Avalon Council member Tom Michalow is challenging Republican incumbent Matt Drozd for the District I seat on Allegheny County Council.

Michalow, a Democrat, was born and raised in McCandless and is a 1989 North Allegheny High School graduate. He is a 1993 distinguished graduate of Virginia Military Institute.

Michalow received a master’s of education degree from Duquesne University in 1998, along with teaching certificates for social studies and German. He teaches history and German at Northgate High School.

He was elected to Avalon Council in 2005, and even prior to that represented Avalon on the joint planning commission that wrote the comprehensive plan and zoning code adopted by Avalon, Bellevue and Ben Avon.

He started Avalon’s “Dumpster Day” event to clean up the borough, and as finance committee chairman has instituted spending controls to help track the borough’s money.

Michalow is chairman of the Avalon Democratic Committee.

Drozd is a resident of the North Hills.

Drozd has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Duquesne University. He has taught in the graduate schools of business at both the University of Pittsburgh and Robert Morris University.

He currently is finishing up his first term four-year term on county council. Drozd is a member of the budget and finance, economic development and housing, parks and public safety committees.
He served a four-year term as a member of the North Hills School Board. He is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserves.