Rep. Aerion Andrew Abney's Biography
Aerion Abney was elected to the House in 2022 to represent the 19th Legislative District.
A Philadelphia native, Abney moved to Pittsburgh at the age of 18 to attend the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in social work. As a former program officer with the POISE Foundation, a grantmaking institution aimed at empowering Black people across the Pittsburgh region, Abney is well-versed in recognizing community needs and securing funds to address them. He approved more than $1.7 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations in this role.
Prior to his election, he served as the Pennsylvania director of special projects for All Voting Is Local, a national organization fighting to remove discriminatory barriers at the ballot box. In this position, he was a fierce advocate for the expansion of voting rights, especially for incarcerated Pennsylvanians.
Abney has been heavily involved in the local community, previously serving as a committeeman for the 21st Ward, 4th District, and currently sitting on the boards of the Hill District Federal Credit Union, the Human Services Center Corp., and the advisory board of the African American Achievement Trust Collective Focus. He is also a member of the My Brother’s Keeper taskforce in the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.
He currently resides in Manchester with his wife Tamara and two sons, Aerius and Amari.