50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor

Editor’s Note: We asked Pittsburgh leaders to give their prescriptions for Mayor Corey O’Connor on how to build a bright future for Pittsburgh. Their answers follow.

David Holmberg, CEO, Highmark Health
I lived Downtown for many years before the pandemic and saw firsthand the experiences that brought people together. Pittsburgh’s future depends on creating a vibrant, welcoming Downtown that draws people back to the heart of our city. We need to tackle underutilized spaces and transform them into destinations that celebrate our culture and foster connection. Projects like Arts Landing, a four-acre civic space with green areas, public art, and performance venues, are more than parks; they’re catalysts for economic vitality and community pride. Incremental change is good, but we also have to make bold moves that position Pittsburgh as a place where people want to live, work, and gather. By investing in cultural infrastructure, we can create a Downtown that reflects our unique Pittsburgh heritage while also driving growth for generations to come.

Leslie Davis, President & CEO, UPMC
Congratulations, Mayor O’Connor. Pittsburgh is entering a pivotal moment, and the decisions you make in your first term will shape the trajectory of Pittsburgh for the next generation. Health care, research, education, advanced manufacturing, and technology aren’t just sectors — they are the backbone of our economic identity, and they will determine our competitiveness for decades to come. None of this is possible without strong public-private collaboration. When the city and its major institutions move in alignment and operate as partners, we can unlock innovation, investment, and long-term stability. Pittsburgh has tremendous competitive advantages, and a disciplined public-private partnership built around those strengths will help Pittsburgh fully realize its potential.

Eric Boughner, Chairman, BNY Pennsylvania
As part of BNY, one of the largest employers in Pittsburgh, I ask Mayor O’Connor to consider focusing on the city’s existing strengths. We have plenty to build from. First, continue investing in Pittsburgh’s talent engine. Our universities, trades, and technical workforce are unmatched assets. Strengthening workforce development, retaining graduates, and attracting experienced talent will sustain long-term economic growth.

Second, make Pittsburgh the easiest place to build and grow a business. Innovation is already happening here across advanced industries. Create a favorable environment for businesses to invest and scale locally through regulatory reforms and collaboration. Additionally, continue to work with those in the community to revitalize Downtown and make it a desirable place to live, work and grow.

Third, treat quality of life as a core economic advantage. Affordability, livability, and strong communities differentiate Pittsburgh in a competitive talent market. Focusing on public safety, infrastructure, and vibrant neighborhoods will help attract and retain businesses and residents. Together, these priorities position Pittsburgh for durable, inclusive growth. These are just some of the reasons BNY has chosen to double down on our commitment to Pittsburgh. We look forward to working with the mayor to continue progress.

Lou Cestello, Regional President, Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania, PNC
It’s an exciting time for Pittsburgh, and PNC is continuing to work with city leaders, including the O’Connor administration, to ensure our Downtown is safe, vibrant, and welcoming. One of the biggest things PNC is focusing on is bringing our workforce back into the office five days a week. That helps bring more people Downtown, spur small business activity, and provide the best possible future for Pittsburghers. In addition, the innovation that Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Highmark, Allegheny Health Network and others are contributing to artificial intelligence, robotics, and life sciences puts us in a significant growth phase as a workforce hub.

Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive
There’s no doubt that our economic recovery and growth is still the top priority for Pittsburgh and our region. I know Mayor O’Connor is going to be a steadfast partner in the Downtown revitalization efforts, including keeping the area safe and welcoming, opening fabulous new public spaces like Arts Landing, and supporting conversions from office space to residential. Downtown is still our economic engine for the region — when people work and live Downtown, go to a show or a game, they are driving a tax base we all need to thrive. So, if I can continue to have great partnership from City Hall on the next chapter of the Golden Triangle, then I know the positive reverberations will help bolster the rest of the city and the county as well.

J. Christopher Donahue, President & CEO, Federated Hermes
Safety and security are critical. Restore the number of cops and police patrols. While the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership helps with cleanliness and security Downtown, the access routes are filthy, like the Seventh Avenue ramp from the Boulevard of the Allies. It’s a lousy signal that Pittsburgh is in decline. Create an attitude of pride and cleanliness.

The permitting process is absurd. The Department of Mobility & Infrastructure just adds more bureaucracy; DOMI should be discontinued.

The Charles Anderson bridge has been closed for years. When will it open? Bus transportation runs huge deficits. Rarely do we see even half-full buses. Apparently, many don’t pay anyway.

Let’s see an honest budget.

Since 75 percent of the city’s earned income tax is given to Pittsburgh Public Schools, the city should get excellence in education, measured by outcomes and an ethos for caring for each child.

Use the parks tax money for the parks.

Jane Werner, Executive Director, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
I’m always struck by Mayor O’Connor’s optimism. It’s a rare quality in our elected officials, corporate and civic leaders, and even in the world of arts organizations. I think it has to do with his great childhood in Pittsburgh and being a father himself. You have to be optimistic when you have young children in the house!

Pittsburgh has not always been an optimistic town. When I moved here in the 1980s, my friend Charley Humphrey used the phrase “mass hysterical low self-esteem” to describe how we felt. Thankfully, we’ve moved beyond those days, but we need to be on guard. Pessimism and cynicism is too easy.

We need to find the good in the city and its people. We need to be true to who we are as Pittsburghers, learn from others, work hard, and chart our own course with optimism.

Mayor O’Connor has an opportunity to spread his optimism throughout Pittsburgh by doing the little things extraordinarily well. It always adds up to something big.

Rick Siger, Pennsylvania Secretary of Community and Economic Development
As Pennsylvania’s second-largest city, Pittsburgh’s success is a crucial part of our commonwealth’s success. The Shapiro administration and Mayor Corey O’Connor share a vision and commitment to ensuring that Pittsburgh reaches its full potential as a city of choice for families and great companies, spurred on by our incredible assets in research and innovation, and our world-class workforce. We look forward to collaborating with the mayor on a number of shared priorities, including permitting that moves at the speed of business and recruiting and retaining great companies to grow and thrive in Pittsburgh. And we will continue to work tirelessly with the O’Connor administration to fully implement Gov. Josh Shapiro’s plan to revitalize Downtown and create a safe, vibrant, affordable, and diverse community that will anchor and support the Pittsburgh region’s growing economy.