Allegheny County Manager Jennifer Liptak will leave the county after more than 25 years of service to become deputy executive director and chief operating officer of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

Liptak had been chief of staff for former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald during his 12 years in office and had been county manager in the first months of County Executive Sara Innamorato’s tenure. She joined the Allegheny County government in 1998 and has been finance director in the Office of District Attorney and budget director of the Office of County Council.

She will report to Fitzgerald, who is executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, and be in charge of a staff of 50.

“Over the last decade, a lot of the economic success and transformation that Allegheny County has experienced can be largely attributed directly to Jennifer’s strategic leadership, collaborative management style, and her ability to get things accomplished,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald cited the Pittsburgh International Airport revival, bridge rehabilitation and government efficiency.

“Now Jennifer will be able to use her outstanding qualities and experiences to support the 10-county region with its transportation, infrastructure, economic, workforce and quality of life priorities,” he said.

She has a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a master of public administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh.”

View the full article at bizjournals.com.

Allegheny County manager Jennifer Liptak will step down effective June 7, officials announced Friday.

Liptak was appointed to the position in February 2023 by then-County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, and she continued to hold it after current County Executive Sara Innamorato took office in January.

“It is bittersweet to accept County Manager Liptak’s resignation. She has been a phenomenal public servant for more than 20 years and her dedication and passion for Allegheny County is evident every day,” Innamorato said in a statement.

“I want to personally thank her for shepherding my administration with an exceptionally professional and smooth transition for the last six months,” Innamorato added. “We have learned so much from her and enjoyed working with her immensely, but after 12 demanding years as a chief of staff to the county executive and county manager, we respect her decision to start a new chapter in her professional journey.”

Liptak has spent more than a quarter-century in local government. She has held multiple county positions, including finance manager for the Office of the District Attorney and budget director for County Council. She was also Fitzgerald’s chief of staff for more than 10 years, and she serves on multiple county boards.

In a separate statement, council President Pat Catena opined about the institutional knowledge Liptak takes with her, calling her a “huge asset to the county during her 25-plus year career.”

“Beyond the institutional knowledge, Ms. Liptak is extremely intelligent and a hard worker; traits that will make it difficult to replace her. We, in county government and all the residents of this county, owe her a debt of gratitude while wishing her all the best in her new role,” Catena said.

The county manager is one of the most powerful unelected positions in local government, with responsibility for day-to-day operations that include more than 6,000 county employees and a multibillion-dollar budget.

“I’ve been an Allegheny County employee for 26 years, and it has been an incredibly rewarding and meaningful privilege to work alongside such dedicated public servants. But I’ve decided it was time for me to try a new professional challenge,” Liptak said.

“It has been an absolute honor to work with County Executive Innamorato and her staff,” she added. “I have total confidence in her team and County leadership to continue to serve the people of Allegheny County with the highest standard of excellence.”

Liptak will join Fitzgerald at the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, where she will become the organization’s deputy executive director and chief operating officer.

Deputy county manager Steve Pilarski will serve as acting county manager until a new manager is selected. That selection must be approved by County Council.

View the full article at wesa.fm.

Allegheny County Manager Jen Liptak is headed to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, departing county government after over a quarter-century of service and reuniting with former County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

Liptak’s last day will be June 7, according to a press release from County Executive Sara Innamorato.

Many politicos view the county manager as an important position because that person essentially runs the day-to-day operations of county government.

Ms. Innamorato said: “It is bittersweet to accept County Manager Liptak’s resignation. She has been a phenomenal public servant for more than 20 years and her dedication and passion for Allegheny County is evident every day. I want to personally thank her for shepherding my administration with an exceptionally professional and smooth transition for the last six months. We have learned so much from her and enjoyed working with her immensely, but after 12 demanding years as a Chief of Staff to the County Executive and County Manager we respect her decision to start a new chapter in her professional journey.”

Ms. Liptak will serve as deputy executive director/chief operating officer for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

According to the press release, Deputy County Manager Steve Pilarski will serve as Acting County Manager until a new County Manager is selected and confirmed by County Council. He currently oversees “the operations of the County Jail, County Police, Medical Examiner, Public Defender, Public Works, Facilities Management, Administrative Services, Human Resources, and Information Technology,” according to his county biographical page.

In the release, Ms. Liptak said: “I’ve been an Allegheny County employee for 26 years and it has been an incredibly rewarding and meaningful privilege to work alongside such dedicated public servants. But I’ve decided it was time for me to try a new professional challenge. It has been an absolute honor to work with County Executive Innamorato and her staff. I have total confidence in her team and County leadership to continue to serve the people of Allegheny County with the highest standard of excellence.”

Mr. Fitzgerald joined the SPC at the beginning of 2024, after serving three terms as county executive. He serves as the commission’s executive director, overseeing a staff of about 50 people that focuses on infrastructure and transportation projects and funding throughout a 10-county region in southwestern Pennsylvania, including Allegheny.

The partnership between Ms. Liptak and Mr. Fitzgerald goes back years. In February 2023, Ms. Liptak began as county manager in his administration, and before that, she served as chief of staff under him from 2012.

Before that, she served as the County Council’s budget director from 2004 to 2012, and in the District Attorney’s office from 1998 to 2004, where she worked up to the position of finance manager.

Many political observers and elected officials have praised Ms. Liptak for her breadth of knowledge about county government. And some county sources said before Friday’s announcement that it was no surprise that Mr. Fitzgerald wanted her to join the SPC, given her managerial experience and expertise in regional issues.

“He has shown a great degree of loyalty to his staff,” one county source said about Mr. Fitzgerald.

Ms. Liptak’s departure also marks another important moment for County Executive Sara Innamorato and her administration. Since Ms. Innamorato’s inauguration in January, she has worked with Ms. Liptak, and political observers note that the experience of the outgoing county manager has been instrumental to helping Ms. Innamorato transition into her role as executive.

Ms. Innamorato is continuing her search for a permanent county manager, and one county source said that the administration is interviewing candidates for that role on Friday.

She and her administration have multiple senior-level openings to fill in the coming months. A longer-term decision, Ms. Innamorato has said, is finding a new jail warden. Shane Dady is currently serving as interim warden, while also serving as a deputy superintendent with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He’s held that position since late September, after Orlando Harper retired as warden on Sept. 29 of last year.

View the full article at post-gazette.com.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) today announced that Jennifer Liptak has been named the organization’s Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer. Liptak will assume this role on Monday, June 10. As Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Liptak will lead a team of 50 staff members and report directly to Rich Fitzgerald, the organization’s Executive Director.

“Over the last decade, a lot of the economic success and transformation that Allegheny County has experienced can be largely attributed directly to Jennifer’s strategic leadership, collaborative management style, and her ability to get things accomplished,” said Rich Fitzgerald, Executive Director. “From the success of the airport, investing in infrastructure, rehabilitating bridges, the vibrancy of the trails and parks, and making the County government’s operations more efficient, Jennifer has been instrumental in bringing these initiatives to fruition. Now, Jennifer will be able to use her outstanding qualities and experiences to support the 10 county region with its transportation, infrastructure, economic, workforce, and quality of life priorities.”

Currently, Liptak serves as the Allegheny County Manager in County Executive Sara Innamorato’s administration, a position she also held when Fitzgerald was the County Executive. Liptak stayed on with Innamorato’s administration to support them over the last six months during the transition. The Allegheny County Manager position serves as the chief administrative officer for the county, and is appointed by the County Executive. As County Manager, Jennifer has been responsible for the county’s overall operations.

Prior to her current role, Liptak’s public service career has spanned over two decades. She first began her career in county government in 1998 working in the Office of District Attorney where she later became Finance Manager. In 2004, she joined the Office of County Council as Budget Director. When Fitzgerald was elected as Allegheny County Executive he appointed Liptak as Chief of Staff, a position she held throughout his entire tenure.

Liptak is active in the community and has served on numerous organization’s boards over the years including: the Allegheny County Retirement Board, Allegheny County Professional Services Review Committee, Allegheny County Airport Authority, Riverlife’s Board of Directors, the Carnegie Science Center’s Board, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees, Port Authority Board of Allegheny County, Chatham University Women’s Institute Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics Advisory Board, the Government Financial Officers Association, and the First Night Advisory Board.

Additionally, Liptak has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), as well as a Professional Certification in Personnel and Labor Relations Management. She attended Duquesne University’s School of Leadership and Professional Advancement earning a Professional Certification in Advanced Accounting. Liptak is also a graduate of the F.B.I. Citizens Academy and the Harvard School of Business’ Young American Leaders Program.

Media Inquiries: Caitlin O’Connor
Cell: 412-719-5366
coconnor@spcregion.org

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About Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission:
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO), local development district (LDD), and economic development district (EDD) that serves 10 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The organization’s coverage area includes Allegheny including the City of Pittsburgh, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties. It keeps the region connected and moving forward by helping to plan for its future. It is responsible for planning and prioritizing the use of state and federal transportation funding and establishing economic and workforce development priorities for the region.

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If projections of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission are accurate, residents of the Connellsville area will begin the new year with the long awaited reopening of the McCray Robb Memorial Bridge along Crawford Avenue.

Representatives of the SPC met with area officials Tuesday to discuss present and upcoming projects.

Officials said the Crawford Avenue bridge is on schedule for completion by Dec. 29 of this year.

SPC representative Angela Baker said the work is moving well, and “hopefully, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony” to celebrate reopening of the span.

Baker said the bridge includes a bicycle lane and sidewalk, and public support has been good in the face of detours required by the bridge closing.

She said closing the span “was the only way to get constriction going with the detours with the help of the community.”

SPC representatives addressed both current and future transportation projects taking place in Fayette County, including the proposed connector for McClure Road, Kingview Road, and Mt. Pleasant near Route 119 in northern Fayette County.

The area will serve as a roundabout for safety purposes, with the exact date to begin construction not yet determined.

Dominic D’Andrea, director for the Office of Transportation Planning, said the Transportation Improvement Program addresses future investment in the region and specifically future transportation in Fayette County.

“Over $180 million has been earmarked for projects within Fayette County on the TIP,” D’Andrea said.

The projects are part of a four-year plan within a 25-year long range plan with updates made every two years. D’Andrea said the SPC meets on a monthly basis to address project bids that may be too high or too low that require “priorities to shift” on planned projects.

Another important area the SPC addressed was the Sheepskin Trail, and the various funding sources related to the trail project.

Public Involvement Director Ronda Craig said funding in many areas may only be spent for certain aspects of the project.

The Sheepskin Trail Project has been one of the priorities of the Fayette County Commissioners. Commissioner Scott Dunn said federal funds are available for title searches on properties, preliminary work, engineering work, and environmental issues.

The SPC develops the Long Range Transportation Plan and the Transportation Involvement Program, which plans for the region’s long term and short term, transportation and infrastructure programs, a van-pool service, and many other transportation planning initiatives.

The SPC goal is to provide accessibility and mobility in a safe, efficient, and effective manner for the region.

The SPC represents a 10-county region of western Pennsylvania, with Fayette County Commissioner Vince Vicites serving as vice chairman.

SPC Director Rich Fitzgerald said the commission was grateful for all the assistance and cooperation of PennDOT.

Among the projects discussed were the Layton Bridge, a bridge in West Newton, a bridge above Redstone Creek, and the Jefferson Avenue and Gallatin Avenue projects in the city of Uniontown.

Public input may always be given to the SPC through its website of spcregion.org.

View the full article at dailycourier.com.

Business and industry in the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission’s (North Central) six-county region will have an opportunity through the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission to learn about doing business in Canada and Mexico.

Advantages of Exporting to Canada and Mexico will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 6 at The Terminal, located at 42 21st St., Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

The event is designed to unlock a company’s potential for exporting goods and services under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA).

“North Central Export is pleased to support our state-wide partners in hosting this event,” Chris Perneski, director of Business Enterprise, said. “This is a great opportunity to connect with Nancy Ward of Canada and Efren Flores of Mexico as part of the Pennsylvania Overseas Office Network. Pennsylvania has 13 overseas offices covering 44 countries/region.”

The top export markets for Pennsylvania with more than $20 billion in trade are Canada and Mexico, as both countries have free trade agreements with the United States.

Both countries are in need of U.S.-manufactured goods including equipment, tools, materials and technology.

Ward is a Pennsylvania trade representative for Canada and is based in Toronto, and Flores is a trade representative from Mexico City.

The event is expected to feature workshop opportunities based on increasing sales from Pennsylvania-based companies into the North American nations.

Topics for the event include Canada and Mexico economies, opportunities, and export strategies; USMCA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico; documentation considerations; and financing options and programs.

The cost of the event is $200 and limited $150 scholarships are available for the first 20 registrants who complete SBA forms.

Companies interested in accessing this network can contact Christine Perneski at 814-773-3162 or necexport@ncentral.com.

For more information, contact Brent Rondon at brondon@innovation.pitt.edu. To register, visit https://entrepreneur.pitt.edu/events/exporting-usmca.

View the full article at gantnews.com.

Fayette County residents who rely on DSL or wireless home internet services are being asked to participate in the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority’s (PBDA) broadband service challenge process.

“The broadband authority has a list of addresses that they claim have broadband availability at their residences,” said Scott Dunn, chair of the county commissioners. “We have to look at this list and say this is right or this is wrong. We will challenge these addresses, because we’re sure that many of them don’t have the required megabyte speed to be considered reliable internet. If an area needs broadband, we want to get a grant to cover the area.”

The challenge is part of the Broadband Equity, Access and Development (BEAD) program, which has allocated $1.16 billion to Pennsylvania to bolster the infrastructure for robust internet connectivity in areas currently lacking or experiencing insufficient service.

A requirement of the program is to conduct a mapping challenge to validate the accuracy of the locations that need better service.

Residents with DSL or wireless home internet are asked to go to www.SPCBEADchallenge.com. There, they will identify their location on a map and take three brief home internet speed tests by 11 p.m. this Wednesday.

County officials have identified 473 homes equipped with DSL or wireless home internet services incorrectly labeled on the Federal Communications Commission map as having access to high-speed internet. This challenge process is part of the efforts to rectify this discrepancy.

The FCC map identifies regions as being served by strong, reliable internet, being underserved or completely unserved.

“The broadband authority has given us until Wednesday to challenge anything on their map that says that that area is serviced,” explained Mark Rafail, the county’s economic development director. “The 473 that we’ve seen, we don’t feel are serviced accurately. We also would like anyone else who feels their service isn’t accurate enough to go ahead and do the speed test.”

Rafail said doing the speed tests will allow county officials to identify where low-speed areas are.

“(W)e can additionally turn those into the state broadband authority so that they understand that even though these companies say they’re servicing these folks, these folks really aren’t serviced. We can submit these challenges to show that we are in need of better broadband and funding to do that better broadband,” he said.

Rafail said the county will be applying to the broadband authority in the fall for more money through the BEAD program.

Dunn said that getting broadband into county businesses is an important part of this process.

“If we exclude an area based on these 473 properties they say have broadband, then we can’t get fiber optic in there for business purposes,” Dunn said. “There is no business that’s going to operate from a fixed wireless platform.”

Residents whose addresses are identified as being unserved or underserved on the FCC’s map do not need to complete the challenge process but are encouraged to do so. Those locations have already been deemed eligible for BEAD infrastructure funding.

“We ask everyone who feels they’re underserved or unserved to submit information to that website,” Rafail said.

This challenge process is different from the FCC’s challenge process previously administered in January 2023. Residents that submitted a challenge last year should still consider taking part in this new challenge process.

“Last year’s challenge was with the FCC’s mapping and we sent those in on our own,” Rafail said. “All we had to do was prove there wasn’t service there, which was easy to do.”

Rafail said that was a process that was as simple as taking pictures of telephone poles.

View the full article at heraldstandard.com.

Armstrong County’s board of commissioners is requesting that residents who rely on DSL or wireless home internet services participate by May 22 in the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority’s (PBDA) broadband service challenge process, according to a recently issued press release.

Residents can go to: SPCBEADchallenge.com — and follow the instructions to identify their location on the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) map and take the speed test.

Residents have until 11 p.m. May 22 to complete three speed tests that will only take a few minutes.

Armstrong County has identified 922 homes equipped with DSL or wireless home internet services incorrectly labeled on the FCC map as having access to high-speed internet. Efforts are underway to rectify this discrepancy.

Residents may access instructions via the Challenge website: SPCBEADchallenge.com.

Residents whose addresses are identified as being unserved or underserved on the FCC’s map do not need to complete this challenge process.

Those locations are already deemed eligible for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program infrastructure funding.

This challenge is different from the FCC’s Challenge process previously administered in January 2023.

Residents that submitted a challenge last year should still consider taking part in this new challenge process.

In response to last year’s federal announcement allocating $1.16 billion to Pennsylvania through the BEAD Program, efforts are underway to bolster the infrastructure required for robust internet connectivity in areas currently lacking or experiencing insufficient service.

One prerequisite for accessing these funds involves implementing a challenge process to validate the accuracy of BEAD-eligible locations.

This collaborative endeavor empowers local governments, nonprofits, and internet service providers to collaborate with the PBDA in refining the FCC’s map, which delineates regions as either served by strong, reliable internet, underserved, or completely unserved.

View the full article at leadertimes.com.

Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Rich Fitzgerald, joins Larry in the studio to discuss lots of projects and things happening in our region. Suzie Cool also joins them for her “Cool Scoop” weekly segment.

Listen to the full interview at audacy.com.

Public and private organizations in area counties are requesting that residents who rely on DSL (digital subscriber line) or wireless home internet services participate in the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority’s broadband service challenge process, which is ongoing through Wednesday at 11 p.m.

In a news release, the Indiana County Board of Commissioners said residents can go to SPCBEADchallenge.com and follow the instructions to identify their location on the Federal Communication Commission’s map and take the speed test.

Because the test must be taken three times, users must begin their first test no later than Monday. However, each test only will take a few minutes.

Indiana County officials said they have identified 1,150 homes equipped with DSL or wireless home internet services incorrectly labeled on the FCC map as having access to high-speed internet.

They said efforts are underway to rectify that discrepancy. They said residents may access instructions via the challenge website.

Residents whose addresses are identified as being unserved or underserved on the FCC’s map do not need to complete this challenge process. Those locations are already deemed eligible for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program infrastructure funding.

Local officials said this challenge is different from the FCC’s Challenge process previously administered in January 2023.

Still, they said, residents that submitted a challenge last year should consider taking part in this new challenge process.

In response to last year’s federal announcement allocating $1.16 billion to Pennsylvania through the BEAD Program, efforts are underway to bolster the infrastructure required for robust internet connectivity in areas currently lacking or experiencing insufficient service.

One prerequisite for accessing these funds involves implementing a challenge process to validate the accuracy of BEAD-eligible locations. This collaborative endeavor empowers local governments, nonprofits, and internet service providers to collaborate with the PBDA in refining the FCC’s map, which delineates regions as either served by strong, reliable internet, underserved or completely unserved.

Similar instructions were sent out for Westmoreland County, as well as through other member counties in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which also includes Armstrong, Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence and Washington counties, and has a Connected initiative regional consortium with Carnegie Mellon University, Allies for Children, and a diverse group of regional partners.

View the full article at indianagazette.com.