Allegheny Conference on Community Development

08/17/2026

AI infrastructure is accelerating, and Southwestern Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to lead! From our rich natural resources and power grid to our strong manufacturing base and skilled workforce, our region holds the key ingredients to attract large-scale investment.

The Allegheny Conference on Community Development recently hosted Building for AI: Data Centers, Infrastructure and the Future of Regional Growth as part of its Regional Growth Series. The session highlighted how AI infrastructure serves as a major driver for local jobs, manufacturing, energy growth, and supply chains.

Most importantly, this event represents the first of many conversations as regional partners come together to build a fast, reliable, and community-focused path forward.

Thank you to sponsor and moderator Dan Fitzpatrick of Citizens and panelists Gretchen Clutter of Google, Tony Nokovich of Pennsylvania American Water, Brian Peglowski of Turner Construction Company, and Daniel Raizman of Aon for giving of their time and talents.


Pennsyl vania American Water

07/15/2026

Our team is on the ground in Carlisle this week, exhibiting at Senator Dave McCormick's PA Defense & Innovation Summit at the Army War College! 🇺🇸⚙️

It has been an incredible opportunity to showcase how the Pittsburgh region is uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of American industrial evolution. Historically, our region built the physical foundation of the country. Today, the Pittsburgh ecosystem is blending that historic manufacturing muscle with cutting-edge advancements in robotics, AI, and advanced materials. We aren't just writing code—we are building physical solutions that solve real-world problems.

During this morning's bipartisan panel, Senator McCormick, Governor Josh Shapiro, and leadership from Penn State University discussed a critical truth: innovation is national security.

The discussion focused on how to turn world-class university research into commercial success. As Governor Shapiro shared, Pennsylvania has a legacy as the "arsenal of democracy," but we aren't resting on that history. We have all the right ingredients to lead the nation's security innovation:

🤝 Deep public and private collaboration

🛠️ A world-class workforce and skilled trades

🎓 Groundbreaking university research

⚡ A state government ready to work at the speed of business

How do you build the next generation of American industry? You pair world-class software with a region that actually knows how to make things.

A big thank you to Senator Dave McCormick for his leadership in bringing together Pennsylvania’s brightest minds and putting our innovation corridors on the national stage.

👉 Read more about why Pennsylvania’s industrial and technology base is becoming a powerhouse for the nation's most critical sectors: https://lnkd.in/gd3B3a37

05/19/2026

When the Conference began its work in 2023 to create a Downtown Vision Plan, the number one thing we knew we had to do was create a neighborhood where individuals, couples, and families could envision themselves being.

Office conversions like the one celebrated this morning of the Smithfield Lofts create a downtown neighborhood that does just that - creating a livable community that is engaging, vibrant, and welcoming. The office-to-residential conversion project is of a 124-year-old, 12-story office tower. When complete, it will provide 46 one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units, 39 of which will be affordable. The project will contain 12 units for people with hearing or vision loss; nine will be fully accessible.

It would not have been possible without officials including Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger, Allegheny County Government Office of the Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, and City of Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor.

This is one of several housing projects identified in that plan and we couldn’t be happier to see this conversion move forward. Congratulations to Woda Cooper Companies, Inc., the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, PNC and others engaged in this project on this milestone.

We look forward to joining you for a ribbon cutting next year - and to seeing people living here, kids running through the halls, and the energy that this space will bring to downtown.

04/22/2026

Yesterday, Stefani Pashman, CEO of the Allegheny Conference, participated in a press event announcing the expansion of Mondi Bags USA in Pennsylvania with a new manufacturing operations facility in Findlay Township.

Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger announced the project which is expected to create 170 new full-time jobs. He was joined by Rory Taylor, President Paper Bags America for Mondi; Stefani Pashman; and Lauren Connelly, Director of Allegheny County Economic Development.

Rory Taylor said that Mondi has invested in high automation at this facility, that is different from other plants and other competitors. Everything is converted from paper and is 100% recyclable. With a focus on e-commerce growth, and long term capacity improvement, the Pennsylvania location fit their team the best.

He also talked about the importance of quality of life and the cost of living for employees being a key part of their decision, and what set this region apart.

In her remarks, Stefani highlighted that Southwestern Pennsylvania is a prime are for growing companies to continue to thrive, and welcomed Mondi to the region.

04/14/2026

Friday

This past Friday, Forward Lawrence recognized our very own Ben Bush for his leadership and service on behalf of Lawrence County. CONGRATS and well-deserved!

04/01/2026

Every county, even those without a data center facility on the horizon now, must address data center development within the next three to five years. That's why we partnered with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission to host a delegation of county commissioners and economic development professionals to visit Data Center Alley last month — a region in Loudon County, Virginia, known for its high concentration of data centers.

From addressing community and environmental concerns to understanding how local governments can use development to support infrastructure and community needs, we heard directly from a community who has already experienced data center growth.

Learn more about our visit to Loudoun Count and how our CEO Stefani Pashman and Rich Fitzgerald of the SPC see this informing what comes next for our region.

👉 https://triblive.com/opinion/stefani-pashman-and-rich-fitzgerald-southwestern-pa-is-scouting-the-digital-frontier/ (TribLive)

Pick up your smartphone and look at your apps — banking, health care, social media, even your morning coffee order. The server holding that data and performing those actions isn’t in your hand; it’s in a data center. From personal lives to global commerce, data centers are the back...