Our Year in Review

Throughout the Pittsburgh region, the Allegheny Conference is dedicated to connecting people to opportunity. The Conference and our public and private sector partners share a vision for the future, and together we're making it a reality. In 2016, people across the 10-county Pittsburgh region collaborated to further three key strategies focused on improving our community and economic development, infrastructure and workforce. We thank our Regional Investors Council, leadership and stakeholders for their support in moving our region forward on these key issues. I'm proud to present last year's achievements in this annual report, and I look forward to continued success in 2017.

The Allegheny Conference and its affiliates – the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance – work together to improve the economic future and quality of life of the 10-county Pittsburgh region. With rigorous engagement and participation from our more than 300 Regional Investors Council members and key stakeholders from across the region, our 2015-2017 agenda, Connecting People to Opportunity, focuses on three strategies and uses the model of “Leadership through Partnership” to move our region forward.

Economy & Community:

Focusing economic and community development on common opportunities

Infrastructure:

Building and reinforcing transportation and infrastructure systems that support sustainability and opportunity

Workforce:

Understanding future career opportunities to better match supply and demand

Leadership:

Thank you to the leaders and members of the Allegheny Conference

Economy & Community

The Allegheny Conference is helping place the Pittsburgh region in an enviable position: through unprecedented collaboration we're capturing business investment, creating jobs and revitalizing communities.

Jerry MacCleary

Chair, Economy & Community Strategy

President, Covestro LLC

Here's How We Powered Progress for Our Economy & Community Strategy in 2016

Strengthening Communities Partnership (SCP) focuses private sector resources on targeted communities - Connellsville, Homewood, McKees Rocks, Mt. Oliver/Knoxville, Sharpsburg, Washington and Wilkinsburg - that have been left behind despite the transformation of the Pittsburgh region's economy, positioning these communities for greater success in the future.

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES PARTNERSHIP statics

The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA), the economic development marketing affiliate of the Allegheny Conference, works to attract new investment and helps existing businesses grow.

In 2016, the PRA helped secure:

2016 included a signature investment from
Shell Pennsylvania Chemical

Shell's multibillion-dollar petrochemical complex - a once-in-a-generation investment for the region - will spur economic development.

Dennis Yablonsky p32 Site Development Fund

The Conference was instrumental in the creation of an almost $49 million fund to provide patient mortgage loans to sites located within the 32-county, multi-state Greater Pittsburgh region that have potential for regional economic impact if they are made ready for construction.

Clinton Commerce Park

Clinton Commerce Park's 100-acre second phase near Pittsburgh International Airport received a $5.7 million loan for infrastructure improvements, including storm water management and utilities

Almono

Almono, a 178-acre waterfront former brownfield located in the city's Hazelwood neighborhood, received a $9.5 million loan for site preparation, including construction of Pittsburgh's first fully designed complete street

Infrastructure

Whether better connecting our transportation infrastructure or people to opportunity, the Allegheny Conference and our corporate and civic leaders are creating a plan the Pittsburgh region is rallying behind.

Nick Deluliis

Chair, Infrastructure Strategy

President & CEO, CONSOL Energy Inc.

Here's How We Powered Progress for Our Infrastructure Strategy in 2016

The Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA) is Working to Improve Regional Connectivity

Regional Transportation Alliance Grouping

The Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA) is a public-private partnership of each of the 10 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania and the City of Pittsburgh that was formed to imagine a new transportation future for our region.

Nearly 400 companies respond to RTA's open feedback

See the priorities and themes of the RTA from the outreach efforts.

Partnering on Air Service Competitiveness

Partnering on Air Service Competitivness

We support the Allegheny County Airport Authority's efforts to improve air service. This regional partnership is yielding results.

Workforce

Bill Demchak Chair, Allegheny Conference

Workforce

The future of work in the region represents an enormous challenge for employers, but it's also an unprecedented opportunity for existing workers and our up-and-coming workforce found in K-12 and post-secondary education. The region's workforce will be undergoing a dramatic transformation.

Bill Demchak

Vice Chair, Allegheny Conference and Workforce Strategy

Chairman, President & CEO, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

Here's How We Powered Progress for Our Workforce Strategy in 2016

Identifying Challenges

Read Inflection Point: Supply, Demand and the Future of Work in the Pittsburgh Region

Engaging Stakeholders

The Allegheny Conference presented Inflection Point’s findings to regional stakeholders and through media outreach. Hundreds are pledging to help close the workforce gap.

3,500 plus individuals, including CEOs and HR executives, educators and government and civic leaders - engaged in face-to-face meetings

8 Million impressions from news media and social media outreach

Educators and companies are rising to the challenge in response to the report:

Actively engaging the Consortium for Public Education and The Pittsburgh Promise to connect with regional K-12 superintendents, principals, guidance counselors and classroom teachers to develop new career awareness tools for use in the classroom that build on the report findings
K-12 and post-secondary schools are re-evaluating programs to better align curriculum with high-demand occupations and employer-driven skill requirements
Regularly convening HR executives for feedback to better connect employers and educators for meaningful collaboration, creating ongoing partnerships

Here’s How We’re Bridging the Gap

Elevating Talent

The Appalachia Partnership Initiative (API) invests in programs that prepare students and the workforce with the education and skills needed to stay and thrive in the tri-state region. Launched in 2014 with a $20 million commitment from Chevron Appalachia, LLC, API is a public-private partnership guided by the shared visions of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Chevron, and The Grable Foundation, with support from RAND Corporation as the project’s research and analysis partner. By the close of 2016, API projects attracted an additional $8 million from partners and other regional companies and non-profits that share this vision.

Retaining Talent

The Conference hosted local college student tours of the Pittsburgh region to showcase southwestern Pennsylvania as a viable place to start a career
We provided key points about Pittsburgh as a place of opportunity to 15 of the region’s college presidents to deliver to incoming students at freshman convocations

Attracting Talent

ImaginePittsburgh.com continues to be enhanced as a career exploration portal
We’re targeting high-demand talent through digital advertising campaigns in key markets in the Northeast U.S.

Advocacy

Through the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, We’re Advocating on Behalf of the Region

At the local, state and federal levels of government, we’re working to improve the economic future and quality of life in the Pittsburgh region.

Improving Transportation Infrastructure: Federal & State Success

The Allegheny Conference: How We Work

The Allegheny Conference on Community Development brings together public and private sector leaders. Through the support of the Regional Investors Council, we are improving the economic future and quality of life of the 10-county Pittsburgh region.

Research & Analysis

The Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh provides research and analysis to drive solutions for our region’s greatest challenges.

Advocacy

The Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce advocates at the local, state and federal levels of government for improvements that enhance our region’s competitiveness.

Marketing

The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance markets the benefits of the region to talent and to companies that are relocating or expanding.

Leadership through Partnership

“Leadership through partnership” epitomizes the Allegheny Conference both in our work and in our members. More than 300 Regional Investors Council members – C-level leaders from across southwestern Pennsylvania – provide their time, energy and resources to improving the future of the region.

The Conference’s board of directors is comprised of leaders of some of the most widely recognized organizations in the country. And our Regional Investors Council members, many of whom participate on affiliate and program boards, actively play a role in shaping the Pittsburgh region.