research at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and as Executive Director of Communitopia.
Dr. Portlock holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in anthropology from MIT and a Ph.D. in genetics from Stanford University.
Among other community roles, she has served on the Allegheny County Board of Health since 2012 and was elected chair in 2025.
Dr. Elizabeth Cuevas, MD, Vice chair
Dr. Cuevas earned her M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh (2001) after graduating from the University of Notre Dame (1997). She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and then worked with Boston Health Care for the Homeless. Joining AHN in 2011, she co-founded the Center for Inclusion Health (CIH), becoming Division Chief, and is a core faculty member for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. She is double-board certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine.
Laura M. Dagley, BSN, RN
Laura Dagley is a registered nurse and the Environmental Health and Medical Writer for Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania. She has worked in hospital, home health, and hospice settings, where she began to connect her patient's health to their environmental exposures. She now works in Pittsburgh as an advocate for healthcare providers, their patients, and the environments they live in. Her focus is educating on the research surrounding the health impacts from the oil and gas industry, where she has reviewed research, testified as an expert witness, organized CMEs for healthcare providers, and coordinated outreach around PSR's Compendium.
Laura served on the External Advisory Board for the PA Environmental Health study and was part of the coalition working with the PADOH on follow up to the study results. She serves on the boards for the Center for Coalfield Justice and the Allegheny County Department of Health.
Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, MEd, MPPM
Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, MEd, MPPM, FACOG, is a global health equity leader, strategist, and OB/GYN. CEO of L & P Consulting and Chair at Drexel University, she advances inclusion, mentors future clinicians, and develops sustainable equity models transforming healthcare, earning national recognition for leadership, innovation, and compassionate, community-centered care.
Dr. Dara D. Méndez, PhD, MPH
Dara D. Méndez is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, specializing in reproductive justice, maternal and child health, and health equity. She earned her MPH and PhD in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology, along with a certificate in Health Equity, from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill before returning to Pittsburgh as faculty.
Her work focuses on the intersections of various forms of oppression, stress, and geographic location in understanding Black maternal and infant health, women's health, and racial/ethnic health disparities. Dr. Mendez leads several federally funded projects focused on supporting the health and thriving of perinatal people and their infants, including serving as PI of the EMBRACE Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence. Additionally, Dr. Méndez holds several leadership roles including serving on the Board of Health for Allegheny County and on the executive team of the Black Equity Coalition. She has won numerous local and national awards for her transformative work, including The Pitt 2024 Ascending Stars Award and the 2025 Heroine Award from the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh.
Dr. Khlood F. Salman, DrPH, RN
Dr. Khlood Salman specializes in Community and Public Health, with a clinical background in Medical Surgical Nursing. She earned a Master’s in nursing and Doctorate in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the U.S.A. She is an active member serving the community in different capacities including and not limited to Allegheny County Immunization coalition (ACIC), Internal and Immigrant Allegheny Counsel (IIAC), Senior Muslims members of Greater Pittsburgh, and Consortium of interreligious Dialogue. Her local and international research focuses on population health, disease prevention, and health promotion with specific interest on women’s health, health promotion and disease prevention throughout the life span, Cultural congruency, and Global Health. Dr. Salman is a Fulbright Scholar (since 2016), and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).
Lisa Scales, JD
Lisa Scales is President and CEO of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, leading the organization in distributing food for more than 53 million meals annually through a network of nearly 1,000 community partners in 11 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania. She holds a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law and Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Seton Hill University.
Dr. Graham Snyder, MD, MS
Dr. Graham Snyder is Senior Medical Director, Infectious Diseases Quality and Outcomes at UPMC, and Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pittsburgh. He oversees efforts to prevent infections and co-leads work to enhance the quality and value of infectious diseases-related care, including antimicrobial stewardship.
Dr. Michael Yonas, DrPH, MPH
Michael Yonas, DrPH, MPH, is a Vice President of Community Partnerships and Learning at The Pittsburgh Foundation. He has supported and led fund management, research and intervention initiatives related to public health, safety, climate action and social determinants of health. He holds degrees in public health from Johns Hopkins University, serves as a volunteer firefighter and EMY and lives in O'Hara Township with his family and two dogs.
Dr. Iulia Vann, MD, MPH
Dr. lulia Vann is Public Health Director for the Allegheny County Health Department. She is a distinguished public health leader dedicated to advancing health equity, innovative policy development, and systemic change. As the Public Health Director for Allegheny County, she leads the strategic implementation of the Health Department's priorities including Plan for Healthier Allegheny, a comprehensive community health initiative addressing physical health, behavioral health, and environmental health.
With an extensive background in public health administration, Dr. Vann oversees multimillion-dollar budgets and large-scale public health operations, ensuring that datadriven, equity-focused policies drive community health improvements. Her expertise spans social justice, health disparities, and federal, state, and local health policy. She has played a pivotal role in addressing emerging health threats, including serving as a Public Health Incident Commander during the COVID-19 response.
Dr. Vann holds a Master of Public Health from East Carolina University and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila. She is a champion of community engagement, workforce development, and collaborative public health interventions, ensuring that all residents, particularly the most vulnerable, have the opportunity to lead healthy lives.