From our Chair
The Pittsburgh region has transformed. We are receiving national and international accolades as the best place to have a job (Glassdoor) and to live (Livability.com). The city’s younger population is quickly growing – faster than the national average – and counties around the region are finally beginning to see their age trends turn a corner. Our economy has gotten a boost from our physical and intellectual assets, and employers are coming together to develop fresh approaches for preparing Pittsburgh’s workforce of tomorrow.
There are many reasons to celebrate. Throughout this report, you will see how the Allegheny Conference and regional collaboration contributed to this success in 2017 just as they have in the previous two years of our 2015-2017 Agenda: Connecting People to Opportunity. Today, we’re looking at a new future – one that allows us to look beyond our transformation – because of our collective efforts.
The Conference’s work over the past three years has helped to clearly identify our workforce issues, and we’re seeing action and collaboration between educators, businesses and key stakeholders to better elevate, retain and attract the talent we need today and in the future. We have built consensus around a vision for the future of mobility in our region. Our economy has been bolstered by innovation and downstream manufacturing. And we are making our communities more attractive places to live, work and invest thanks to our Strengthening Communities Partnership program and the passage of historic state pension reform. I believe these efforts have given us reason to continue to bring people together and focus our efforts to address our next challenges.
One of those reasons is the leadership of the Conference. Dennis Yablonsky recently stepped down as CEO of the organization in October, and I thank him for his nearly nine years of service to the Conference and to the region. Leading us into the future is Stefani Pashman, the new CEO of the Allegheny Conference, and Bill Demchak, the new chair of the Conference. I’m looking forward to working with Stefani and Bill on the great things our region will accomplish.
With new leadership and new opportunities and challenges, I am optimistic about what lies ahead. While I can’t predict exactly what the future will look like, I can predict how we will get there: through hard work, collaboration, a shared vision and leadership. Serving as chair of the Conference was my honor, and I look forward to continue working with you to tackle our challenges and move forward together.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Harshman
Immediate Past Chair, Allegheny Conference on Community Development
Chairman, President and CEO, ATI