The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) and the Local Government Academy (LGA) are proud to announce Chris Blackwell, Director of Planning at the Municipality of Penn Hills, as the recipient of the 2025 Joseph A. James Award. The Award is given annually to an elected or appointed official in Southwestern Pennsylvania in recognition of a lifetime of exemplary governance or management.

The award is named for the late Joseph A. James, Ph.D, who was a noted scholar at the University of Pittsburgh and a lifelong advocate of intergovernmental cooperation and professionalism in local government.

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 (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.

“It is with great sadness that I learned about the passing of Cyril Wecht this afternoon. Cyril had a long and distinguished public service career. From serving in the U.S. Air Force to being one of Allegheny County’s Commissioners and the County’s coroner—public service and hard work ran in Cyril’s blood.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of Jerry Cohon’s passing over the weekend. Jerry served as the President of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) for 16 years and our region was transformed during this time—in large part because of his leadership and forward thinking.

“His influence on our region’s economy cannot be understated. Jerry was consistently focused on innovation, attracting talented students from across the world, and he proactively looked for ways to partner with the private and public sectors.

“It is with great sadness that I learned about the passing of Jim Roddey this evening. Jim helped to usher in the County’s new government in 2000 and served our community in so many ways. From his philanthropic efforts to improving our economic climate, the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and all of Southwestern Pennsylvania was made a better place to work and live because of his public service.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is awarding Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) $11,389,925 in grant funding to support two separate transit improvement projects. The two projects are:

• The next phase of the PRTX University Line Bus Rapid Transit project, which will extend BRT from Oakland to Squirrel Hill, will receive $7,418,343 in funding to support transit stations and rider amenities along Forbes Avenue from Craig Street to Murray Avenue, and the
• Microtransit Pilot Project will receive $3,971,582 in funding to support smaller scale transit solutions in five communities.  

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is awarding the City of Pittsburgh $6,603,495 in grant funding to support three separate pedestrian safety improvements projects. The three separate initiatives are:  

• Brownsville Road Corridor project will receive $3,603,495 in funding to make improvements to traffic signals and enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility improvements;  
• East Ohio Street Safety/Streetscape project will receive $1,500,000 to make improvements to traffic signals and enhance pedestrian safety; and
• East Liberty-Negley Avenue project will receive $1,500,000 to make safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is awarding $1,802,060 in grant funding to support two trail projects in Allegheny County. The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County (RAAC) will receive $1 million to support the expansion of the Panhandle Trail Extension and South Fayette Township will receive $802,060 in funding to make improvements along the Fairview Park Trail Network.

“We are thankful to the SPC for its commitment to trail building throughout our region,” said County Executive Sara Innamorato. “We look forward to working on securing the expansion of the Panhandle trail so that residents and visitors have access to trail systems that contribute to our economy and quality of life.”

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is awarding Bike Share Pittsburgh (dba POGOH) $2,160,000 in grant funding to support bikeshare station expansions, ebikes, and charging stations. POGOH applied for grant funding under its Mobility Justice in Mircomobility initiative. POGOH is a 501c3 non-profit organization located in the Strip District and it operates Pittsburgh’s bikeshare system.