The Armstrong County Business Retention Office, headed by George Skamai, along with Armstrong County Commissioners, John Strate, Anthony Shea and Pat Fabian, initiated their 2024-25 business tours.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) spearheads this overall effort; the SPC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the 10 county area in Southwestern Pennsylvania that helps counties, including Armstrong County through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), their inclusive cities, municipalities and townships access over an estimated $39B in state and federal transportation and economic development funding has been allocated to the region through 2045.

Our Executive Director Rich Fitzgerald and Board Chair Pat Fabian (Armstrong County Commissioner) joined WPXI-TV’s ‘Our Region’s Business’ to talk about the importance of working together as a region to secure state and federal investment. Commissioners from many of the ten counties in the Pittsburgh region recently joined the Allegheny Conference in Washington, DC to make the case.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) recently announced that Lillian Gabreski has been named its Director of Transportation.

She will join the organization’s leadership team, lead a department of 13 staff members, and oversee transportation initiatives on behalf of the 10-county region.

Gabreski has an exceptional background in strategic planning and transportation, as well as securing state and federal grants.

New appointments and changes in leadership have been made by Trinity Metro, Luminator, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) and STV.

The SPC has appointed Lillian Gabreski to serve as its director of transportation. She will lead a department of 13 staff members and oversee transportation initiatives on behalf of the 10-county region. 

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) announced today that Lillian Gabreski has  been named its Director of Transportation. She will join the organization’s leadership team, lead a department of 13 staff members, and oversee transportation initiatives on behalf of the 10-county region.

Gabreski has an exceptional background in strategic planning and transportation, as well as securing state and federal grants. She joined the organization in 2018, and has become known by both staff members and external partners for taking innovative approaches to solving complex challenges.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission said Monday that Lillian Gabreski has been named its director of transportation, in which she will lead a department of 13 staff members and oversee transportation initiatives on behalf of the 10-county region.

“I am excited to have Lillian officially join our leadership team,” said SPC Executive Director Rich Fitzgerald. “She has been with the organization for over six years, and in that time, has demonstrated her steadfast commitment to improving the quality of life for area residents.”

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission has announced that Lillian Gabreski has been named its director of transportation.

Gabreski will join the organization’s leadership team, lead a department of 13 staff members and oversee transportation initiatives on behalf of the 10-county region.

She brings a background in strategic planning and transportation, as well as securing state and federal grants, which includes her time with the commission she had joined in 2018.

Many workers in southwestern Pennsylvania were left with few career prospects when economic and environmental concerns shifted coal mining to other regions. To address that challenge, the Pittsburgh Robotics Network yesterday announced that it has received a $750,000 grant to launch the Robotics Leadership Academy and provide new opportunities in robotics and autonomous systems.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) provided the grant as part of $68.2 million in funding for 65 projects through its Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative. POWER directs federal resources to economic diversification and revitalization projects in Appalachian communities affected by the downturn of the coal industry.

The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded $68.2 million for 65 projects to aid economic revitalization in the U.S., including $18.5 million for programs in Pennsylvania to advance training for workers in robotics, advanced manufacturing and nursing.

The grants are through ARC’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization initiative, which is designed to improve job training and attract investment in Appalachian towns hurt by the downturn in the coal industry, including 52 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, returned for his weekly spot on KDKA radio with Larry Richert to talk regional news. Rich and Larry recapped the AI Horizons symposium which featured prominent tech companies, industry leaders, and elected officials. The event highlighted how Southwestern Pennsylvania is seizing this opportunity and becoming a national leader in this space. Additionally, Rich and Larry discussed the recent improvements to the region’s infrastructure.