Wanda Wilson Steps Down as Oakland Planning and Development Corporation Executive Director

Wanda Wilson (left); Andrea Boykowycz, Interim Director (right)

Wanda Wilson, who joined Oakland Planning and Development Corporation in 2009 as its fifth executive director, departed the organization at the end of November.

Over the course of her 13-year tenure, Wanda was responsible for building OPDC’s capacity to support community organizing and engagement and for professionalizing the organization with attention to marketing and communications and operational efficiencies.

Among her many notable programmatic accomplishments, she initiated, organized, and drove the completion of the Oakland 2025 Plan, the first comprehensive neighborhood plan since the Oakland Plan was originally drafted in 1979. Oakland 2025 articulated neighborhood priorities and gave rise to new neighborhood-serving organizations and initiatives, including Oakwatch: The Oakland Code Enforcement Project, which improves the quality of life in Oakland by bringing people and institutions together to identify code violations, advocate for their remediation, and monitor the outcomes.

Wanda was also a leader in the development of new affordable housing units both for rent and for sale. She led the renovation and redevelopment of Allequippa Place to create Oakland Affordable Living, adding 25 new units and expanding existing rental units. This Low-Income Housing Tax Credit project enabled OPDC to maintain affordability and keep Breachmenders’ original investment under community control. Wanda also founded and grew the Oakland Community Land Trust (CLT), an essential strategy for the community to expand paths to affordable homeownership and anchor Oakland’s vulnerable residential communities. Since its founding in 2018, the CLT has grown to include 14 members, with many more in the pipeline, including 4 new construction 4-bedroom homes on Frazier Street scheduled to be completed this spring.

OPDC Assistant Director Andrea Boykowycz will serve as interim director. Andrea is an Oakland native and homeowner with a 25-year career in non-profit management and a deep commitment to strengthening the neighborhood where she lives and works. Andrea served on OPDC’s board from 2006 through 2016 and joined the staff in 2017.

OPDC remains committed to the mission of building a better Oakland and helping neighbors thrive.

Please join us in thanking Wanda for her many years of service to the community.

Wanted: Cookie Recipes for Oakland Collection

Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to baked goods!

We know Oakland folks have some excellent cookie recipes, and now is your opportunity to show us your cookie pride. 

We’re asking our neighbors and friends to send us their favorite holiday cookie recipes and stories to be published in an “Oakland Knows Cookies” collection. 

Does your family have a treasured recipe? Please email OPDC PULSE Fellow Hannah Fierle at hfierle@opdc.org. If we receive your recipe by Sunday, December 4, we can share it with the neighborhood in time for the holidays.  

We’re also inviting neighbors to bring cookies to our Holiday Party on Thursday, December 15th. Don’t be shy about showing off your delectable creations!

Shovel Snow for Your Oakland Neighbors with 5 Doors Down

Would you like to help a neighbor in need clear their walk of snow this winter?

Keeping Oakland’s sidewalks and steps safe and clear of ice and snow takes a team effort, and we need your help!

OPDC is organizing a new neighborly approach to snow removal in Oakland this year: 5 Doors Down. OPDC will loan snow removal tools and materials for the season and match volunteers with neighbors in need within five doors of their home.

In short, we bring the shovels and salt, you bring the energy and heart!

As a 5 Doors Down volunteer, you’ll need to keep a watchful eye on your neighbor’s walk throughout the winter. OPDC won’t instruct you when to shovel or sweep. We rely on you to use your best judgment and coordinate with your neighbor about when help is needed.

After you’ve cleared the snow each time, send us a picture so we can log your volunteer hours. If for whatever reason you can’t shovel after a snowfall either:

• Ask another volunteer for help

• Notify OPDC, so we can make other arrangements

When you return your shovel and supplies at the end of the season, OPDC will reward you with a gift card for your service. You’ll also have the satisfaction of having made the neighborhood safer and better connected.

Thank you!

Contact sgallagher@opdc.org if you would like to join our 5 Doors Down program. Volunteers help OPDC build a better Oakland—we can’t do it without you.

Hard-to-Recycle How-To

Recycling is picked up every other Tuesday in Oakland. But what about hard-to-recycle items like batteries, lightbulbs, and tires?

Here are some local resources:

Pennsylvania Resources Council: Weekly e-waste collection on Tuesday and Thursday; accepts many items including televisions, computer parts, batteries, etc. Material disposal is charged at a cost of $0.35 per pound to recycle. 3001 Railroad Street. 412.489.9299.

Construction Junction: Accepts any refrigerant-containing appliances, lightbulbs, lighting ballasts, scrap metal, PVC/vinyl scrap, alkaline batteries, etc. Separate acceptance policies, fee may be required. 214 North Lexington Street. 412.243.5025×10.

uBreakiFix: Accepts most types of tech and devices for recycling, including rechargeable batteries, cell phones, tablets, computers, printers, game consoles, wearables, etc. No fee. 4718 Liberty Avenue. 412.774.2252.

City of Pittsburgh Recycling Drop-off Locations: Accepts typical recyclables as well as yard debris and tires. For yard debris, there is no fee for cars and a $21.00 fee for debris in a trailer. East End: 6814 Hamilton Ave. 412-665-3609. Hazelwood: 40 Melanchton St. 412-422-6524. West End: 1330 Hassler St Pittsburgh. 412.937.3054.

Worm Return: Composting services for businesses and households. Provides containers and picks up on your chosen schedule. Offers several paid plans dependent on your address. Also provides education on composting and vermicomposting as well as green-living consulting. wormreturn.com. 412.773.0306.

Join Our Application for a Free Tree in Oakland

Planting trees is better with friends. 

OPDC is seeking a critical mass of Oakland neighbors to sign up for a tree through TreeVitalize Pittsburgh. We need to meet a ten-tree minimum for TreeVitalize Pittsburgh to accept our application for the spring planting season.  

Signing up is easy. Property owners can reach out to Sam Gallagher at sgallagher@opdc.org by December 1 to express their interest. 

If our application is accepted, property owners can expect to receive a call from TreeVitalize Pittsburgh to explain the specifics and confirm that they still want the tree. 

One of the biggest concerns that TreeVitalize Pittsburgh GIS Coordinator Brian Crooks hears is that people don’t want trees ripping up sidewalks or interfering with utility lines. 

Brian Crooks

“That happens because people made poor decisions about the type of tree and location,” says Crooks. “Our trees are much less likely to cause hardscape issues or get hacked apart and made into goalposts.” 

Crooks visits sites over the winter to prepare for the spring planting. “We assess every address where trees are requested so we can determine the appropriate species,” says Crooks. 

Almost all trees are planted in the public right of way—very often, the grass strip between the sidewalk and the street. Trees can also be planted in front yards in a way that feels like part of the streetscape.  

TreeVitalize Pittsburgh receives funding from the state to prep sites and buy trees, all at no cost to the adjacent property owner. OPDC then helps to organize a local event for volunteers to plant the trees around Oakland. 

“Everyone loves planting a tree,” says Ned Brockmeyer, TreeVitalize Program Manager for the state. “The best part is the community involvement. That’s always what it takes.” 

TreeVitalize requests that property owners or community groups commit to watering each tree for the first two seasons. “80% of the roots are left at the nursery,” says Crooks. “The tree needs to grow new roots. They’re not self-sufficient, so we have to put them where they are wanted.”  

Join our application today to help us increase the tree canopy, decrease urban heat islands, and support green equity in Oakland.