Board Members & Staff

Maryann Herman was nominated by the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board. Mayor William Peduto and Pittsburgh City Council approved the nomination in July of 2019. 

Ms. Herman is the Director of Academic Excellence and an Assistant Professor for the School of Law at Duquesne University. Prior to joining Duquesne Law, Ms. Herman served as the director of academic success and bar preparation studies at the Appalachian School of Law. She formerly worked at BarBri Bar Review and The Chicago Legal Clinic.

Ms. Herman received her J.D. from Wayne State University where she was the editor-in-chief of the Wayne Law Review. She earned her B.A. in Mathematics and Political Science from Siena Heights College.

Alex Matthews was nominated by the Greater Pittsburgh Non-Profit Partnership to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board. Mayor William Peduto and Pittsburgh City Council approved the nomination in February of 2019. 

Mr. Matthews is a Senior Community Affairs Analyst for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. He reviews and analyzes community grants and sponsorships from local non-profit organizations which enables Highmark to invest financial resources into the Pittsburgh community.

He graduated from California University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Business and Duquesne University with a Masters degree in liberal arts in leadership. He is a past President for the Pittsburgh Board of Education. He currently sits on the several community boards and is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. 

Rhoda Neft was nominated by the Allegheny County Bar Association to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board. Mayor William Peduto and Pittsburgh City Council approved the nomination in July of 2020.

A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University School of Law, Ms. Neft is a transactional attorney acting as in-house counsel for her clients. She particularly practices third-party logistics, warehousing and transportation law. Ms. Neft is a member of the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations, where she continues to hold leadership positions.

A graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh, class XVII, Ms. Neft is a member of the Women’s Committee of the Carnegie Museum of Art and Fellow of the Museum. She also exhibits her love for animals as a volunteer of the Humane Animal Rescue League. Ms. Neft is the recipient of the Carol Los Mannsman Helping Hand Award given by the Women in the Law Division of the Allegheny County Bar Association to a female attorney who strives to improve the quality of legal practice for women.

Dr. Orlando G. Portela-Valentín was nominated by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board. Mayor William Peduto and Pittsburgh City Council approved the nomination in February of 2021. 

Dr. Portela-Valentín is both an academic and a lawyer with more than twenty years of experience in conflict resolution. He has been a lawyer since 1989, and a certified mediator since 2000. He also holds a PhD in Philosophy of Law. Dr. Portela-Valentín has served as a mediator and arbiter in many controversies, including health care, community relations, family matters, court-appointed civil and criminal matters, and employment-related and corporate controversies. He has served as a consultant on cultural competency and mediation for the Judicial Academy of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, the Puerto Rico Bar Association, and the Puerto Rico Legal Services Corporation Pro Bono Program. He has also served as an Ethic’s consultant for the Puerto Rico Bar Association and has served in the Ethics Commission of that institution.

Currently, Dr. Portela-Valentín is an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where he teaches “Comparative Professional Responsibility” and is an immigration attorney with Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh where he represents unaccompanied immigrant children.

He is a native Spanish speaker.

Secretary Patrick J. Bigley was nominated by the Allegheny County Labor Council to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board. Mayor William Peduto and Pittsburgh City Council approved the nomination in June of 2016.

Mr. Bigley, an Overbrook resident, is currently the President of Pittsburgh Plumber’s Local Union #27. Plumber’s Local Union #27 serves fifteen counties in Western Pennsylvania with over 1200 members. Mr. Bigley, with 39 years as a Journeyman- Master Plumber, is an instructor for Plumber’s L.U. #27 Apprentices and Journeymen in OSHA Safety Training. Mr. Bigley was previously employed by the Pittsburgh School District as the Coordinating Foreman for 66 Pittsburgh Building and Construction Trades personnel.

Mr. Bigley has served the residents of Pittsburgh having been appointed to the Board of Commissioners of the Pittsburgh Housing Authority in 2006, by Mayor Bob O’Connor. He was appointed to the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Board of Directors in 2012, by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Mr. Bigley also served on PWSA’s Green Initiative Committee (GITAC). As a member of the Pittsburgh School District’s Safety Steering Committee, the District received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in 2006 and 2012. Mr. Bigley has served his neighborhood as a Board Member, Manager, and Volunteer of both Carrick Community Athletic Association and Carrick High School Baseball.

As a member of the Pittsburgh School District’s Safety Steering Committee, the District received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in 2006 & 2012. Mr. Bigley has served his neighborhood as a Board Member, Manager, & Volunteer of both Carrick Community Athletic Association and Carrick High School Baseball

David Quinn was nominated by the Urban League to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board. Mayor Ed Gainey and Pittsburgh City Council approved the nomination in April of 2022.

David, a lifelong Pittsburgher, works as a fiduciary manager at PNC, where he provides advice and interpretation on a wide variety of complex regulations. David is a barred attorney in the State of Pennsylvania and an active member of the Allegheny County Bar Association. As an Asian American, David is proud to work with organizations within PNC and the ACBA to promote diversity and inclusion.

David’s interests include the application of ethical considerations to professional settings, such as the PA Rules of Professional Conduct that govern attorneys. He brings to the Board leadership skills and experience from his years of serving as a guiding member on numerous ACBA committees, and as a trustee for the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. David’s dedication to serving the community is also demonstrated through his earned status of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America program, which, in 2012, only 4% of all members achieved.

Robert S. Bernstein was nominated by the President of City Council to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board. Mayor Ed Gainey and Pittsburgh City Council approved the nomination in July of 2024.

Robert is a litigator and partner at Bernstein-Burkley, P.C., where he brings over 40 years of experience to his specialization in a wide array of complex legal cases. He is known for his strategic and sophisticated legal practices, which are tailored to achieve favorable outcomes for his clients. Whether navigating intricate business disputes or representing clients in high-stakes litigation, Robert’s approach and commitment to ethical practice set him apart. His service has earned him numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the Top 50 Attorneys in Pittsburgh by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers from 2021 to 2024. He is also a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Bankruptcy.

His passion for law was ignited at a young age while working for his father's firm, where he served as a liaison to the sheriff's department. This experience laid the foundation for a career marked by commitment and expertise. He earned his B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and his J.D. from Duquesne University. Apart from his litigation work, Mr. Bernstein brings extensive experience in legal ethics to the Board. He has held leadership positions with the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Professional Ethics Committee and has published literature on ethics and professionalism.

Dr. Taya Cohen was nominated by the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board. Mayor Ed Gainey and Pittsburgh City Council approved the nomination in September of 2024. 

Dr. Cohen is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and Business Ethics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. She co-directs the Collaboration and Conflict Research Lab and teaches graduate courses and executive education seminars on negotiation and organizational behavior. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and went on to earn a Master’s and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of North California at Chapel Hill. She then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow in the Dispute Resolution Center at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Dr. Cohen is a Past-President of the International Association for Conflict Management (IACM) and her research has been featured in numerous outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NPR, and BBC. Of special interest to Dr. Cohen is understanding the causes and consequences of unethical behavior and identifying strategies for promoting moral behavior in the workplace.

Leanne Davis serves as the Executive Director of the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board ("Board"), as well as its Ethics Officer. The Ethics Officer is a position selected by the Board in accordance with the City Code, for the purpose of quickly responding to questions regarding ethics requirements.

Ms. Davis is responsible for providing ethics advice to the City's workforce of over 3,000 employees, as well as to elected and appointed officials, candidates, and those doing or seeking business with the City.

Ms. Davis provides requested and mandatory training on the ethics provisions contained in the City of Pittsburgh's Code of Conduct and Home Rule Charter. She leads the effort to secure required annual financial disclosures from Pittsburgh's public officials and public employees. Ms. Davis also oversees the Board's quasi-judicial process to investigate and enforce violations that may arise.

In 2011, Leanne Davis began her employment with the City of Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, Pittsburgh's local civil rights agency. Ms. Davis is a member of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws. She serves on the Professional Ethics Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association and has a background in labor, employment, and civil rights law.