On Monday, June 4, 2018, PUMP and ULYP (Urban League Young Professionals) hosted a Town Hall with Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald at Union Project. 90+ community members, PUMP members, and ULYP members joined us for this opportunity to hear directly from these two key regional leaders, ask their own questions, and network.

Questions + Conversation:

Pascale Joseph, PUMP Board Member, moderated the discussion, asking a few prepared questions representative of the issues that matter to PUMP and ULYP – including how to make Pittsburgh livable for all, especially people of color, and what role young people can play in policymaking.

The audience was invited to submit their questions on note cards. They were sorted and asked by a few volunteers throughout the evening. Several community members raised questions around Amazon HQ2, fracking in Western Pennsylvania, and other key regional issues, which the Mayor and County Executive were invited to answer.

Staying Engaged

Both the Mayor and the County Executive, in their closing remarks, encouraged all of us to stay engaged in the issues we care about through volunteering, advocacy, running for office, and more. Mayor Peduto called on all of this to “do more than this,” reminding us that this conversation was just a first step in being active, engaged residents.

PUMP Board Chair Arthur Pang closed out the formal program by encouraging everyone to take some time during the networking portion of the evening to learn about Our Kids. Our Commitment., the Allegheny County Children’s Fund Initiative to fund early childhood learning, after school programs, and nutritious meals for kids. PUMP, a member of the steering committee, is deeply invested in this effort to collect 40,000+ signatures from June 19-August 7 to get the initiative on the ballot in November. Learn more here.

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald stayed to chat with attendees and snap a quick selfie with the teams from ULYP and PUMP!

Want to know more about the event?

You can view video of the event here, thanks to ULYP.

Plus, check out the coverage of the event in PittNews.

Thanks to our event sponsor Green Mountain Energy!