Joseph M. Laslavic
Pittsburgh
Summary
Results-driven educator and community leader with expertise in instructional design and community engagement. Proven ability to develop impactful initiatives that enhance collaboration and communication with not only our district's students and employees but also the shareholders of our education community.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
English Language Arts Teacher
Shaler Area School District
Pittsburgh, PA
08.2005 - Current
- Developed engaging lesson plans to enhance student understanding of literary concepts through each module.
- Assessed student performance through various evaluation methods providing targeted feedback to improve future performance.
- Implemented diverse instructional strategies to accommodate different learning styles and needs such as students with G.I.E.Ps (Gifted Individualized Educational Program) and I.E.Ps (Individualized Education Programs)
- Created and maintained a positive classroom environment encouraging collaboration and critical thinking skills that they can use not only in the classroom but out of it as well.
4th Ward Commissioner
Ross Township
Pittsburgh, PA
01.2017 - 12.2025
- Worked with our community's residents by leading community engagement initiatives to enhance resident participation in local government decisions such as open forums and town halls to gather valuable input on any policy changes and possible improvements to our municipality.
- Developed and implemented policies to address community needs and improve service delivery such as implementing a digital newsletter and working to upgrade the township's current website
- Communicated and worked with our local legislators on various projects to better our community.
Administration Committee Chairperson
Ross Township
Pittsburgh, PA
01.2017 - 12.2025
- Presided over hiring searches for various leaders in our municipality such as our Township Manager and our Township's Parks and Recreation Director.
- Established and maintained strong relationships with not only our residents but also the various vendors and our local business community.
- Streamlined township transparency by implementing clear reporting structures and open communication channels.
- Improved the townships performance evaluation process for our department directors and establishing a direct goal-implementation process for each department.
Parks and Recreation Committee Chairperson
Ross Township
Pittsburgh, PA
01.2017 - 12.2025
- Worked to provide consistent direction and implementation into improvements for the 21 parks in our municipality.
- Communicated with residents through various mediums such as town halls and open office hours on ways to better the parks in their neighborhood
- Collaborated and worked with our local legislators on ways to acquire the appropriate funding without having to put a strain on our municipal budget.
- Worked with district employees as well as community shareholders to create and implement a 10-year capital improvement plan for our municipality parks and fields.
Finance Committee Member
Ross Township
Pittsburgh, PA
01.2017 - 12.2025
- Led financial planning and yearly budgeting processes for organizational initiatives.
- Worked with our Finance Director to analyze financial reports to identify trends and inform decision-making.
- Collaborated with our various departments to assess funding needs and allocations through our yearly goal-setting meetings.
- Developed creative strategies for optimizing resource utilization and reducing costs.
Education
Master of Science - Instructional Leadership
Robert Morris University
Coraopolis, PA12-2009
Bachelor of Arts - English Education
La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA12-2004
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA08-2004
Skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Organizational growth
- Team collaboration
- Adaptive learning
- Community engagement
- Educational leadership
- Understanding diversity
- School improvement
- Organizational development
- Student advocacy
Timeline
4th Ward Commissioner
Ross Township
01.2017 - 12.2025
Administration Committee Chairperson
Ross Township
01.2017 - 12.2025
Parks and Recreation Committee Chairperson
Ross Township
01.2017 - 12.2025
Finance Committee Member
Ross Township
01.2017 - 12.2025
English Language Arts Teacher
Shaler Area School District
08.2005 - Current
Master of Science - Instructional Leadership
Robert Morris University
Bachelor of Arts - English Education
La Roche College
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism
Indiana University of Pennsylvania