Fox Chapel's Mandy Steele sworn in as 33rd District representative

Fox Chapel resident Mandy Steele took the first step in her legislative journey on Jan. 3, being sworn in as state representative for the 33rd District during a ceremony at the state Capitol.

“I come from a background of bringing people together from all walks of life and ideologies to better the community and I am ready to continue to do that.” Steele said.

The 33rd District stretches from Aspinwall to Tarentum and includes Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Indiana, O’Hara and Sharpsburg.

Steele, the founder of two nonprofits, previously served on Fox Chapel Council. She was among the few Democrats ever elected to the borough’s municipal government.

Steele spent the last few years leading bipartisan actions focused on environmental and safety issues, and led grassroots efforts to build green infrastructure systems to control stormwater and help protect communities from flooding and landslides.

“I think those skills and the ability to work across the aisle will be critical in the year ahead,” she said.

The noon swearing-in ceremony marked the beginning of the 2023-24 legislative session of the state House.

Judge John McNally administered the oath of office.

The Democratic Caucus contains the largest and most diverse class of freshman legislators in over a decade with 26 new members, eight of whom are women.

Steele said she wants to prioritize protecting women’s rights and work to promote a green economy across the state and locally. She said that would not only increase the state’s energy independence and address climate change, but also create jobs and save taxpayers money.