For Phil Little, service is all about paying it forward. And it starts with empathy.

Phil is born and raised in Beaver Falls, PA, the son of a housekeeper, in a single parent household. As he works to move beyond the economic and educational limits he started with, Phil learns from his friends and teachers the vital role that a helping hand can play in another person’s life. Despite the hardships he had at home, they nurture and encourage him to push himself forward. Inspired by their dedication and belief in him, he becomes a teacher at Freedom Area School District, guiding students with learning disabilities towards the skills they need to keep up in the classroom. 

A connection at the front office at Freedom leads Phil down a new path: oversight of the BRIDGE Subsidy program for the Housing Authority of Beaver County. Though it seems like a pivot, for Phil it was a continuation of his mission: moving the community forward through empathy. His work leads to a dramatic increase in the quality and quantity of housing for mental health consumers in the area. In 2014 Phil‘s work around western Pennsylvania catches the eye of the office of Public Engagement for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The new position finds him traveling all over Pennsylvania to educate constituents on the dangers facing them and their children in the 21st Century: child predators, social media safety, elder abuse, and opioids. Greene County awards a proclamation to Phil in 2016 for his work in educating their citizens about the opioid epidemic. 

2019 sees Phil‘s career come back to where it began – education. In November he was elected Director of the North Hills School District Board of Education. In 2020, Phil was elected to the Allegheny intermediate Unit Board of Directors, striving to make an impact on the students and families who utilize the intermediate units services.

“As a former teacher married to a public school teacher, education and empathy run in our family,” Phil says. “It’s a service not just to the present but to our children’s future. I’m fortunate that I had educators and a community around me that understood this and helped me succeed. It’s vital that we continue to do the same for the next generation of leaders and innovators, to offer assistance to those that need a helping hand.” 

Phil received a Bachelor’s Degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and Master’s from Western Governors University. He and his wife Tara reside in Ross Township with their three sons, Teddy, August, and Charlie.