Governor Josh Shapiro expanding the doors of opportunity

Governor Josh Shapiro signed an Executive Order building on the steps his Administration has already taken to expand the doors of opportunity for all Pennsylvanians that will increase opportunities for small and small diverse businesses to compete for state business, spur economic growth and create good-paying jobs, and make the Commonwealth procurement process more accessible.

Governor Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Davis heard from small business and small diverse business owners about the need for more support from government and promised to reform procurement practices – and now their Administration is taking concrete steps to fulfill that promise.

Read what Pennsylvania leaders are saying about Governor Shapiro’s Executive Order:   

• President and CEO of the Enterprise Center Della Clark: “Opening the doors wider to lift up small and diverse businesses requires institutional buy-in at all levels. We view this Executive Order as the first step to combining contracts, capital, and expertise to intentionally grow small and diverse led businesses across the Commonwealth. Thank you to the Shapiro-Davis Administration for their leadership in driving change.”
• Congressman Dwight Evans: “It’s absolutely my pleasure to add my voice to the Governor’s leadership on this issue. This is not a new issue to any of you – this is an issue I worked on when I was in the legislature. The Governor is just demonstrating the kind of leadership that he’s shown all of us what it means to work together and the message of opportunity.”
• Senator Vincent Hughes: “You all have heard the substance of the Governor and his two Cabinet Secretaries about what we’re signing today [August 5]. In many respects, this is about following through with a commitment. In many respects, this is about bold leadership. Before he was Governor, we sat in several quiet rooms for extended periods of time. We talked about this very issue. We talked about the power of the administrator to make sure that when we talk about diversity, it actually happens. Here we have Governor Shapiro making another step in bold leadership. He’s coming back and delivering on those conversations that we had.”
• Representative Rick Krajewski: “Governor Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Davis have come to Philly countless times to see the vibrant, diverse economy that we’re building here. They’ve already made good on their promises by securing over $20 million in funding for the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program for small minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses and by reducing the wait time it takes a certified small business and with this executive order. We will be creating more equitable processes by creating checks and balances that will ensure that funds go to the businesses that needed the most. There are so many state opportunities in our Commonwealth. I’m grateful to Governor Shapiro and our department Secretaries for making it easier for me to facilitate those connections.”
• Representative Donna Bullock: “Looking forward to working with Governor Shapiro to create more opportunities for small diverse businesses in PA.”
• Independence Business Alliance: “The IBA was proud to be on hand at the Enterprise Center in West Philadelphia for the signing of an Executive Order by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro that opens the door wider for small businesses to compete for state contracts. Under this executive order the state will raise the revenue limit for small businesses to qualify for state contracts to $47 million, up from $38.5 million that it has been held at since 2018. Shapiro also is calling on the General Assembly to change the definition of a small business as one that has up to 500 employees, instead of the current 100 employee cap.”
• The Tactile Group CEO Marc Coleman: “Improving the ability to do business with the state, I’m really encouraged to see. We’ve been trying to do work with the state for years. There’s been barriers in the way. [Governor Shapiro has] removed some of them.”

 The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) has appointed Dr. Juel Smith, CCAC’s Associate Dean of Sciences, as the new executive director of the college’s Homewood-Brushton Center.

In this role, Dr. Smith will collaborate with academic deans and department heads to develop and implement comprehensive credit and noncredit educational plans and manage the center’s schedules to meet the needs of students and the community. As part of her responsibilities as executive director, she will provide leadership and support in various areas, including trade and business apprenticeship programs, the development of outreach programs and the promotion of community partnerships.

Dr. Smith will continue to serve as Associate Dean of Sciences, a position she has held since 2019. In this capacity, she works in concert with the Associate Vice President & Dean of Nursing, Allied Health & Sciences to develop and implement college policies and advanced strategic initiatives, supervise course scheduling, and maintain high-quality classroom instruction—overseeing and evaluating more than 100 full- and part-time faculty.

An established leader with more than 10 years of higher education experience, Dr. Smith has demonstrated expertise in curriculum and academic program development. Her many accomplishments can be attributed to her strong commitment to student success and to the college’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Throughout her career, she has conducted extensive research in the biological sciences and in STEM education with a proven track record of securing alternative funding, raising nearly $700K in grant money for educational outreach initiatives.

Dr. Smith’s tenure as executive director of the Homewood-Brushton Center began on Aug. 1.

  An August 14, 2023 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article stated, 

“Debates about funding for Pennsylvania’s state-related universities have sparked renewed questions over accountability and transparency at these schools.  Though universities like the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State are educational behemoths that receive millions of dollars in government funds, they are only required to report minimal information about their finances every year. In July, a majority of House Republicans voted down the state-related universities’ 2023-24 appropriations, citing minimal transparency as one of the reasons they were wary to provide these universities with their state funding. The state-related universities — including Pitt, Penn State, Temple University and Lincoln University — are exempt from large portions of Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law. Despite voting in favor of the universities’ funding, some Democrats have also signaled willingness to reexamine these universities’ public records requirements. Citizens and journalists have also pushed for more openness…”

Given the state of Black affairs at Pitt, notwithstanding a plethora of “diversity dashboards” and proclamations regarding “diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, there is a considerable amount of information regarding Blacks for which Pitt needs to be forthcoming. 

For starters, the public needs to know why Black senior academic administrators have such a difficult time surviving at Pitt. As my September 9, 2022 University Times Letter to the Editor indicated, “…in 1969 Pitt had one Black dean (Lawrence Howard of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs) and, in 2022, Pitt has only one Black dean (Valerie Kinloch of the School of Education). Between 1969 and 2022, Pitt had other Blacks serve as deans for the College of General Studies, Education, Engineering, Law, Social Work and Student Affairs…”  After Dean Kinloch left Pitt a few weeks ago, a Black woman now serves as the Interim Dean. In the interest of transparency, we need to know why Black deans are on the verge of extinction at Pitt.  

Now comes the news that, as of August 15, 2023, Pitt’s first Black Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Douglass Browning, has resigned as Chair as well as from the Board itself. During his administration, the Pitt Board completed what some deem to be the Board’s most important task, i.e., the April 3, 2023 appointment of Pitt’s new Chancellor Joan Gabel. At that time, a Pittwire statement by Browning read as follows: “I believe Pitt stands on the threshold of even greater accomplishments and achievements in the future under her guidance. She clearly reflects the vision, drive, experience and understanding of the issues and complexities of leading a major research university.” 

I have known Browning since he was an outstanding Pitt student and, from a distance, observed his distinguished professional career as well as his unwavering service to Pitt.  So committed has Browning been to Pitt that, during the 2021 Pitt Homecoming, he stated, “I recognize that had it not been for the financial support that I received at the University of Pittsburgh, obtaining that degree might not have been possible. …As long as I’m breathing air I’m going to continue to contribute to that fund, and when I stop breathing air the University of Pittsburgh is going to get a generous gift from my estate.” Obviously, then, transparency is needed regarding the sudden resignation of Browning, a mere 4 months after Gabel’s appointment and Browning having been nominated for a second term as Board Chair in June 2023.

The sudden and oddly timed disappearance of Blacks from Pitt positions is not new.  For example, after serving as Dean of Engineering since 2018, mere days before the start of classes, an August 5, 2022 Pitt article indicated, “Swanson School of Engineering Dean James R. Martin has stepped down from that role to become vice chancellor for STEM research and innovation in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research, according to an announcement posted Aug. 4 on the provost’s website.” 

College Presidents do not resign a day or two before the start of a new fiscal year. Yet, there was the very abrupt June 29, 2021 resignation of former Pitt-Bradford President, Catherine Koverola, effective July 1, 2021.  Days later, the Black Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, Emily Allen Williams resigned. Whereas the White woman, Koverola, emerged with subsequent senior positions on the Pittsburgh Campus, nothing analogous happened with Williams at Pitt. Again, transparency is needed regarding both the abrupt resignations and differential outcomes for the two Pitt-Bradford women.

When it comes to the Black community at Pitt, in addition to the foregoing, full transparency is needed regarding many other things. Some of the matters are as follows:

· Why, for years, have there been very disappointing retention and graduation rates for Black students on all of Pitt’s Campuses, in general, and Black student athletes in particular on the Pittsburgh Campus?

· What is the reason(s) for the continued paltry amounts of Pitt spends with Black-owned and operated companies?

· Why has Pitt been relatively stagnant in terms of hiring Black faculty in general as well as hiring Blacks with tenured faculty positions on all of its Campuses?

· Why is Pitt so quick to hire Black “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” type administrators to assist White administrators as opposed to hiring Black administrators with decision making authority regarding personnel and operating costs?

· Why is it the case that, at Pitt, for years Blacks have been sick and tired of being sick and tired of the snail-like pace related to the realization of equity and social justice?

If the Black community is to have respect for and work cooperatively with the Pitt administration, then there must be full transparency regarding facts such as the following: [1] since the positions were created, a Black person has never been selected to serve in positions such as Director of Athletics, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, President of the Pitt-Greensburg Campus, or Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences; and [2] although Harvard recently hired a Black woman to serve as its President, since 1787 and being one of the nation’s oldest institutions of higher education, Pitt has never hired a Black Chancellor. 

May the “powers that be” shed a bright light on the state of Black affairs at Pitt! May the dawn of a new era begin by Chancellor Joan Gabel and her Senior Staff shining a bright light regarding their efforts to realize equity and social justice at Pitt.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

August 16, 2023

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I)  announced grant awards totaling more than $397,000 to support registered pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs that help expand job opportunities, build diverse talent, and reach underrepresented populations in the building and construction trades. 

"Registered apprenticeship programs give Pennsylvanians the opportunity to earn competitive wages and advance their careers. To deliver on this promise, L&I is committed to investing in apprenticeship programs that are finding innovative ways to ensure our workforce is representative of the community it serves," L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker said. "These programs will help alleviate barriers to access, create a talent pipeline that is equipped with the skills needed to be successful in the modern labor market, and ultimately strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusivity within the building and construction trades."

In the 2023-2024 budget, Governor Josh Shapiro secured $23.8 million to build partnerships between career and technical education, as well as in-demand and non-traditional industries that are in critical need of workers – including the building and construction trades.

According to a recent equity snapshot from the U.S. Department of Labor focused on demographic information, women only represented 13% of the completed registered apprenticeships in 2022 and accounted for 15% of new apprentices. Overall, in 2022, women only made up 10.9% of the construction industry. 

To help address this deficit, L&I's Increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Building and Construction Trades through Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships initiative aims to create career pathways for populations underrepresented in the trades, including women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, veterans, socio-economic disadvantaged individuals, individuals who speak English as a second language, individuals who were previously incarcerated, or individuals experiencing multiple barriers to employment.

The following pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs were 100% federally funded with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) statewide activity funds.

Apprentice Training for the Electrical Industry (ATEI) (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia counties) – $115,169
In partnership with the public-school districts in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties, ATEI will expand its "Rosie's Girls" pre-apprenticeship program, which is designed to familiarize young women with safety, tools, theoretical basics of electrical and telecommunications installation, jobsite conditions, as well as an introduction to other career paths in the building and construction trades.

EVOLVE (Dauphin County) – $65,000
EVOLVE's Youth Trades Academy engages high school students with career development and skills needed to obtain jobs in carpentry and electrical trades. EVOLVE will also update and expand their existing affirmative action plans and create a strategy that ensures diversity, equity and inclusion in their pre-apprenticeship program. 

I-LEAD, Inc. (Berks County) – $62,255
In partnership with IBEW Local 743, I-LEAD aims to establish an outreach and training program that prepares Latino and African-American candidates to apply for the IBEW's registered apprenticeship program. The program's objective is to enroll up to 25 students in the I-LEAD Registered Apprenticeship Preparation Program and qualify at least eight to successfully complete the IBEW entrance exam and interview process for admission to the registered apprenticeship program.

Steamfitters Local Union No 449 JATC (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Greene, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, Warren, Washington counties) – $90,000
Steamfitters Local 449 will expand its registered apprenticeship program in the building and construction trades by hiring 25 new apprentices and helping ensure long-term systemic change. Specifically, the program will update Steamfitter Local 449's affirmative action plan and implement a new diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.

The Pittsburgh A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) Education Fund (Allegheny County) – $65,000
APRI plans to enhance its Breaking the Chains of Poverty (BTCP) Career Pathways pre-apprenticeship program. This project is focused on expanding recruitment efforts to create a bigger pipeline of BTCP candidates, improve collaborative efforts with existing partners, and establish new partnerships -- for both placement opportunities with the trades and referrals from organizations whose constituents are traditionally underserved and interested in careers in construction.

The awarded programs will receive grant funding through March 2025.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that, on average, apprentices earn a starting wage of $77,000 per year after graduation and are on track to earn $300,000 more over their careers compared to workers who do not graduate from an apprenticeship program. For every dollar spent on apprenticeships, employers get an average of $1.47 back in increased productivity.

Established in 2016, L&I's Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) is responsible for guiding and promoting the expansion and compliance of all registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs across the Commonwealth. The ATO currently supports 877 unduplicated program sponsors and 1,588 occupation-specific registered apprenticeship programs across the Commonwealth, with 16,595 registered apprentices currently active. 

"I will still vote for Trump even if he's in jail."

-Georgia Republican, Marjorie Taylor Greene-

As of August 1, 2023, Trump had been indicted for the 3rd time. Although he was not convicted of rape on May 9, 2023, he was convicted for defaming E. Jean Carroll by denying that he had sexually abused her. Notwithstanding the fact that additional indictments are imminent, Trump continues to be the leading Republican candidate for President. It should also be noted that, despite filthy comments regarding defiling women and a plethora of racist statements, almost 47% of the electorate voted for Trump during the last Presidential election. The affinity for Trump runs so deep that some parents had their children chanting “we love Trump.” Moreover, “Save America,” Trump’s political action committee, has spent more than $40 million on his legal fees (See Washington Post, July 31, 2023). 

As we approach the 2024 Presidential election and, given the time it takes to complete any of the trials for which Trump has been indicted, one is left to wonder if Trump might be the contemporary inheritor of John Gotti’s moniker, i.e., the “Teflon Don.” Given his nefarious past and his very serious threat to America if he ever again held public office, it is quite a comment on American society that such a dangerous narcissist enjoys tremendous support.

Herein, it is contended that some folks are looking directly at the reasons for Trump loyalty but refuse to acknowledge what they actually see. The foregoing dynamic emanates from the following facts: [1] despite the ending of chattel slavery and the subsequent passage of civil rights laws, America has never come close to becoming a post-racial society; [2] the beneficiaries of systemic racism and related White male patriarchy know that the “browning of America” is a reality, that America is ceasing to be a White majority nation; and [3] the benefits of White privilege are being eroded just as surely as coastal erosion is taking place in California. Accordingly, just as people often find it difficult to deal with significant changes, imagine how hard it must be to cope with the fact that centuries of race-based oppression will inevitably end. For some, it is a nightmare coming true.

Imagine a scenario in which, because of your skin color, social class, and sex, you obtained huge parcels of free land and chattel slaves to work for you. For as long as you could remember, only people like you held political office, served on juries, became police officers, held “white-collar” jobs, and, in general, were “the powers that be.” As taken for granted as the air you breathed, you lived in the best neighborhoods with only “your kind” of people. Public colleges and universities admitted only your children. The entire judicial system supported your interests. You were living in “high cotton” until some “fancy liberals” passed so-called “civil rights laws.” Shortly thereafter, some of “those people” were going to school with your nice children. Some of “them” purchased homes in your neighborhood. Still worse, some of them owned and operated businesses in your neighborhood.   

As you witnessed the decline of your privileged benefits, along came what seemed to be a “Messiah,” a man with flaming orange-red hair who declared that he would “make America great again.” The “Savior” of racist derived privilege promised to build walls to block “criminals” -rapists, drug dealers, killers and more-- from coming into “your” country; to lock up those who opposed him; to put on the Supreme Court people who would end “affirmative action;” to give tax decreases to the “one percenters;” and proclaimed how much he loved his “uneducated” people. 

Imagine being a “closet racist” who believed that “enough was enough,” that “diversity” had gone too far by taking jobs from highly qualified Whites, and “those unqualified people” caused your child not to be admitted to a specific college. For such people quivering in racist-induced fear, Trump might be perceived as their last hope to maintain the current remnants of American society built by slave owners such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, Zachry Taylor, and other “men of distinction.” Privately, some higher education leaders might praise the recent Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in college admissions. Publicly, these hypocritical leaders might be heard saying, “I/we would love to do much more by way of contracting with Black owned and operated companies, but we don’t want to do anything illegal. I/we too are fearful of fewer Black students being admitted next year. We’d love to do much more, but the courts are tying our hands.” As they terminate their phalanx of Diversity and Inclusion Officers, such slippery-tongued folks will also state, “We would love to have kept him/her, but we would have lost state funding.”

In short, America remains a systemic racist country as evidenced by the fact that almost half of the 2020 voting electorate voted for a quintessential racist who, at the moment, is a key catalytic factor for America remaining the greatest contradiction regarding its stated Constitutional ideals. At the same time, “the powers that be” as well as many others recognize that the country is on tilt when it comes to ending its various forms of systemic oppression, that things such as the “browning of America,” full equality for women, voting rights, reproductive justice, and the elimination of health disparities can only be delayed, not stopped. Of critical importance is the fact that, in order to preserve inequities, there are millions of people who are willing to engage in “January 6th” insurrections and/or any other means necessary, including the election of Trump as the next President. 

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

August 4, 2023

 The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police recognizes the passing of Earl Buford Jr. who, according to his family, died peacefully on July 25, 2023. 

Buford served as the Bureau's Police Chief from 1992 until 1995; the second minority in the history of the Pittsburgh Police to hold the position of Chief of Police. 

He grew up in East Liberty and attended Westinghouse High School, joining the U.S. Army upon graduation in 1960. Buford joined the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in 1968, after earning two college degrees when he returned home from the military. 

He rose through the ranks of the Bureau from Patrolman, Detective, Sergeant, Commander, and Assistant Chief of Investigations before being named Chief of Police in 1992. Buford retired from the department after 28 years of service. 

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is thankful for his faithful service to the City of Pittsburgh and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

https://www.houseoflawinc.com/obituary/Earl-Buford

In my September 9, 2022, University Times letter to the editor, I wrote, “From 1969 through 2022, Pitt senior administrators have stated strongly their commitments to addressing the University’s equity and social justice needs related to Blacks. Notwithstanding the stated commitments, in 1969 Pitt had one Black dean (Lawrence Howard of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs) and, in 2022, Pitt has only one Black dean (Valerie Kinloch of the School of Education…” With Dean Valerie Kinloch having accepted an appointment as President of Johnson C. Smith, as of August 1, 2023, Pitt will have no Black Deans. I write herein to suggest that Dean Kinloch’s departure might merely be the tip of the iceberg regarding matters of concern to the Pitt Black community, possibly the sign of an impending implosion as a function of systemic racism.

My mother often advised, “bought wit is better than told.” With her advice in mind, I strongly recommend that the Pitt Board of Trustees order the Senior Officers of the University to conduct an assessment of “the state of Black affairs at Pitt” and, in turn, make recommendations for improvement.  For example, there should be a detailed analysis of such things as the retention and graduation rates of Black Bradford students, Black student athletes, and Black students in quantitatively-based fields, in particular, as well as Black students in general. 

Again, by way of examples, there should be assessments of the extent to which Pitt succeeds [1] in making use of Black-owned and operated businesses; [2] employing Black professional staff in the Athletics Department administration, in particular, and throughout the University in general; and [3] hiring Black tenured and tenure stream faculty members. For all relevant factors related to having a vibrant Black community at Pitt, there must be an assessment that determines why the rhetoric of “diversity, inclusion, and belonging” has not led to sufficient results when it comes to equity and social justice for Blacks at Pitt, and, in the case of Black Deans, a regression. In turn, there should be action recommendations to prevent yet another significant area at Pitt in which there are no Blacks or the presence is so low that it is an institutional embarrassment.

Parenthetically, regarding a deanship facilitating mobility in higher education, it is interesting to note that just as Dean Valerie Kinloch ascended from a position of Dean to President, Harvard University recently designated a Black woman, Dean Claudine Gay to serve as President of Harvard. Similarly, in 2022 a Black woman, Valerie Sheares Ashby became the President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County after having been a Dean at Duke University. 

A February 13, 2022 Inside Higher Ed article indicated, “…in the 18 months from June 2020 through November 2021, more than a third—35.4 percent—of the presidents and chancellors that American colleges and universities hired were members of racial minority groups. A full quarter (25.3 percent) were Black, an Inside Higher Ed analysis of its database of presidential appointments shows; that figure is 22.5 percent when excluding historically Black colleges and universities. Yet, at Pitt, the pattern of hiring predominantly Whites, at all levels, continues as evidenced by its most recent hires of Chancellor, Deans, and designation of interim senior administrators. 

Per the replacement of President elect Kinloch, a bit of friendly advice is offered. Before hiring an expensive search firm, at the University’s highest level, it might be beneficial to consult with Bridget Long, a Black woman who happens to be the Saris Professor of Education and Economics and Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). With recommendations from Dean Long and Dean Kinloch, perhaps Pitt can reverse trends and hire a Black dean of national distinction.

Jack L. Daniel, 

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

June 23, 2023

 The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously confirmed Secretary Reggie McNeil to serve as Pennsylvania’s 11th Secretary of the Department of General Services (DGS). With 27 years of service to our nation and public schools, McNeil joins the Commonwealth after a 22-career as a naval officer in the United States Civil Engineer Corps. Secretary McNeil most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of The School District of Philadelphia – the eighth-largest school district in the nation.

Under Secretary McNeil’s leadership in the Shapiro Administration, since February, DGS has cut the time it takes to certify a small business by 33%, conducted Supplier Search workshops aimed at educating small minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses on available contracting opportunities, and implemented several improvements to the programs and policies administered by the agency’s Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities to improve the quality of the overall experience of small, diverse, and veteran businesses looking to do business with the Commonwealth. Secretary McNeil’s priorities for DGS include identifying ways to further improve and streamline the Commonwealth’s procurement system and rightsizing the Commonwealth’s owned and leased real estate portfolio to better respond to the future needs of the state’s workforce.

 On Wednesday, July 7, 2023 Larry Scirotto was formally sworn in as the 55th chief of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in Council Chambers. City Council members unanimously approved Scirotto as the new chief in May, following his nomination by Mayor Ed Gainey.

A Pittsburgh native, Chief Scirotto brings a wealth of law enforcement experience to the position and enjoys established community relationships within the City of Pittsburgh. He was first sworn in as a Pittsburgh Police officer in 1995, retiring as an Assistant Chief in 2018 after rising through the ranks and serving in various leadership roles in the department. 

Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt told those gathered for the ceremony that he was filled with immense pride as the City entrusted its full confidence and support in Scirotto. 

"To our newly appointed Chief, you are stepping into a role of great responsibility, but you do not bear this burden alone. You have the unwavering support of the entire Department of Public Safety, your fellow officers, and the community you serve. I thank you for stepping up to take on this role and for leading the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police into the future," said Schmidt.

Before administering the Oath of Office to swear in the new chief, Mayor Ed Gainey recognized members of the selection committee and members of Pittsburgh Police Command Staff for their diligence and dedication during the process.

Chief Scirotto also thanked the men and women of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for their service to the City and reminded them that their hard work does not go unnoticed. 

"As we move forward, we must acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead and, with it, so too do the complexities of crime. We must adapt, innovate, and be responsive to the changing dynamics of our community. This means embracing new technologies, fostering a culture of continuous learning and promoting diversity and inclusivity within our ranks. We must also strive to build bridges between different communities, fostering trust and understanding of cross-cultural, racial, and socio-economic lines. Under my leadership, I am committed to promoting a culture of integrity, accountability and transparency within our police department," said Chief Scirotto.

Mayor Gainey and City Council members took the opportunity to publicly praise Scirotto and acknowledge that he takes the helm of the Bureau during a challenging time for law enforcement across the country, expressing their full confidence that he is the right person for the job.

Deputy Chief Thomas Stangrecki has served as the Acting Chief since Scott Schubert retired from the position in July 2022. 

Scirotto expects to be state recertified before the end of the month under Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) guidelines in order to fully carry out his duties.

Congratulations Chief Scirotto! 

My father-in-law, Nathaniel S. Colley Sr., maintained that responses to proposed legislation and public policy often depend significantly on “whose bull is being gored,” i.e., how the outcomes of  legislation and public policy impact one personally. Consider, for example, the War on Drugs which former President Nixon initiated in the 1970s. 

“…A top Nixon aide, John Ehrlichman, …admitted: ‘You want to know what this was really all about. The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people.  …We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or blacks, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did…’” A History of the Drug War | Drug Policy Alliance

When Blacks disproportionately used crack cocaine, mandatory five-year sentences were given for possessing five grams of crack while 500 grams of powder cocaine was required for the same prison sentence (see Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984). Racialized anti-Black responses to illegal drugs continued until Whites’ opioid use began to roar out of control during the early 1900s. Then, opioid addiction was deemed a “public health” problem warranting medical interventions for “victims,” not lengthy prison terms for “criminals.” 

Stated differently, part of the reason why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the opioid overdose antidote Narcan will become an over-the-counter product later this year is the fact that the drug overdose “chickens came home” and increasingly “roosted” among Whites.  Similarly, a tragic truth is that there is unlikely to be significant gun reform until Whites are increasingly the victims.  Until then, we as a nation will not heed the March 28, 2023 solemn prayer of the Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black, i.e., “Lord, when babies die at a church school, it is time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers. Remind our lawmakers of the words of the British statesman Edmund Burke: ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.’ Lord, deliver our senators from the paralysis of analysis that waits for the miraculous.” 

To demonstrate how crass some can be when it comes to addressing gun violence, consider the fact that, a day after Chaplain Black’s above prayer, Representative Clay Higgins (R-La.) offered the ridiculous rant,  “There’s no such thing as gun violence. There’s only human violence. It’s intellectually unsound to state otherwise. And the number one cause of death for children in America remains abortion.” (See, Huffington Post story by Josephine Harvey, March 29, 2023).  For him, it matters not that “…More than 5 deaths per 100,000 Americans between the ages of 1 and 19 were due to guns in 2020, the most recent year for which the CDC has data. …4,368 kids died from gunshot wounds in the US in 2020…” (May 26, 2022 New York Post). Nor do these data seem to matter to Republican members of Congress who wore AR-15 pins, after the Nashville shootings. 

As the Nashville mass shooting went through its week-long news cycle, the President and other elected officials bemoaned the lack of responsible gun legislation; pundits listed who had been “bought and paid for” by gun lobbyists; flowers were placed on temporary “memorials;” and, of course, the social media were lit up with “thoughts and prayers.”  The foregoing incessant beat continues, in part, because of “whose bulls are being gored,” even when it comes to babies being murdered in sacred places. 

To be sure, Chaplain Black was truth telling when he said, “Lord, when babies die at a church school, it is time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers.”  However, the same truth was applicable but not addressed when on September 15, 1963 four Black girls were killed by a bomb blast at a Birmingham, Alabama Black church. Nor was the Chaplain’s advice followed after a White man killed nine Blacks during a worship service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Across America, day after day, in city after city, death from gun violence is a daily affair with Blacks disproportionately represented among those killed. Turn on any major city’s daily news channel and, in one week, you will hear about more Blacks murdered than the 6 people killed in Nashville.  Annually, during the month of December, city newspapers post headlines such as “ City is on its way to a record number of homicides, most of them Black.” Unfortunately, it seems that America will remain the leading nation for mass murders until the headlines read, “City is on its way to a record number of homicides, most of them White.” 

In part because of “whose bulls are being disproportionately gored” by gun violence, gun reform remains a matter of racialized neglect which will continue until gun violence has come home and roosted!  Meanwhile, there will be additional, authoritarian, asinine actions such as those of the Nashville Republican representatives who, on April 6, 2023, expelled two Black Democrats but not the White woman Democrat because they “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder” to the House by participating in a protest regarding gun legislation. By doing so, they also put blatant racism and White patriarchal power on vivid display! 

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

April 7, 2023  

 $150M investment aims to eliminate cost as barrier to graduate education, create distinctive ecosystem to ensure success

Carnegie Mellon University and the Norman and Ruth Rales Foundation announced a transformative new initiative to help address the Missing Millions — individuals whose personal circumstances have presented a significant obstacle to careers in the science, technology, engineering and math fields (STEM). Engaging and creating opportunities for these individuals to join the STEM professions is a priority for the nation's economic prosperity, security and global competitiveness.

The CMU Rales Fellows Program will increase access to STEM graduate education and help cultivate a new generation of domestic national STEM leaders. At its core, the program will eliminate cost as a barrier to select master's degree and Ph.D. programs for students from under-resourced and underrepresented backgrounds, including first-generation students, by providing full tuition and a stipend; it also will support students through a distinctive, holistic ecosystem of developmental and networking opportunities that will benefit Fellows both during their time at CMU and as they advance in their careers.

The Rales Foundation gift will provide an endowment of $110 million to support the program, and CMU has committed a further $30 million in endowed funds. The two organizations also are jointly establishing a $10 million fund to support the program's developmental years. The first cohort of students will enroll in fall 2024; at steady state, the CMU Rales Fellows Program is expected each year to underwrite 86 graduate students in STEM fields in perpetuity, educating thousands of research and industry leaders in the coming decades.

The CMU Rales Fellows Program will increase access to STEM graduate education and help cultivate a new generation of domestic national STEM leaders. At its core, the program will eliminate cost as a barrier to select master's degree and Ph.D. programs for students from under-resourced and underrepresented backgrounds, including first-generation students, by providing full tuition and a stipend; it also will support students through a distinctive, holistic ecosystem of developmental and networking opportunities that will benefit Fellows both during their time at CMU and as they advance in their careers.

The Rales Foundation gift will provide an endowment of $110 million to support the program, and CMU has committed a further $30 million in endowed funds. The two organizations also are jointly establishing a $10 million fund to support the program's developmental years. The first cohort of students will enroll in fall 2024; at steady state, the CMU Rales Fellows Program is expected each year to underwrite 86 graduate students in STEM fields in perpetuity, educating thousands of research and industry leaders in the coming decades.

U.S. research and development across STEM fields has been a key driver of innovation, economic growth and global competitiveness. But in just the last 20 years, the rapid growth of other countries' investments in these areas has put the U.S. global lead position in peril. To maintain the nation's leadership role, the research and education communities and the private sector have called for increased investment in research funding and talent development, especially at the master's and doctorate levels.

"Addressing the challenges of our modern world will require the concerted efforts of a highly talented pool of STEM trailblazers who can bring a diversity of ideas and experiences to engender solutions," said CMU President Farnam Jahanian. "At the heart of the CMU Rales Fellows Program is a commitment to remove existing barriers and empower this next generation of domestic talent so they can apply their skills and ingenuity to realize new scientific and technological breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. CMU is grateful to the Rales Foundation for their generous support, and we are honored to partner with them to enact our shared vision for this initiative and to honor the legacy of Norman and Ruth Rales."

 The CMU Rales Fellows Program is part of a larger, interconnected institutional commitment around access and support for students from underrepresented and under-resourced backgrounds, complementing the university's successful pre-college programs, including the Summer Academy for Math and Science for high school students interested in STEM, and the Tartan Scholars program for undergraduate students.

Source: CMU 

 A blueprint for engaging donors and expanding resources to overcome regional challenges and achieve a thriving Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA, Jan. 31, 2023… The Board and staff of the Pittsburgh Foundation have adopted a new strategic plan, acting on lessons from emergency response to COVID-19 and data indicating far less progress than many have assumed in eliminating longstanding inequities that have held back many communities.

The Foundation has set a vision statement for its new work: To realize a vibrant, equitable and just Pittsburgh region that supports everyone – regardless of race, identity or circumstance – to thrive and fulfill their potential.

“The plan that will guide us through the next five years comes out of an unprecedented effort to bring together diverse people and ideas: our nonprofit leaders who accomplish so much with so little; our donors and business leaders who invest for a better future; our community leaders and elected officials who advocate for change; and our generous foundation community,” said Pittsburgh Foundation President Lisa Schroeder today in announcing the plan.

“We all know that an inequitable Pittsburgh is a Pittsburgh unable to thrive,” Schroeder said, adding that the new plan requires “all hands on deck to move beyond helping people merely stay in place. We are reaching out across communities to understand what residents need to thrive over the long term.”

Board Chair John R. “Jack” McGinley, who led the yearlong strategy development, said the new plan recommits the Foundation to dedicated stewardship of its donors’ charitable giving. “The lifeblood of every community foundation is its donors, and our plan continues our 78-year partnership so that through our collective efforts, we can have an outsized impact on the most pressing needs,” McGinley said. “To increase the power of their personal philanthropy, we will continue to support and foster our donors’ philanthropic goals.”

In the past five years alone, the Foundation’s donors and its holders of designated, scholarship and agency funds, have given a total of $173 million to a wide range of causes across the region.

“Our daily experiences enable us to identify areas of compelling community need,” McGinley said. “That experience informs our formulation of this strategic plan.”

The plan’s overarching call to action is to achieve racial justice – to build a society in which race is no longer a determinant of who thrives and who gets held back.

To jump-start that work, the Foundation will invest $50 million of its unrestricted grant-making pool over the next five years to advance racial equity and racial justice. An example of that commitment is that, by 2027, at least 50% of unrestricted grants will benefit organizations led by and serving Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

To add to that investment, the Foundation’s staff will invest time and other non-monetary resources in its work to end inequities. The Foundation has already begun some of the work, Schroeder said, in reaction to recent research showing the need for urgency.

An example is the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, which reported in September that, while 12.8% of the nation – a total of 41.4 million people – live below the poverty line, Pittsburgh had a much higher rate across the board – 20.2%. More than a third of Pittsburgh’s Black and Latino residents, and more than one-in-four Asian residents lived below the poverty line last year.

Other surveys reported that the racial and ethnic well-being gap widened during the pandemic, burdening Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities and further highlighting historic disparities that have bolted the door to opportunities for generations of families.

McGinley cited Pittsburgh’s national reputation for moving past individual self-interest to work collectively to achieve economic and cultural renaissances. “We have a lot to be proud of, but we know that the work is far from done and that the benefits of our success have not been evenly enjoyed,” he said.

Three areas of concentration are pillars of the plan: Promote Philanthropy, Support Community and Catalyze Partnerships. Under each, there will be significant activities to address racial and economic inequities as well as new ways to engage donors in giving.

To better understand how to make significant progress, the Foundation last summer launched Community Conversations, a project involving more than 300 nonprofit and community leaders across Allegheny County. Participants compared notes about shared strengths and assets and put into words their dreams for the future.

The Foundation will build on these new relationships as well as those established across the region over nearly eight decades to identify community resources and identify gaps; to nurture cross-sector partnerships and investments; and to advocate for policy change to transform systems. To support implementation of the plan, the Foundation has:

• Increased the diversity of highly qualified BIPOC-, women-, disabled- or veteran-owned management firms advising on the Foundation’s primary investment portfolio from 9% in 2021 to 17% last year. Nationally, only 1.4% of invested assets are managed by firms whose owners meet one or more of the diversity categories.
• Connected nonprofits to a variety of non-monetary sources of support and capacity building through a “More-Than-Money” program.
• Created new staff teams devoted to public health, policy and community impact and increased internal resources for research and data analysis to better understand disparities and develop solutions.
• Boosted public convenings on significant community issues.
• Built infrastructure to support public fundraising campaigns, such as the Emergency Action Fund for COVID-19 relief and the Racial Justice Fund, leading to robust participation.
• Provided opportunities for donors who support Foundation initiatives to partner with Program staff in grantmaking to provide more resources to address inequities.

In addition to enhancing the engagement with long-term donors and inviting new donors to the table, the Foundation will focus unrestricted grantmaking on five community issue areas: Basic Needs, Equity and Social Justice, Environmental Action, Economic Mobility and Arts and Culture.

McGinley said navigating the new course will not be easy, “but it is the right course for us to take at this time in the Foundation’s history. It is precisely during a period when our disparities are glaring and well documented that a community foundation must demonstrate the value of building community for the benefit of all of us.”

Schroeder said that even with increased internal capacity, the commitment of additional resources and the sharper focus on equity, the Foundation can only succeed by engaging the public and a wide range of partners.

“We believe that our greatest assets are our funding ability and our convening ability – connecting people to critically important causes, providing facts and research and advocating for those who have been left behind. Under this plan, we will be doing all of these with greater humility and strength of purpose than ever before – and we can’t wait to get started.” 

Source: The Pittsburgh Foundation

The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus this week officially installed officers to serve in the 2023-24 legislative session in a virtual ceremony that included guests Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, former PLBC members Pennsylvania Lt. Gov.-elect Austin Davis and U.S. Rep.-elect Summer Lee, and other dignitaries, PLBC members and former members.

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania Judge Lori Dumas administered the oath of office.

The following members were installed as officers:

Chairwoman, Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila.

Vice Chairman, Rep. Napoleon Nelson, D-Montgomery

Secretary, Rep. Darisha Parker, D-Phila.

Treasurer, Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster

In her remarks as the returning chair of PLBC, Bullock recognized the 50 years since the organization was formed in the legislature.

 “This is a moment 50 years in the making,” she said. “We are sending folks to Congress, the lieutenant governor's office, all over this country to continue the good work that we do here in the General Assembly. Two years before the PLBC was formally formed, Black members met in secret. We are not meeting in the shadows anymore. We are doing the work. We are getting the job done. This year, with the largest and the most diverse PLBC membership in our commonwealth’s history, we represent Black, Latino and Asian communities across the commonwealth. While we center our policies on Black Pennsylvanians, we acknowledge that it's with our coalition – together – that we are stronger. This coalition of leaders of color will no longer be silenced. But tonight, I'm inspired by us - the collective of us - and what we can do together. We have the power to move some mountains and shake some tables and I'm ready to get things shaking.”

Established as an official caucus in 1973, the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus was formed to empower Black legislators and to serve as an information and advocacy vehicle to advance the interests of Black, Latino and other Pennsylvanians of color. Many of the original members were afraid to meet in an open forum and had previously met in secret to establish a shared legislative agenda.

 A September 9, 2022 Forbes article describes a perfect storm associated with the fact that, “In the past six months, dozens of college presidents have announced resignation or retirement plans.” Consequentially, search firms are flourishing; highly qualified candidates are being more selective; and there is the real possibility that some presidential/chancellor searches could fail this year.

Buttressed by a search firm, the University of Pittsburgh is in the process of searching for a new Chancellor. At some point during the search process, one of the final candidates might be asked, “If offered, why would you accept the position of Chancellor at our University?”  Hopefully, she/he will respond substantively, in their words, as follows.

Pitt states, “Since 1787, we've never stopped pushing the edge of what's possible.” As such, the University is well positioned to continue its institutional progress during the 21st Century as evidenced by facts such as [1] it is the number one public university in the Northeast as well as one of the nation’s top 25 public universities; [2] it is a leader in National Institute of Health funding; [3] it has at least a $5.2 billion Pennsylvania impact; [4] it has five Campuses with more than 32,000 high achieving students and 14,000 talented employees; and [5] it has approximately 350,000 alumni, with 97% of the most recent graduating class having achieved a successful career outcome within 6 months of graduation!   

With its main Campus located in Pittsburgh, Pitt is uniquely qualified to fulfil its community engagement mission.  Notwithstanding the fact that the City of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission’s 2019 Report (“Pittsburgh Inequality Across Gender and Race”) cited facts that portrayed Pittsburgh as one of the most difficult cities in which Blacks live, ironically, Pittsburgh has been ranked as one of America’s “most livable cities.”  In terms of Pitt’s progress, what is required is that Pitt play its appropriate roles in making Pittsburgh the most livable City for all of its citizens. 

As an example of what can be done by way of community engagement, consider the fact that Pitt “…announced a $100 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation — the nonprofit’s largest single-project investment in its 74-year history — to fill in a vital missing link in the region’s economy. The grant, to be disbursed in $10 million increments over 10 years, will help build a highly specialized biomanufacturing facility on an old mill site and former brownfield in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood. Called Pitt BioForge, this facility will leverage the cutting-edge biomedical research conducted at Pitt and the world-class clinical care offered at UPMC. This project will bring an entirely new commercial manufacturing sector to Pittsburgh and, if all goes according to plan, increase the economic opportunity for residents and families in and around Hazelwood…” (Pittwire, March 17, 2021). 

Given Pitt’s $5.2 billion Pennsylvania impact, plus the facts that [1] it is a leading employer in Pittsburgh; [2] it has rich experiences related to developing more than 83 companies in five years; and [3] it has a vast vendor contracting budget, Pitt is uniquely qualified to be of service in terms of preparing Pittsburgh citizens to participate meaningfully in a 21st century workforce. 

For a new Chancellor, this is a special moment given that, about a decade ago, Pitt entered the rarefied air of capital campaigns by completing a more than $2 billion campaign. In recent years, UC Berkeley and the University of Texas at Austin initiated $6 billion campaigns. Therefore, leading Pitt’s next capital campaign is a magnificent opportunity to implement a similar, if not greater effort. 

Of all that it does, nothing is more important than Pitt’s role in developing our precious human resources, particularly students who are increasingly a matter of national concern. By way of clarification, the 2022 Institute of Education Sciences Report On the Condition of Education indicated the following: “In fall 2020, of the 49.4 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, 46 percent were White (a decrease from 54 percent in 2009), 15 percent were Black (a decrease from 17 percent), and 28 percent were Hispanic (an increase from 22 percent) …During this time, public school enrollments among White students decreased from 26.7 million to 22.6 million, and Black students’ enrollment decreased from 8.2 million to 7.4 million. In contrast, Hispanic students’ enrollment increased from 11.0 million to 14.1 million between fall 2009 and fall 2019 before dropping to 13.8 million in fall 2020. In both fall 2009 and fall 2020, Asian students made up 5 percent of public elementary and secondary enrollment, and American Indian/Alaska Native students made up 1 percent. In fall 2020, Pacific Islander students made up less than one half of 1 percent of public elementary and secondary enrollment, and students who were of two or more races made up 5 percent (Racial/Ethnic Enrollment in Public Schools).

…In 2020, the immediate college enrollment rate for Asian students (86 percent) was higher than the rates for White (67 percent), Hispanic (60 percent), and Black (54 percent) students. For Asian, White, and Hispanic students, the immediate college enrollment rates were not measurably different between 2020 and 2010. However, for Black students, the immediate college enrollment rate decreased from 2010 (66 percent) to 2020 (54 percent)…”  

Given Pitt’s [1] outstanding scholars and senior leadership in its School of Education; [2]

nationally renowned Learning Research and Development Center; [3] distinguished faculty members from related Departments throughout the University; and [4] highly qualified graduate students, Pitt is uniquely qualified to be of service in terms of working with the Pittsburgh Board of Education and other school districts to help address the foregoing high school student dynamics. Indeed, it is in Pitt’s vested as well as national interests to do so.

Structural racism exists at Pitt as well as at all other historically White institutions of higher education, so much so that many are “sick and tired of being sick and tired” of the slow rate of change. However, without excusing the snail-like pace of change, it must be understood that the race for equity and social justice is not a moment, but a movement; not a quick sprint, but rather a tortuous long-distance race. That is precisely why Pitt’s next Chancellor must be an experienced person who will be transformative in terms of pushing the edge regarding the rate of equity and social justice progress at Pitt as well as within the region. 

In sum, Pitt is one of the very best nationally ranked institutions seeking a new Chancellor. Serving as the next Chancellor is an outstanding opportunity to be of service when it comes to [1] leading the University, City, State, and Nation in terms of providing equal opportunities for all of our children from pre-K through post-doctoral programs; [2] continuing the University’s progress in terms of teaching, research and service excellence; and [3] becoming a national model for a university advancing equity and social justice and, in turn, contributing to the main Campus’ host City becoming the most livable City for all. In terms of a decision to accept the position of Chancellor, also of great significance is the fact that Pitt does not need a messiah, but rather a person willing to serve in an inclusive fashion while knowing there are thousands of alumni, faculty, staff, students, and community members who are prepared to help sustain Pitt’s national and international reputation. 

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

November 8, 2022

 The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC have selected MaCalus V. Hogan, M.D., MBA as the new David Silver Professor and Chair of Pitt’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at UPMC, following a thoughtful yearlong national search to succeed Freddie H. Fu, M.D., whose legacy as department chair from 1998 to 2021 attained a stellar international reputation for leading key scientific and clinical innovations. The department grew into one of the most ethnic- and gender-diverse orthopaedic departments in the nation, preparing dozens of physicians to become leaders in orthopaedics at universities and hospitals throughout the world. Dr. Fu passed away in September 2021.

“The appointment of an individual to replace the ‘irreplaceable’ Dr. Freddie Fu is a decision that required great consideration. After a lengthy and very deliberate selection process, Dr. Hogan was clearly the preferred choice to not only build upon Dr. Fu’s legacy, but also lead the department into new territories for the future,” said Anantha Shekhar, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences, Pitt; and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, Pitt School of Medicine. “His commitment to building a diverse environment at Pitt/UPMC and growing the academic excellence in musculoskeletal research made him the ideal next chair.”

Dr. Hogan was recruited to Pitt and UPMC by Dr. Fu in 2013. Dr. Hogan’s focus has been serving as the Chief of Foot and Ankle Surgery at UPMC, Vice Chair of Education and Residency Program Director in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UPMC. He is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, with secondary appointments in the Department of Bioengineering and the Katz School of Business. Dr. Hogan was the founder and Director of the Foot and Ankle Injury Research (F.A.I.R.) group at Pitt, within the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He serves as a foot and ankle consultant for the athletic departments at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, and Robert Morris University. He is the Assistant Team Physician for Point Park University, including the Conservatory of Performing Arts, and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Dr. Hogan also serves as the foot and ankle consultant for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the UPMC Sports Medicine Institute.

“I am proud and delighted that Dr. Hogan will serve as the new chair. He is a compassionate clinician and dedicated researcher who demonstrates the Pitt/UPMC shared values and vision to continuously improve the definition of excellence and leadership in orthopaedic care,” said Leslie C. Davis, President and Chief Executive Officer, UPMC.

“Dr. Hogan’s expertise and extensive accolades demonstrate his utmost competency to lead our orthopaedic department’s academic faculty, physicians and clinical teams who have already set the standard in delivering the best evidence-based care for our patients and communities. UPMC’s orthopaedic department is known around the world for its leading advanced research, innovation and training for many aspects of orthopaedic and sports medicine care,” said Joon Sup Lee, M.D., Executive Vice President, UPMC; President, UPMC Physician Services; and Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs, Pitt School of Medicine. “I am confident that Dr. Hogan’s leadership will continue the success of the department for many years to come.”

Dr. Hogan has been selected as a “Best Doctor” by Best Doctors in America® and Pittsburgh Magazine annually since 2016. His physician executive and community efforts resulted in his selection to DiversityMBA's Top 100 Under 50 Executive Leaders in 2018. Most notably, he was selected as one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 15 Up and Comers as an emerging national leader in health care in 2018.

Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Hogan is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Association, Orthopaedic Research Society, among other national organizations, and currently serves on the board of directors for the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society. He is the author of over 250 manuscripts, book chapters, and abstracts and frequently presents both nationally and internationally on his management of foot and ankle injuries, regenerative bioengineering, clinical outcomes research and health care delivery transformation.

“I am honored to take on this leadership role and look forward to taking UPMC and Pitt orthopaedics to the next level. There is no other option for excellent care than UPMC. What we offer locally, nationally and globally is unmatched,” said Dr. Hogan. “I am excited to get to work, amplifying and advancing this department and orthopaedic service line into the future through cutting-edge care and innovation.”

Originally from Muscle Shoals, Ala., Dr. Hogan completed his undergraduate studies at Xavier University of Louisiana with a B.S. in biochemistry and minor in biology. He received his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Va., which included a National Institutes of Health Clinician Scientist fellowship year with a focus in musculoskeletal tissue repair and regeneration. He completed his foot and ankle fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where he served as a consultant for the New York Ballet Company, American Ballet Theatre, and several collegiate and professional sports teams. In 2018, Dr. Hogan also earned an Executive Master of Business Administration in health care at the University of Pittsburgh – Katz Graduate School of Business.

Source: UPMC

 County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, City of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Sports & Exhibition Authority (SEA) Board Chair Senator Wayne D. Fontana today announced that Aaron Waller has been selected as the next Executive Director of the agency. The appointment follows a national search to replace Mary Conturo who announced in January her intent to leave her position as executive director. The SEA Board will formalize the hiring at today’s meeting where they will vote to appoint Aaron Waller and ratify his employment agreement.

“On behalf of myself and the other members of the SEA Board, we welcome Aaron Waller to Pittsburgh and our authority. We look forward to Aaron advancing the SEA mission of working together with our region’s sport teams and tourist attractions,” said Fontana. “We are grateful to Mary Conturo for her many years of dedicated service to the SEA. Her leadership has positioned and primed the authority for an exciting future. We thank her for all that she’s done for the residents of this region.”

Aaron is currently the Capital Improvement Program Budget Manager for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission where he manages a work program of over $600 million. With experience in operations, engineering, financial management, logistics and event execution, he also has prior work experience with Convoke as Vice President of Operations and spent 11 years with the Washington Commanders football team as Vice President of Administration and Operations. In his over 30 years of increasingly responsible positions, he has worked in business planning, finance and operations, and project management.

 We’re thrilled to welcome Aaron Waller to the SEA following an exhaustive search by the same firm who brought us candidates for the Airport Authority, Health Department, Pittsburgh Regional Transit, and Southwestern PA Commission,” said Fitzgerald. “Aaron quickly rose to the top of the candidates and impressed the members of the SEA Board along with county and city administration. We are excited about his energy, experience and knowledge and look forward to seeing what he brings to the organization. We are extremely thankful for Mary’s years of service that moved the agency to where it is today and grateful that she will assist in Aaron’s transition.”

 Aaron holds an MBA from Clark Atlanta University and earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. He has also participated in continuing education opportunities at Stanford University and Indiana University participating in an Executive Business Management Seminar and a Capital Improvement Program Certificate.

“I am incredibly thankful for the work that Mary Conturo has accomplished as Executive Director of the SEA,” said Gainey. “Her leadership has creating the foundation for further innovation that will help move Pittsburgh forward. Aaron Waller brings a wealth of experience to this role, and I believe he is poised to do great things with the SEA. We look forward to working with him to build a strong and thriving Pittsburgh for all of us.”

Mary has agreed to remain a SEA employee through this transitional period to assist Aaron in acclimating to his new role. Aaron will assume the position of Executive Director on Monday, September 12. He will be responsible for leading the agency in its development and management of first-class sports, entertainment, recreational and convention venues to benefit the region’s economy and improve quality of life.

Dr. Charlene Newkirk, Southeast Region President, Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), has been appointed to the Commission on Structured Pathways of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Dr. Newkirk, one of two dozen commission members, will serve a three-year term.

The Commission on Structured Pathways focuses on strategies for scaling community college pathways across systems, states and the nation. The commission also contributes to the development of the AACC Pathways resources and related work through identification of pertinent resources, technical assistance expertise and college examples, as well as through review of emerging evidence on the efficacy of pathways.

The pathways that are addressed during the commission’s biannual discussions pertain, specifically, to academic pathways that prepare students for the work they intend to pursue after graduation. These are career pathways that community colleges provide.

“My membership on the Structured Pathways Commission of the AACC gives me the opportunity to explore and share best practices regarding the development of career pathways in community college education. In addition, my membership presents the opportunity for CCAC to pursue collaborative cutting-edge opportunities with other educational institutions to develop approaches that will prepare our students for their future careers,” said Dr. Newkirk.

Dr. Newkirk has previously served terms on the AACC Structured Pathways Commission as well as the organization’s Global Education Commission.

Mayor Ed Gainey released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade:

"Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court is an attack on the civil and human rights of our entire country. Abortion is healthcare and denying the right to bodily autonomy of women, trans men, non-binary, and disabled people in America is stripping them of their fundamental right to privacy. Abortion is still legal in Pennsylvania and I will do whatever it takes to protect and defend that right in Pittsburgh and across our entire Commonwealth. We must ensure that people can make decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures and all of us must recommit ourselves to the work of making America more just and equal for everyone."

 Kimberly Easton, a former television news anchor and reporter at WPXI-TV  in Pittsburgh, PA  was found dead Monday (February 7, 2022) at her home in Columbus, Indiana. Easton worked  at WPXI-TV  from 04-2003 to  08-2010  and later held positions as a  journalist for a number of television stations nationwide.   Easton's sister, Kelly Easton of Columbus, says she died of heart failure, she was 56.  "We had a wellness check on Kimberly Monday after not hearing from her, at that time, Columbus police found Kimberly dead in her home. We are absolutely devastated as a family of her sudden passing." Kelly says that the last time she spoke to Kimberly was Friday night."

Kimberly leaves behind a daughter, three grandchildren and an legacy where she was committed to diversity and inclusion disparities in education.  Through her work she wanted underrepresented citizens to be heard and she was devoted to  helping to bridge the gap of inequities in education.  

Read the Obituary: Kimberly Easton | Former WPXI-TV reporter and trailblazing journalist from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

 Funeral arrangements: 

https://www.barkesweaverglick.com/obituaries/Ms-Kimberly-Sue-Easton?obId=23967156&fbclid=IwAR1qz6K8zdr_WhR3F6WotNBD12bDr-7QrnVJ45k4tolXZqumt4PeySnAX78#/celebrationWall

On a personal blog, Kimberly posted the following biography:

https://kimberlyeastoncareerportfolio.com/2021/04/24/example-post-2/

 Kimberly Easton, our Multicultural Diversity leader for the District, is a native of Columbus, Indiana. Easton, who founded KEI Connects, moved into the strategic communications industry after an extensive career as an award-winning Television News Anchor | Reporter. Easton has lived and worked all over the country with stints in the states of Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, and Kentucky including Chicago, Illinois. She’s interviewed sports legend, Hank Aaron; poet, Maya Angelou; actress, Eartha Kitt; and political figures, Jesse Jackson, Oliver North, Governor Douglas Wilder, the First Black Governor of Virginia. Easton’s recognition for professional excellence in broadcasting include the National Association of Professional Women, the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania, numerous Michigan Associated Press Awards and the coveted Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcaster’s Award.  With her media talents and connections, Easton directed and assisted in the publishing of several books, one of which hit the New York Times Best Sellers list on the day of its release. Armed with a Master’s Degree in Communications and The Arts, an array of experiences in the field of communications, and a threshold of cultural experiences; Easton, as our Multicultural Diversity Leader, will continue to work with BCSC’s Stakeholder Guide Teams on the following initiatives established by the District:  Diverse Curriculum Restorative Justice Under-represented Teacher Retention & Recruitment Family Academic Achievement Network | FAAN Kimberly loves traveling, swimming and spending time with family and friends, especially her 5 and 2-year old grandsons. She remains a long-time member of the National Association of Black Journalists. 

Recently, Kimberly had been working for the past three years with The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC) as the Multi-Cultural Coordinator. The organization released the following statement today regarding her passing:  

COLUMBUS, Ind. – The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC) announced Tuesday morning the sudden passing of Multi-Cultural Coordinator Kimberly Easton. During her three years with the school system, Easton led many diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts around the district.

Easton developed guiding teams in the areas of Diverse Curriculum, Family Academic Achievement Network, Under-Represented Teacher Recruitment and Retention, and Restorative Justice. A Columbus North graduate, Easton returned to her hometown after a successful career in journalism and the founding of KEI Connects, a strategic communications company.

“In her time here, Kimberly was very passionate about her work. She cared for all of our students, and especially our marginalized students,” BCSC Director of Secondary Education Bill Jensen said.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts added, “Based on the significant work that Kimberly started when beginning her role with us, we transitioned her from part to full-time to help ensure all students had better access to opportunity. Kimberly was critical to their continued growth and development.

https://www.localnewsdigital.com/2022/02/08/bcsc-announces-sudden-passing-of-kimberly-easton/