Innamorato names two longtime residents to key staff positions

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced Friday her picks for two key positions in her office.

Lauren DeDomenic, a longtime champion for health equity in Pittsburgh, will assume the position of deputy chief of staff, policy and partnerships. Ed Nusser, who has a background in affordable housing development, will be the director of housing strategy, a new position.

The administrative staffers will assist Ms. Innamorato with executing the duties and priorities of her office. Appointments to executive office do not need to be confirmed by a County Council vote.

Mr. Nusser’s position was created to tackle the countywide issue of housing and to develop an action plan synchronous with Ms. Innamorato’s affordable housing priorities, a key message of her campaign. Mr. Nusser currently serves as executive director of City of Bridges Community Land Trust, a regional nonprofit that seeks to prevent displacement by developing longterm, affordable housing.

The Allegheny County native played a part in founding the nonprofit, which has established more than 30 affordable homes countywide, and has plans to create 25 more, according to a news release announcing his new job. The nonprofit has a goal of creating 100 affordable homes. He holds a certification in professional housing finance from the National Development Council.

Mr. Nusser will “bring deep expertise and much needed creativity and cross-partner thinking to lead a comprehensive vision for the county around the critical topic of housing,” Ms. Innamorato said.

For years, Ms. DeDomenic has been an advocate for community health in Pittsburgh. During the COVID- 19 pandemic, she created a central database for North Side residents and others so they could access COVID resources and updates. She also worked with vaccine clinics to mitigate misinformation and hesitation among the county’s Black and immigrant communities.

Ms. DeDomenic is fresh off a stint as community affairs specialist for Highmark Health, where she championed workforce development and implemented programs to combat social health determinants and inequities, according to the news release.

“Lauren will build on many of the private sector and non-profit sector relationships she’s developed during her deep community work in Pittsburgh,” Ms. Innamorato said in the prepared statement.

Ms. DeDomenic and Mr. Nusser will be the latest to join the county executive’s administrative staff, following Ms. Innamorato’s recent announcement of Deputy Chief of Staff for Intergovernmental Affairs Ernest Rajakone and Chief of Staff Grant Gittlen.

Last week, the county executive announced a new slate of board appointments, which County Council approved Tuesday.