CEO Note
NEIGHBORS, ALLIES, AND FRIENDS – LET’S REMEMBER WHO WE ARE
Stefani Pashman, CEO
The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday in Butler has thrust our region into an unwelcome global spotlight. As was the case nearly six years ago during the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, a resident of our region opened fire on our neighbors. In both cases, lives were lost – 11 worshippers at Tree of Life, one in Butler – and two spectators and the former president were injured. These events are antithetical to everything the Pittsburgh region stands for, a place where people have worked together for decades to meet adversity and move our region forward.
Our hearts go out to the family of Corey Comperatore, the former fire chief at the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department who died shielding his family during the attack. Our thoughts are also with the other victims, David Dutch of New Kensington, James Copenhaver of Moon Township, and Trump himself. Fortunately, all three are reported to be recovering. Likewise, our respect is tremendous for the law enforcement and other officials – particularly those from Butler County – who skillfully managed a catastrophic situation.
A free and fair democratic process is at the heart of our nation – and has been for nearly 250 years. At the core of this process is mutual respect for differing opinions and civil discourse – creating space and opportunity to find common ground and to compromise. The Allegheny Conference for 80 years now has moved our region forward through mutually respectful partnerships and without polarization. That is a standard we embrace, and we believe that honoring it is essential not only for the well-being of our region but for the state, the country, and the world.
It is here that our region can provide an example for the nation. News of the events in Butler came as the Allegheny Conference and partner organizations across Pennsylvania were celebrating a bipartisan win for the Shapiro administration and both houses of the legislature – approval of the 2024-2025 budget. The legislation includes items critical to achieving goals we have championed since the turn of the century: robust investment in commercial and industrial sites to encourage business expansion, improvements to streamline state permitting practices, and significant improvement to Pennsylvania’s tax competitiveness.
These initiatives aren’t isolated actions; they’re interconnected threads in the fabric of our region’s future success. Taken together, investing in sites, streamlining permitting, and adopting a more competitive tax policy will create jobs, attract talent, support a more dynamic innovation ecosystem, and improve our region and Pennsylvania’s global competitiveness.
The budget process was hard fought. As is always the case, some felt there was too much spending, others too little. Lawmakers differed over the spending priorities as well, where the investment should be focused. But, working together with the governor’s leadership, they found a way through and delivered a framework for the future that will advance our efforts to create a next generation economy for all.
This is the spirit of the Pittsburgh region, the message we need to share with our neighbors and the world. People here have always found a way to listen to each other, to be open to the facts, and to extend a hand to find a way forward. Yes, truly isolated individuals have engaged in horrifying acts here, but we must not allow them to distract from our core values and beliefs as a community. We must stand together against hateful speech and violence. We must always focus on all that we have in common. We must continue to join forces to find a way forward.
For eight decades, the Allegheny Conference has provided thought leadership to identify the biggest challenges and opportunities ahead of our region and to develop and champion strategies to address them. Whether it is reimagining downtown Pittsburgh; successfully attracting federal investment to enhance our leadership in autonomous systems, energy, and life sciences; or doing the everyday work of supporting employers expanding in our region, we remain committed to delivering prosperity to everyone who lives here.
As Pittsburgh’s own Fred Rogers said, “our ultimate responsibility is to treat our neighbor as we would hope to be treated ourselves.” We can serve as an example to the nation and the world. For the good of our families and our communities, we must.