Dr. Joylette Portlock has long worked in advocacy at the local, state, and federal level. In her past service as executive director of the regional nonprofit Sustainable Pittsburgh, Dr. Portlock regularly worked with cohorts from the organization’s 800+ partners in the region and across the state, including hundreds of businesses, as well as leaders in local government, and nonprofit and community organizations. 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. She currently serves as chair of the Allegheny County Board of Health and was an appointed member of the Environmental Justice Advisory Board (EJAB) of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for two years, among many other roles in the community. Dr. Portlock has been listed in the Pittsburgh Business Times’ “Power 100” list and in City and State’s “Pittsburgh Power 100” lists multiple times. She has lived and worked in the Pittsburgh region since 2007.
Dr. Portlock shared her goals for the Community Impact Network, and for helping the university and community come together to create positive change.