Yarone Zober, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, (born March 24, 1975, in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, to American parents) served as chief of staff to

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Luke Ravenstahl of

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, from 2006 until 2014. He also is chair of the

Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) is the City of Pittsburgh’s economic development agency, committed to creating jobs, expanding the City’s tax base, and improving the vitality of businesses and neighborhoods. The URA achi ...

. He has previously served as Acting Mayor of Pittsburgh during the illness of Mayor

Bob O'Connor Bob O'Connor may refer to: * Bob O'Connor (mayor) Robert E. O'Connor Jr. (December 9, 1944 – September 1, 2006) was an American politician who was the Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from January 3, 2006, until his death. Personal life and ...

during his illness. A graduate of Peabody High School, Zober earned his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

, and a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in public management from Carnegie Mellon University's

Heinz College The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, often called Heinz College, at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a private graduate college that consists of one of the nation's top-ranked public policy schools— ...

. He also earned a law degree from

University of Pittsburgh School of Law The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law) was founded in 1895. It became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900. Its primary home facility is the Barco Law Building. The school offers four degrees: Master ...

in 2003. Zober has previously worked, among other things, as an aide for Jim Ferlo’s successful campaign for Pennsylvania State Senate, and as city policy director for Mayor

’s administration. He was elected and served as the President of the Pennsylvania Young Democrats from June 2005 until June 2007. In July, 2006, he was named Director of Pittsburgh's General Services Department. On August 6, 2006, Zober was appointed by O’Connor to the position of Deputy Mayor. Due to O’Connor’s continued struggle with

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enla ...

and his uncertain prognosis, Zober was granted authority to run the city. His tenure as Deputy Mayor ended on September 1 when O'Connor died and City Council president Luke Ravenstahl was sworn in as mayor. In Ravenstahl's first speech as mayor, he appointed Zober as chief of staff. He is considered to be "Pittsburgh's chief deal sealer." According to Senator and former President of the

Pittsburgh City Council The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh. It consists of nine members. City council members are chosen by plurality elections in each of nine districts. The city operates under a mayor-council syst ...

Jim Ferlo, "If you want to attribute a third Renaissance to this administration, which I think it's fair to do, none of that would have happened without Yarone's leadership." In 2013, he testified to a grand jury after he was "subpoenaed to testify as a fact witness" about the activities of

Pittsburgh Mayor The mayor of Pittsburgh is the chief executive of the government of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Pittsburgh. This article is a listing of past (and present) mayors of Pittsburgh. ...

Luke Ravenstahl. Outside of his professional career, Zober has experience in dance and theatre. As a high school senior was a nominee for the Gene Kelly Award for Excellence in High School Musical Theater.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zober, Yarone Politicians from Pittsburgh 1975 births Living people Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy alumni Pennsylvania Democrats 21st-century American politicians