Thank you to everyone who attended the 2023 Regional Progress Forum and Coleman Award Dinner! Videos from the Keynote Sessions are now available on YouTube and through the links below.
Building a Strong Region that Provides Opportunities for All
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Location
Senator John Heinz History Center
1212 Smallman St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Agenda
Click here to download the agenda.
Details
The University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics has a proud 30+ year history of bringing together elected officials from all levels of government, and from both sides of the aisle, for programs that foster better understandings of, and develop effective strategies to address, issues that are important to our home region. The Regional Progress Forum is the next phase in bringing together elected officials, key business and nonprofit leaders, academics, and other community stakeholders for impactful discussion in a neutral, off-the-record environment.
This year’s program focused on building a strong region that provides opportunities for all. Click the presentation titile for any of the keynote sessions below to watch the video:
Workforce and the Regional Economy: Providing Opportunities for All
Maria Flynn
President & CEO | Jobs for the Future
The Face of Poverty in Pennsylvania: The ALICE Population
Dr. Stephanie Hoopes
National Director | United for ALICE at United Way of Northern New Jersey
Plan for Pennsylvania's Future
The Honorable Rick Siger
Secretary | PA Department of Community and Economic Development
What is the Regional Progress Forum?
The purpose of the Forum is to provide an informal opportunity to the discuss strategies that address regional issues and to encourage cross sector partnerships between participants, who include elected officials and administrators from all levels of government, academics, foundation and nonprofit leaders, and members of the business community.
The Forum kicked off the Institute's policy programming for 2024. To that end, the Institute invited professionals from any sector with an interest in regional public policy, especially in the areas of economic development, local government, eduction, workforce development, and human services, to attend.
Coleman Award
The Coleman Award for Excellence in Community Service recognizes individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving the southwestern Pennsylvania region and exhibited the qualities for which the Institute’s founding director, Moe Coleman, was known, particularly the ability to build bridges and make connections across disparate groups or communities. The following 2023 award recipients were recognized at a dinner following the Regional Progress Forum on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Click their names below to watch the video.
Dr. Christine McClure
Senior Research Scientist of Health Policy and Management | University of Pittsburgh
Adjunct Professor and Dissertation Mentor | University of Miami
Dr. Christine McClure is a Senior Research Scientist of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh and an Adjunct Professor and Dissertation Mentor at the University of Miami. Dr. McClure earned her bachelor’s degree in health services administration and MBA from Point Park University and her master’s degree in public policy management and doctorate in education from the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. McClure is an expert in disparities research and an experienced qualitative researcher whose research interests include the intersectional experiences of women of color in various contexts including higher education, healthcare, public health, and child welfare to inform the creation of more equitable spaces, policies, and practices.
Dr. McClure is dedicated to community engagement and service and currently serves as the Board Chair for When She Thrives, a local non-profit organization whose mission is to equip single mothers to move their families from poverty to prosperity. Dr. McClure also serves the community through organizations including, Strong Women Strong Girls, PA Women Work, the Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Program at Robert Morris University, EmployHer Pittsburgh, and Multiplying Good Pittsburgh. Dr. McClure is also a member of the American Council on Education Women’s Network, Women’s Leadership Council, the Point Park Alumni Council, the Child Well-Being Research Network, and the ChangeMakers board for Multiplying Good Pittsburgh.
While Dr. McClure is proud of her professional and educational accomplishments, her most rewarding roles include daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.
James C. Roddey
Former County Executive | Allegheny County
James C. Roddey has a career that spans decades, sectors, and states. After working in the communications industry in Atlanta, including a stint as the president and COO of Turner Communications Corporation, Roddey moved to Pittsburgh where he launched and subsequently sold a number of start-up firms.
During that time, he became active in Pittsburgh’s nonprofit sector, serving on at least 40 nonprofit or municipal boards, 15 as president or chair. He is an emeritus trustee of the University of Pittsburgh and has served on the boards of UPMC, the United Way of SWPA, WQED, Pittsburgh Public Theater, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, ALCOSAN, and RiverQuest. He has also served on the boards of five foundations.
In 1998, Roddey was elected as the first county executive in Allegheny County after helping to shape a new structure for the county’s government that replaced the three-member county commissioner model with one that included a county executive and council.
In 2020, Roddey started a radio show, “Heroes,” in partnership with the Andrew Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, which features interviews with first responders and those in service to the community.
Roddey was born in Asheville, NC, and graduated from Texas Christian University with a degree in communications. Following his graduation, he spent nine years in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he earned the rank of Captain. He and his wife Elin have two children, and his family includes three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren (triplet boys).