Sylvia describes herself as a community activist. She is an elected Democratic CommitteeWoman, 12th Ward Democratic Chair, served for 18 years on the PA Democratic committee and for 9 years as a member of the Democratic National Committee. Sylvia is proud to have been personally involved with eleven presidential elections and therefore, eleven Democratic National Conventions, although she has attended only ten. She serves on other community boards – Allegheny County Sanitation Authority (ALCOSAN), Small Seeds Development, Inc., is the Senior Warden and Vestry member of the Church of the Holy Cross.

Sylvia served for twelve years as a Pittsburgh School Director. She is a retired elementary school teacher – having taught at Spring Hill, Miller, and Manchester Elementary Schools. As a teacher, she was an active member and officer of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT). She also served many years as a Vice President with AFT Pennsylvania. In these roles, she represented her union membership with pride at local, state, and national levels in forums, on committees, at conventions, and with various activities. She was on staff of the PFT as the Assistant to the President for thirteen years.

As a member of the School Board, she has held office positions, was a Trustee with Carnegie Library, a Trustee with the Carnegie Museums, and also represented PPS as an executive committee member with the Council of Great City Schools.

Her union affiliation and activities continue as the President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute.

Other community activities found Sylvia as a coach and then later managed the Uptown Baseball Association which included Little League and Pony League teams, for twenty years. She also worked with national representatives for RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner City). Additionally, she volunteered for six years with the Wilkinsburg Midget Football Association.

Sylvia has been recognized for her service by: the Allegheny Labor Council – Labor Woman of the Year; the Allegheny Democratic Party; Coalition of Labor Women; the AFT and AFT PA; Coalition of Black Trade Unionists – Bill Simons Award; Negro Business and Professional Women Clubs, Inc.; the Pittsburgh Chapter of A.P.R.I.; Indiana University Labor Studies – Maida Springer Kemp Award; the New Pittsburgh Courier – Women of Excellence (class of 2011); Nahbi Christian Ministries; Talk Magazine; was featured in Woman’s Day Magazine.