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Who We Are

Catapult Greater Pittsburgh engages in emergency resource distribution, peer-to-peer support, wealth building, trauma-informed financial counseling, and policy advocacy to ensure systematically disenfranchised communities can meaningfully achieve economic justice and lead dignified and equitable lives. 

Meet the Team

Tammy Thompson

Executive Director

Brettney Duck

Director of Homeownership

Alexis Cathie

Executive Assistant

Latasia Rich

Gallery Manager

Jodi Salant

Director of Innovation and Growth

Lachelle Bell

Director of Entrepreneurship

Nikkia Coates

Director of Supportive Housing

Kevette Groomes

Homeownership Counselor

Tyler Kendrick

Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator

Nia Broadus

Financial Education Counselor

Cinnamon Foster

Community Support Specialist

Lakhia Rich

Junior Sales Associate

Board of Directors

Portrait of Ted Melnyk

Ted Melnyk

President
Ted Melnyk is Director of Development & Research at ELDI and joined the staff in 2012. Ted has over 30 years of experience in both the faith and nonprofit community with both youth and affordable housing programs. Ted has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Westminster College, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy & Management from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters of Arts & Religion from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Portrait of Skip Schwab

Skip Schwab

Secretary
Secretary - Skip Schwab is the director of operations for ELDI. Mr. Schwab has been with ELDI since 2007 and is responsible for grants management and partner relationships, and helped formulate ELDI’s investment strategy. Skip has over thirty years of community development experience from being a program director with Local Initiative Support Corporation, director of real estate with North Side Civic Development Council, and assistant to the director of housing for the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh. Mr. Schwab has a bachelor of liberal studies from Bowling Green State University and a master’s of public administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
Portrait of Maelene Myers

Maelene Myers

Treasurer
Maelene Myers has been the executive director of ELDI since 1996. Ms. Myers has nearly thirty years of experience in community development, management, and administration. She is responsible for the overall operation of the corporation, and was instrumental in creating a comprehensive community plan for East Liberty. Prior to her work at ELDI, Ms. Myers was the executive director of Hough Area Partners in Progress in Cleveland, Ohio. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Associate of Applied Business degree from the University of Akron.
Portrait of Ashley Comans

Ashley Comans

Member
Ashley Comans recently joined APOST (Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time) as the HYPE (Hill Youth Partnership for Enrichment) Project Coordinator. Ashley brings a diverse set of skills and experience to the board. Prior to joining the team, Ashley worked at Highmark as a Sales Support Analyst in the Senior Markets department. Prior to working with Highmark, Ashley was a production specialist with WPXI-TV Pittsburgh. There, she worked with the Emmy-award-winning morning newscast in production, and carried out voice caption duties for local and national programming. Ashley is also a freelance writer and blogger. Most recently, Ashley was elected School Board Director of the Wilkinsburg School District. Ashley obtained a Bachelors of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and Communication Studies from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Potrtait of Khamil Scantling

Khamil Scantling

Member
Khamil Scantling is an expert in Leadership & Business Development, Public Speaking, Fundraising, Software Management, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Khamil achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Sociology and a concentration in Africana Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Khamil previously worked at BNY Mellon as a senior analyst, and is currently the CEO of Cocoapreneur PGH, LLC. Khamil founded Cocoapreneur to assist black entrepreneurs in overcoming the societal barriers to success that are unique to their experience.

Lisa Tannenbaum

Member
Lisa Tannenbaum is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the Human Resource Certification Institute and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) through the Society of Human Resource Management. Lisa is a graduate of Penn State University and has over 20 years of HR experience. She has extensive knowledge and proficiency in all areas of Talent Management including training, recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, compliance, and compensation. She has a passion for partnering with professional service firms and non-profit organizations by establishing “HR on Call” relationships where she guides clients through wide variety HR related topics and issues. When not focusing creating HR solutions for her clients, Lisa enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling with her family.

Scott Dillon

Member
Scott Dillon is the Director of Finance and Administration for ELDI and joined the organization in 2014. He has over 40 years of accounting and finance experience for both nonprofit and for-profit entities. He graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Accounting along with a minor in Economics and later earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Duquesne University, with concentrations in Accounting and Finance. He has previously served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Allegheny Valley chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Muzz Meyers

Member
After many years as an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, Muzz Meyers spent 18 years working with underserved youth. He has worked for the East End Cooperative Ministry, Neighborhood Learning Alliance, The University of Pittsburgh Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, and primarily for Communities in Schools of Allegheny County. Through Communities in Schools he was placed at Westinghouse High School in various supportive roles with students and staff. During this time, he witnessed the daily trauma of housing insecurity. He recognized that a transient life created hardships and obstacles in the ability for students to succeed. In 2015, he decided to take his social service and entrepreneurial experience and envision a way to address these problems. Muzz founded the Day One Project - a program that offers real-life education, connection to resources, and support to empower single parent families to thrive, which is now a program of Catapult Greater Pittsburgh.
Portrait of Joyce Howard smiling

Joyce Howard

Member
Joyce Howard is a natural communicator. While her career has been diverse, the common theme is her proficiency in helping organizations and people grow. Joyce serves as the Grant Writer & Project Administrator at Innovation Works. She earned her BA in Journalism and Political Science and law degree from Duquesne University. She has worked at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The News & Observer, Apple, and most recently was the director of operations at Everyday Café. Joyce is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and also serves on Duquesne University’s Alumni Board of Governors and the newly formed Black Alumni Network.

Mission Breakdown

Mission Statement

Catapult Greater Pittsburgh engages in connecting families to emergency resources, peer-to-peer support, wealth building, trauma-informed financial counseling, and policy advocacy to ensure that systematically disenfranchised communities can meaningfully achieve economic justice and lead dignified and equitable lives.

Values Statement

Pursuing economic justice one individual at a time through compassion, flexibility, innovation, dignity, and creating opportunities for personal growth in fair and equitable communities.

Who We Serve

Individuals or families who live at or below the poverty line or otherwise feel disenfranchised by a system that perpetuates economic injustice. Our participants choose programs that are the best fit for them and work with the team at Catapult Greater Pittsburgh for support and guidance throughout the experience.

Catapulting
Into the Future

History

After six wonderful years of partnership with Circles USA, Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, formerly Circles Greater Pittsburgh, launched as an independent organization on January 4th, 2021. Although the leadership, professionals, and many of the programs remain the same, our mission changed slightly from “ending generational poverty” to “economic justice opportunities for individuals seeking generational stability”. The program offerings will be more robust and more suited for the urban clientele that we serve. Additionally, this separation will allow us to move from a chapter of a national model into an independent and scalable non-profit organization.

Pittsburgh

> 1 %
Poverty

in many Pittsburgh neighborhoods

1 %
pittsburghers

live at or below the income limit for federal poverty guidelines

In many Pittsburgh neighborhoods the poverty rate is well over 30%. In total 20.3% of Pittsburghers live at or below the income limit for the Federal Poverty Guidelines, according to the 2017 U.S. Census estimates. To give you an idea of how much that is, the official poverty line for a family of four is $25,100 per year or less.

The divide between lower-income populations and the middle-to-upper income populations is growing and not just in numbers. We desire a smart, and personal solution to these problems, which is why Catapult works great in this very relational community. Here, neighborly connection and innovation are key components of what makes Pittsburgh the great place that it is.

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Learn More

Homeownership is within reach!

  • Closing Cost Assistance Grants up to $25,000
  • No Mortgage Insurance Required
  • Up to $30,000 for Home Repairs
  • Free Financial Coaching