Allegheny Conference On Community Development

TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGHOUT SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

THANKS TO THE TIME, TALENT AND RESOURCES CONTRIBUTED BY OUR REGIONAL INVESTORS, IN 2021 WE TOOK IMPORTANT STEPS TOWARD ACHIEVING THE VITAL, GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE REGION WE ALL WANT.TOGETHER WE HAVE GROWN OUR ECONOMY BY SECURING BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND IMPROVING TALENT AVAILABILITY, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DIVERSE TALENT. -SECURED 36 WINS, 2,366 NEW JOBS, 638 RETAINED JOBS AND $331 MILLION IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPED A GROWING PIPELINE OF 163 ACTIVE LEADS AND PROJECTS, REPRESENTING 20,771 NEW AND 631 RETAINED JOBS AND$7.3 BILLION IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT. -LEVERAGED PITTSBURGH REGION. NEXT IS NOW. TO GET OUR MESSAGE TO BUSINESS DECISION-MAKERS IN TARGET SECTORS, INCLUDING DEPLOYMENT OF THE BRAND IN FIVE DOMESTIC MARKETS, NEW YORK CITY, BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, WASHINGTON, D.C., AND PITTSBURGH. LAUNCHED A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND BLOG, AND NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORTS THAT GENERATED 84 PIECES OF EARNED MEDIA WITH A TOTAL REACH OF ALMOST 600 MILLION, ACROSS NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND TRADE PUBLICATIONS. -IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE REGIONAL INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, RELEASED FOREFRONT: SECURING PITTSBURGH'S BREAKOUT POSITION IN AUTONOMOUS MOBILE SYSTEMS, A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY FUNDED BY THE RICHARD KING MELLON FOUNDATION TO OUTLINE THE COORDINATED, REGIONAL INVESTMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY THAT IS NEEDED TO ENSURE PITTSBURGH SECURES A BREAKOUT POSITION IN AUTONOMOUS MOBILE SYSTEMS, PROJECTED TO BE A $1 TRILLION GLOBAL INDUSTRY BY 2026. STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING ADVANCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KEY REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS. -SUCCESSFULLY WORKED WITH THE GREAT LAKES METRO CHAMBERS COALITION TO ENDORSE THE ENDLESS FRONTIERS ACT (NOW CALLED U.S. INNOVATION AND COMPETITION ACT), WHICH WILL DEVELOP AN ANNUAL STRATEGY FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS IN SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TO SUPPORT NATIONAL SECURITY AS WELL AS PROVIDE $52 BILLION WORTH OF INCENTIVES TO ADDRESS SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND INCREASE SEMICONDUCTOR/MICROCHIP PRODUCTION IN THE U.S. -CONTINUED TO GROW THE PITTSBURGH PASSPORT PROGRAM DURING THE PANDEMIC, WITH A CUMULATIVE TOTAL ENGAGEMENT OF MORE THAN 5,000 COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM 41 COUNTRIES AND 39 STATES, MORE THAN 40% OF WHICH ARE DIVERSE TALENT, EXPOSING THEM TO POST-GRADUATION CAREER AND QUALITY OF LIFE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE PITTSBURGH REGION. DURING YEAR ONE, WE COLLECTED DATA ON THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ON DECISIONS TO ACCEPT JOBS IN THE PITTSBURGH REGION AND DEMONSTRATED THAT IT INCREASED JOB OFFER-TO-HIRE RATIOS FOR OUR LARGEST COMPANIES BY MORE THAN 30%. (WE DID NOT COLLECT SIMILAR DATA DURING THE TWO PANDEMIC PIVOT YEARS DUE TO THE INABILITY TO HOLD IN-PERSON IMMERSION EVENTS IN THE REGION FOR STUDENTS, A KEY TO THE SELL.) HAVING DEMONSTRATED PROOF OF CONCEPT, GOING FORWARD THE PASSPORT IS TO BECOME A SIGNIFICANT ELEMENT OF AN INTENSIFIED AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ENGAGING COLLEGE TALENT WITH EMPLOYERS, ARTS/RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS FROM DAY 1 ON CAMPUS TO GRADUATION. IN 2021 WE BEGAN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INITIATIVE FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN 2022. -LAID THE GROUNDWORK TO LAUNCH A REMOTE WORKER ATTRACTION PROGRAM FOCUSED ON HIGH-DEMAND TALENT AS PART OF AN OVERALL TALENT ATTRACTION PROGRAM TO HELP ADDRESS ONGOING LABOR FORCE AND POPULATION CHALLENGES THAT ACCELERATED DURING THE PANDEMIC. WORKED WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD OUT A COALITION OF PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY NETWORKS NEEDED TO RETAIN TALENT. -GREW AN ACTIVE TALENT COUNCIL TO MORE THAN 50 MEMBERS THAT SHARE BEST PRACTICES IN DEI, WORKFORCE SHORTAGES AND RECRUITING, AND COLLABORATE ON TALENT ATTRACTION AND RETENTION. CONNECTED 40+ MEMBER COMPANIES TO THREE NATIONAL TALENT ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND CONNECTION TO DIVERSE TALENT PIPELINES. ACTIVELY MANAGING A PIPELINE OF MORE THAN 20 ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR TALENT WITH A FOCUS ON DIVERSE TALENT. -LAUNCHED A PROGRAM TO SPECIFICALLY RETAIN AND SUPPORT LOCAL STARTUPS IN THE REGION AND SHAPE STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL GROWTH AND EXPANSION NEEDS. -PARTNERED WITH VIBRANT PITTSBURGH ON THE 2021 VIBRANT INDEX TO PROVIDE A REGIONAL SNAPSHOT OF EMPLOYERS' DEI PRACTICES. PARTICIPATION IN THE INDEX INCREASED FROM 51 ORGANIZATIONS IN 2020 TO 78 IN 2021.

TOGETHER WE HAVE UNLOCKED THE POTENTIAL OF OUR REGION BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO INVESTMENT GROWTH, TALENT ATTRACTION AND ECONOMIC INCLUSION. -WE MADE MATERIAL PROGRESS TOWARD ADDRESSING THE "FLASHING RED LIGHT" THAT SIGNALS AN UNCOMPETITIVE ECONOMIC CLIMATE TO EMPLOYERS CONSIDERING CREATING JOBS IN PENNSYLVANIA. -OUR ADVOCACY TO LOWER THE STATE CORPORATE NET INCOME (CNI) TAX RATE LED TO THE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION OUT OF THE PA SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THE FIRST VOTE TO REDUCE THE CNI TAX RATE IN MANY YEARS. -KEY LEGISLATION, MIRRORING A TAX REFORM CONCEPT THE CONFERENCE SUPPORTS, WAS INTRODUCED TO ALLOW FOR MEANINGFUL CNI TAX RATE REDUCTION VIA A STATUTORY TRIGGER MECHANISM. -LED AN EFFORT TO SECURE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION THAT PROVIDES FOR DYNAMIC SCORING FOR THE FISCAL IMPACTOF STATE LEGISLATION, WHICH WILL REINFORCE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN AN IMPROVED TAX CLIMATE AND INCREASED TAX REVENUE VIA GROWTH. -LAID THE GROUNDWORK TO DEVELOP INCLUSIVE GROWTH PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE WORK ACROSS OUR AGENDA AND HIRED THE FIRST CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC INCLUSION TO LEAD ORGANIZATION-WIDE EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS. -PARTNERED WITH MEMBERS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL AND LABOR, COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS TO SHAPE THE FINAL ALLEGHENY COUNTY PAID SICK LEAVE MEASURE TO BALANCE EMPLOYEE/EMPLOYER INTERESTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE RACIAL EQUITY OBJECTIVES. TOGETHER WE HAVE MOUNTED A PANDEMIC RESPONSE TO PREVENT DELAYS IN REGIONAL RECOVERY. -SUPPORTED ENACTMENT OF THE FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT (202) AND THE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE AND CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT (2021) TO PROVIDE FAST AND DIRECT ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE FOR AMERICAN WORKERS, FAMILIES, SMALL BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES. -ANALYZED THE EVOLVING IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON OUR ECONOMY TO INFORM STRATEGY AND RESPONSE, ISSUING FOUR MONTHLY TRENDS ANALYSES ON EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT, CONSIDER CONFIDENCE AND OTHER TOPICS SUCH AS BUSINESS CONDITIONS, DEMOGRAPHICS AND PANDEMIC TRENDS. -SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A REGIONAL VACCINE ACCEPTANCE RATE AT OR ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

TOGETHER WE HAVE INVESTED IN THE REGION OF THE FUTURE. -ORGANIZED A UNIFIED REGIONAL APPROACH, ONE REGION. ONE VOICE., A 10-COUNTY REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, TO SUPPORT PASSAGE OF THE $1.2 TRILLION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT. THE LARGEST FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IN A GENERATION IS NOW LAW AND THE REGION IS WELL-POSITIONED TO COMPETE FOR BILLIONS IN FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE TEN COUNTIES. WE ADVOCATED STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATION WITH THE SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE DELEGATION AND SENATORS TOOMEY AND CASEY, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND NUMEROUS FEDERAL AND LOCALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION. -SECURED STATE INVESTMENT IN THE PITTSBURGH REGIONAL ALLIANCE (PRA) REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 20 YEARS. WE RECEIVED $2 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT BUSINESS INVESTMENT EFFORTS AND BEGAN TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT. -ADVANCED REGION-WIDE COALITION WITH SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSION TO PURSUE $25 - $100 MILLION IN U.S. EDA FUNDING IN RESPONSE TO THE BUILD BACK BETTER REGIONAL CHALLENGE. IN EARLY 2022, THE PITTSBURGH REGION WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF 60 FINALISTS OUT OF 529 APPLICANTS. IF SELECTED, IT WOULD REPRESENT THE FIRST FEDERAL GRANT RECEIVED IN THE CONFERENCE'S HISTORY. THE STRATEGIC FOCUS IS ON THE EXPANSION OF REGIONAL INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN ROBOTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. -ACTED AS A LEAD PARTNER IN THE SUCCESSFUL ADVANCEMENT AND PASSAGE OF H.B. 1621, THE SMALL WIRELESS FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT ACT, TO ACCELERATE 5G DEPLOYMENT STATEWIDE VIA GREATER PERMITTING AND PROCESS EFFICIENCY AND STREAMLINING. THIS IS A KEY STEP FORWARD TO ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, AND WILL LEAD TO GREATER WIRELESS INVESTMENTS AND INCREASE PENNSYLVANIA'S COMPETITIVENESS.SUPPORTED STATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECH EFFORTS TO: -ATTRACT INVESTMENT IN DATA CENTERS ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORT THE GROWING DIGITAL ECONOMY BY SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATING FOR PASSAGE OF H.B. 952, WHICH WILL CONVERT THE STATE'S SALES TAX REFUND PROGRAM FOR DATA CENTERS TO A SALES TAX EXEMPTION PROGRAM ALLOWING FOR A MORE ROBUST TOOL TO ATTRACT THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS INVESTMENT. -INCLUDE $279 MILLION IN NEW INVESTMENT FROM THE AMERICA RESCUE PLAN FOR PENNDOT'S HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES. -CAP STATE POLICE SPENDING AT $668 MILLION FROM THE MOTOR LICENSE FUND TO ENSURE THAT CRITICAL FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FOR STATE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. -FOCUSED PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT ON COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA THAT NEED IT THE MOST. -SUPPORTED 16 COMMUNITIES IN THE STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES PARTNERSHIP (SCP) PROGRAM IN SECURING THE FUNDING THEY REQUESTED FROM THE COMMONWEALTH THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. THE SCP BRINGS COMMUNITIES AND EMPLOYERS TOGETHER TO CREATE TRULY TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. -DEVELOPED PLANS TO RECAPITALIZE THE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT FUND (SIF) TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE GAP FINANCING TO ASSURE TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. OVER ITS 25-YEAR HISTORY, THE SIF HAS PROVIDED $170 MILLION IN PRIVATE SECTOR FINANCING, ENABLING $1.2 BILLION IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT. -FOCUSED ON DEPLOYMENT TOWARD UNDERINVESTED COMMUNITIES OF REMAINING $24 MILLION LOAN FUNDS IN THE POWER OF 32 SITE DEVELOPMENT FUND TO PROVIDE GAP FINANCING TO PREPARE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT SITES FOR INVESTMENT. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2014, THE FUND HAS PROVIDED $44 MILLION TOWARD SITE REMEDIATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE OF 740 ACRES, TOTALING AN ESTIMATED $125 MILLION OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT. -PARTNERED WITH THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP (PDP) TO DEVELOP A DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH REVITALIZATION PLAN TO RESPOND TO THE DETERIORATION OF THE COMMERCIAL OFFICE MARKET AND QUALITY OF PLACE OF THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ECONOMIC TRENDS THAT PRE-DATED THE PANDEMIC. THE GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WAS AN ORIGINAL CHAMBER SIGNATORY TO HELP INTRODUCE THE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION ACT, WHICH WILL CREATE A FEDERAL TAX CREDIT TO CONVERT UNUSED OFFICE BUILDINGS TO RESIDENTIAL, RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC IN DECEMBER 2021, DAILY OCCUPANCY OF DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDINGS WAS ONLY 16 PERCENT OF PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS, THREATENING THE LONG-TERM VITALITY OF THE PITTSBURGH REGION'S URBAN CORE