Kathryn Vargas

Kathryn Vargas is the Director of Parks & Recreation at City of Pittsburgh. Prior to that, they were the Director, Allegheny Partners for Out of School Time at United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania from November 2016 to October 2019. In that role, they led a team of eight to build a system to support afterschool programs across Allegheny County with the goal of increasing access to high quality programs. Kathryn also created and managed a portfolio of grant opportunities to support the local efforts of Pittsburgh’s youth serving community.

From 2013-2016, Kathryn Vargas was the Program Officer for Early Childhood at The Pittsburgh Foundation. In that role, they oversaw a $4 million grantmaking budget and was responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of competitive grantmaking programs, as well as designing and implementing special initiatives in the early childhood field.

Previously, Kathryn Vargas served as the Senior Manager of Programs and Training at A+ Schools, where they managed a $1 million budget and oversaw all aspects of program design, implementation, evaluation and continuous improvement for A+’s array of school-based reform efforts.

Kathryn Vargas began their career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala, where they worked on community development projects focused on health education, economic development and environmental conservation. Kathryn holds a B.A. in International Studies from American University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Kathryn Vargas has a Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing and Social Administration. Kathryn also has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and International Studies from Mount St. Mary's University.

They are on a team with Chris Hornstein - Director of Public Works, Janet K. Manuel - Director, Human Resources & Civil Service & EEO, Diversity & Inclusion Officer, and Kim Lucas - Director of Mobility & Infrastructure. Kathryn Vargas reports to Ed Gainey, Mayor Ed Gainey.