CEO Note
THE ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE WELCOMES NEW TEAM MEMBERS
Stefani Pashman, CEO
I’m pleased to welcome two new team members to the Allegheny Conference this fall, Hollie Geitner as our new chief marketing and communications officer (CMCO) and Ben Pratt as our senior vice president, business investment.
Hollie, who comes from Duquesne Light Company, will join us starting on October 7 and will oversee the Conference’s communications efforts to amplify our mission and tell our region’s story. With 25 years of strategic communications and marketing experience in Pittsburgh, Hollie has a profound commitment to community impact and extensive expertise that will prove valuable in accelerating the Conference’s long-term vision. We’re excited to welcome her to our senior management team.
Many of you may have already met Ben, who has worked with us since March 2023 as the regional economic competitiveness officer of the New Economy Collaborative, which the Allegheny Conference co-chairs with Carnegie Mellon University. We look forward to working more closely with him as our senior vice president, business investment, starting on September 23. In his new role, Ben will be crucial to our work in attracting and expanding business and investment within our 10-county region. His expertise will be an asset in growing and marketing the region’s innovation-driven sectors locally and beyond.
We look forward to working with Hollie and Ben in building a thriving future for all people and communities across the region.
Hollie Geitner will join the Allegheny Conference on Community Development as its chief marketing and communications officer (CMCO), effective October 7, 2024. Geitner, an accredited public relations (APR) professional, has 25 years of strategic communications and marketing experience in Pittsburgh. Since 2019, Geitner has served as the director of communications and brand at Duquesne Light Company (DLC), where she led initiatives that boosted the company’s profile and stakeholder engagement. She navigated complex communication challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, launched DEI and ESG reports, and forged impactful community partnerships. Before joining DLC, Geitner worked extensively supporting regional businesses and on downtown initiatives. Geitner holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications/journalism from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. She has received numerous accolades and awards for her work, including induction into the PRSA Hall of Fame, and Pittsburgh Magazine’s Women In Business and 40 Under 40 Honoree. Geitner is deeply involved in the community, serving on the board of PA Women Work and as a member of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania United Women Council.
Ben Pratt, transitioning within the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, has been promoted to senior vice president, business investment, effective September 23, 2024. Pratt first joined the Allegheny Conference as the inaugural regional economic competitiveness officer (RECO) of the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative in March 2023. As RECO, he has guided the grant’s strategy, served as a convener and collaborator to harness the capacity of our diverse Collaborative and ensured that each of the grant’s five projects achieved its goals individually and collectively. Pratt has over 14 years of experience in economic development working at a state, regional and local level. He previously served as SVP chief of Regional Economic Growth for Greater Louisville Inc. and has also held economic development leadership roles in Erie, Colorado and Erie, Pennsylvania. He received his Executive MBA through Denver University, an undergraduate degree in international business from Mercyhurst University and is a certified economic developer through the International Economic Development Council.