Support System
Our team brings over 20 years of housing development, construction management, and community development expertise.
Our Team
Our team brings over 20 years of housing development, construction management, and community development expertise. Together, we blend our industry know-how and best practices into LEVEL’s solution-driven programs of making homeownership affordable and accessible for everyone.
Jason Tigano
Founder + CEO
Jason Tigano
CEO
As LEVEL’s CEO and Founder, Jason Tigano, strives to make buying a home affordable and equitable for residents across Western PA. Guided by the ethos that homeownership is the heart of thriving, stable communities, Jason’s leadership bolsters the organization’s capacity to positively impact neighborhoods and their stakeholders. His background is rooted in more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of government policy, community engagement, economic development, and nonprofit advocacy. Jason’s extensive expertise is commensurate with his unwavering commitment to creating affordable housing opportunities in the region.
Jason is a dedicated public servant who has worked with all levels of state and federal legislators to champion innovation through development. Graduating from Duquesne University with a Masters Degree in Social & Public Policy with a concentration in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies, Jason bridges empathy and sincerity with strategy and tenacity. Having spent much of his career on the frontlines alongside local municipalities, neighborhood nonprofits, and city constituents, he witnessed firsthand the challenges and needs of Pittsburghers. Acting as a liaison between residents and their representatives, he prioritized opportunities for collaboration, connection, and conversation. A resourceful and solution-oriented partner, Jason operates with a “boots on the ground” approach that yields tangible results. Throughout the past 20 years, he’s led multiple large-scale efforts to reimagine the city’s real estate landscape while affecting positive change within underserved communities.
After having a “seat at both sides of the table,” Jason knew that homeownership is the core of social, cultural, technological, and economic development. It is also a process that is difficult to navigate and unattainable for many Americans, including those in the Rust Belt. By early 2020, Jason conceived of a path that could activate an affordable housing initiative in Pittsburgh and beyond. Since its inception in 2021, LEVEL has grown from an idea to a fully realized initiative that is making the dream of owning a home a reality for many.
Currently, Jason lives in the Brookline neighborhood of Pittsbugh and continues to give back to his community. He is the Board President at Brookline Teen Outreach, while serving on the boards of Elizabeth Seton Center and NeighborhoodWorks WPA. When Jason isn’t working to broaden LEVEL’s reach, he’s a dedicated uncle, a recording musician, and avid traveller. As a proud Italian American, he’s spent time in Italy studying and learning to speak Italian. Jason’s pursuit of cultural and creative competency gives him a unique ability to respond to humanitarian challenges—affordable housing being a top priority.
Heather Mallak
COO
Heather Mallak
COO
As LEVEL’s Chief Operating Officer, Heather Mallak will focus on the primary objectives of propelling strategic initiatives, strengthening community relationships, and amplifying LEVEL’s ethos of equitable housing. She brings a high level of expertise in project management, capacity building, and dynamic solutions that will support the next phase of LEVEL’s growth.
Heather is a multi-hyphenated creative professional with nearly two decades of experience as an integral partner to the region’s most influential cultural, nonprofit, and educational institutions. From ideation to implementation, her background in Visual Communications & Interactive Media provides an innovative balance of “design thinking” and thoughtful execution to realize impactful outcomes. Heather prioritizes uplifting the people and programs that make a positive and ethical impact on the local landscape. Through her work in public service and private industry, Heather has a penchant for uniting an array of audiences and stakeholders to achieve common objectives. In a city rebranding itself as a hub for innovation, Heather leverages proximity to emerging technologies to cultivate forward-thinking experiences and measured results. As a longtime Pittsburgh resident, she is known amongst colleagues for her ardent work bridging cross-sector boundaries, dedication to uplifting diverse constituencies, and passion for authentic engagement.
Currently, Heather resides with her family in the famous Lawrenceville “shipping container house,” a groundbreaking addition to her turn-of-the-century row house that she oversaw from concept to completed construction. She is co-founder of Blue Coop Properties, a real estate venture that aims to balance numbers and neighbors while adding value to the community’s Main Street. Additionally, Heather is the Founder and Director of Public Studio, a creative consulting agency that empowers her partners to act in the short-term while thinking long-term. When she’s not working with good-doers, Heather manages her “house-hack” short stay Airbnb and its quarterly artist-in-residence program Sketchbook Residency. Heather serves as the 9th Ward Chair of the Democratic Committee and is a Board Member of Lawrenceville Together She is a champion and loyal patron of the many artists, makers, and small businesses that operate in her neighborhood.
Our Board
Our Board of Directors is composed of passionate and knowledgeable community drivers. Each board member brings unique value to our organization, including specialized skills, connections to networks, access to resources and personal experience and passions.
David J. Caliguiri
President
David J. Caliguiri
PRESIDENT
David founded The Caliguiri Group, a public affairs and strategic communications firm in 2011. He has over 25 years of experience in government, public affairs and strategic communications. He successfully managed the political campaigns of Senator Jay Costa, Jr. and Mayor Tom Murphy and was an integral part of Pittsburgh First’s campaign for a PA state gaming license. He spent four years as a lobbyist with the law firm of Eckert Seamans where he represented clients before local and state governments and two and a half years at GSP Consulting before starting his own business, The Caliguiri Group.
David is an active member of the Pittsburgh community and sits on the boards of the Carnegie Science Center, The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Academy Charter School, The Pittsburgh Hispanic Community Development Corporation, LEVEL, Passavant Memorial Homes and Junior Achievement where he was recently awarded Junior Achievement’s Alumni Award for 2012. He is a graduate of Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. David lives in Squirrel Hill with his wife Katy and three children, Maxwell, Ellie and Sampson.
Rob Vescio
Treasurer
Robert Vescio
TREASURER
One of the original principals that launched Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Public Affairs, Rob Vescio is a seasoned professional with nearly 20 years of public affairs experience. If a major public policy debate is occurring in Pennsylvania, chances are, Rob is part of the discussion.
As a lobbyist, Rob has successfully lobbied on behalf of for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations and trade association clients. His vast experience and strong bi-partisan contacts have provided clients with the ability to shape issues.
Jeff Bruce
SECRETARY
Jeff Bruce
SECRETARY
Jeff is an accomplished geologist and Senior Executive with more than 40 years of technical and management experience in global petroleum exploration and production, carbon capture and storage, energy transition and sustainability, personnel/project management and business oversight, both with major entities and with industry and technology start-ups.
Job postings for ConocoPhillips in Indonesia, Norway, China, UK and Houston from 1980 through 2010. Key geoscience, technology and management roles with responsibilities for directing multi-national joint ventures, corporate governance, staffing oversight, budgeting and forecasting, and serving as project manager and technical committee chairman for numerous large scale E&P projects.
Post 2010, residing in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, PA and currently engaged in Sustainability, Energy Transition and Carbon Management projects, including advisory roles with entities seeking to scale carbon capture and sequestration and sustainable housing and energy solutions. Previously held leadership positions with Return Energy International, STL Resources LLC and Simtable LLC.
Leveraging extensive experience leading organizations and driving profitability in diverse cultural and business settings, Jeffrey is a valuable asset for a company requiring advisory related to expansions, business model development, cultural change, or performance optimization.
Abass Kamara
Board member
Abass Kamara
BOARD MEMBER
Skilled in Public Affairs, Nonprofit Organizations, Budgeting, Grassroots Organizing, and Government.
Sabrina Saunders Mosby
Board Member
Sabrina Saunders Mosby
BOARD MEMBER
A native of Pittsburgh, PA, the “City of Bridges,” Sabrina Saunders Mosby has spent the better part of her career helping others cross them. A seasoned executive, Ms. Mosby currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for Vibrant Pittsburgh, a premier economic development membership organization and the region’s central resource, spokesperson, and convener on workforce diversity and inclusion.
A cross-sector leader, Ms. Mosby has held senior roles at numerous nonprofits and spent close to a decade in the government sector while advocating for local constituents at the local and federal levels. Ms. Mosby has a proven track record of partnering with business and community leaders to develop strategic change and build local programs. Described by stakeholders as highly creative, collaborative, visionary and results-oriented, she is a sought after keynote speaker, facilitator, and workshop leader. Ms. Mosby is a recipient of numerous awards and honors including being named an Athena Young Professional Finalist, Ebony Magazine Top 30, Pittsburgh Courier Fab 40, Pittsburgh Magazine 40 under 40, Whirl Magazine 50 Finest, and to the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Power 100 list in 2021 and 2022. Sabrina is deeply involved in public service and her community and professional affiliations are many, including serving on the boards of Allegheny Health Network, the Pittsburgh Women’s Alliance, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Mount Ararat Community Activity Center, and as Vice-Chair of the board for her alma mater, Oakland Catholic High School. Ms. Mosby is an alumnus of Leadership Pittsburgh’s LDI XVII, holds a Master of Science degree from Carlow University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Sabrina lives in the Pittsburgh region with her husband Brandon and their son Lincoln.