YR Executive Board
Chairman - Justin Lokay
Justin Lokay holds the position of Government Affairs and Annual Giving Coordinator at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Also, he is serving in his second term as the youngest elected councilman for East McKeesport Borough. Justin is the Chairman of the Republican Committee of East McKeesport and is on the Board of Directors at PUMP (Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project). He has a strong background in government affairs having served most recently as U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy’s campaign manager and community outreach director and prior to that, as U.S. Senator Arlen Specter’s deputy political director. He has worked for the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee and the Republican National Committee. In 2004, Justin was an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention and was named one of Pittsburgh’s 40 under 40 by Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP.
Vice Chairman - Tom Baker
Tom Baker is the Executive Director of Healthy Teens, Inc. and the Board President of the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP). He is the President of Baker Leadership and is author of the newly released “Get Involved! Making the Most of Your 20s and 30s.” Tom is an elected Republican State Committeeman, an elected Allegheny County Republican Committeeman, is Secretary of the 5th Council District Republican Committee in Pittsburgh and Secretary of the PA Young Republicans. Tom’s previous professional experience includes serving as a Family Recruiter at Three Rivers Adoption Council, as a Career Counselor at Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management and as Director of The Learning Ladder Child Development Center in Lancaster, PA. Tom has been a member of several boards for local non-profit organizations including the Greenfield Organization, Pittsburgh Cares, Life Span, Inc. (Secretary), Coro Alumni Advisory Council, Pittsburgh Singles Volunteer Network (Vice President) and National Student Partnerships. Tom is a proud member of Homestead-Amity-McCandless Lodge 582 of Free and Accepted Masons.
Treasurer - Christa Meeder
Christa began her political career as a Legislative Aid for State Senator Jane Clare Orie in 2000. In 2003, Christa worked at Communifax, a Marketing Firm in Cranberry, with their Regional Marketing Team. Following Communifax, she assisted the 2004 Bush re-election by coordinating Beaver County’s 72 Hour Program and assisted in the North Hills Victory Center. Christa’s political break began when she became Scheduling Director for Swann for Governor campaign, where she organized Lynn Swann and Jim Matthew’s schedules and their advancement teams, working hand in hand with the State’s County Chairmen and local leaders to increase public awareness and name recognition, while still overseeing and managing the campaign’s financial & volunteer software program. In 2006, Christa managed the re-election campaigns of three Allegheny County Council members; Jan Rea, Vince Gastgeb & Sue Caldwell. In addition to the County Council campaigns, Christa assisted Ed Kress with county grassroots effort for his bid for Allegheny County Sheriff. In support of the four 2006 candidates, Christa organized the first Annual Allegheny County LitBlitz, where close to 100 people participated and more than 40,000 pieces of literature were dropped in a single day. Christa continues her political career this year by assisting Jason Davidek with his campaign for State Representative in the 33rd District. During off political times, she continues to build her freelance marketing & political clientele base.
Secretary - Courtney Curotola
Courtney is the Vice President of Curotola Insurance Group, Inc., a family owned and operated full service insurance agency with Nationwide Insurance. Courtney holds a B.A in Political Communications from Seton Hill College. In addition to recently being elected secretary of the Young Republicans of Allegheny County, Courtney is also the secretary of Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP), an active member of South Side Community Council, National Student Partnership Local Advisory Board, and the City Theatre’s Greenroom Committee. Originally from Southwestern Pennsylvania, Courtney grew up in Finleyville and currently resides in the South Side.