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.

On Oct. 14, East Liberty’s Bakery Square played host to the very first AI Horizons Pittsburgh Summit, bringing together global and local experts on artificial intelligence to discuss the future of the sector, safety and regulation, its unique energy requirements, and how it will impact different sectors and our world as a whole.

The event drew about 650 attendees and included a full day’s worth of networking sessions, keynote addresses and panel discussions with an A-list lineup of speakers and more.

Elected officials, business owners and residents from Verona and Oakmont gathered Sept. 27 to walk from the Off the Rails restaurant in Verona to College Avenue in Oakmont and back again for a Verona Borough walk audit.
 
Trish Hredzak, vice president of Verona council, set up the audit after there was some divide from residents and committee members about the VOPP Trail bike path planned at the intersection of Center Avenue and Allegheny River Boulevard and the viaduct connecting Oakmont to Verona. Despite discussions of rerouting the path, there are still issues with the viaduct that need to be solved, Hredzak said.

It was a historic moment for Pittsburgh’s Artificial Intelligence industry on Monday, as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a certificate that officially launched the first-ever NVIDIA AI Tech Community.

“We are profoundly grateful to NVIDIA for investing here and for showing the rest of the country what we already know about Pittsburgh.” Gov. Shapiro said.

Artificial Intelligence is changing life as we know it, and it may be the key to the future of the Pittsburgh region.

On Monday, hundreds of tech leaders from around the country descended on Pittsburgh’s Bakery Square as organizers tried to unleash the potential of AI to transform the region’s economy.

The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority announced on Thursday that more than $1.2 million in grant funding has been awarded to German Township to bolster internet access within the community.
 
“This grant provides the township with an opportunity to make some municipal building upgrades, as well as provide a safe and secure location for people to come and use computers and have broadband access,” said township Supervisor L.C. Otto.

Our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, returned for his weekly spot on KDKA raduo with Larry Richert to talk regional news. On the show was Lt. Governor Aust Davis and well-known regional consultant, Joanna Doven to talk about upcoming AI Horizons symposium. This AI symposium is taking place on Monday, Oct. 14 and will feature companies, industry leaders, and elected officials. It will highlight Southwestern Pennsylvania is seizing this opportunity and becoming a national leader in this space.