 |
Michael M. Edwards
President & CEO
|
As the PDP's President and CEO, Michael Edwards administers the Business Improvement District Downtown, advocating for the business and property owners and marketing Downtown as the region's business and cultural center and the premier location to live, work, shop, dine, play and visit. Prior to joining the PDP, Mr. Edwards was the President of the Downtown Spokane Partnership in Spokane WA, Principal of The Saratoga Associates in Buffalo, NY and Executive Director of the Buffalo Place, Inc. in Buffalo, NY.
Edwards, originally from Buffalo, NY, earned his B.A. from Canisius College in Buffalo and a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
 |
Lucinda G. Beattie
VP of Transportation
|
As VP of Transportation for the PDP, Ms. Beattie is focused on campaigns to mitigate traffic congestion and enhance ease of travel Downtown. She played a lead role in PDP's “Coneman Campaign,” and serves on PDP's Construction Mitigation Task Force and represents the PDP on all transportation-related committees and coalitions.
Prior to joining the PDP, Ms. Beattie was a consultant for major neighborhood revitalization projects and held several positions with the South Side Local Development Company.
Ms. Beattie has a B.A. from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts and a Masters of Science in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Ms. Burk has been directing the urban housing and economic development in Downtown Pittsburgh since 2001. Previous to that, she traveled the country doing real estate site acquisition and development for assisted living and retail companies.
She has a Masters in Real Estate Development and Investment from New York University, is a partner in a downtown residential project (5Lofts.com), and has over 10 years of real estate experience.
Ms. Plevyak manages all aspects of marketing for the PDP including supervision of the writing, layout, and distribution of collateral materials; overseeing the coordination of announcements related to the PDP and its programs; serving as primary contact with media; promoting special events; and providing support and strategic input on advocacy issues.
Prior to joining the PDP, she was Manager, Corporate Communications for Allegheny Energy in Greensburg, Pa. She also spent eight years in the Corporate Communications department at Highmark Inc. working in both its Camp Hill and Pittsburgh offices.
A native of Northeastern Pennsylvania and resident of Pittsburgh, Ms. Plevyak earned her B.A. in Communication/Journalism from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
 |
Brooke M. Rinier
Manager of e-Marketing and Promotions
|
Ms. Rinier creates and distributes the PDP's electronic publications, including the weekly and monthly newsletters; maintains information for PDP's database; acts as the gatekeeper for all content on the Website, and assists with PDP-sponsored events.
Most recently, Ms. Rinier was a Communications Technician with the Corporate Communications department at Allegheny Energy in Greensburg, Pa.
A native of Jeannette, Pa., she earned her B.S. in Communication from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
 |
Sean C. Luther
Economic Development Specialist
|
Mr. Luther administers the day-to-day strategies and action items to promote the retention, expansion and recruitment of business throughout the greater Downtown area, focusing on retail, office, high-tech, residential and special projects.
Prior to working with the PDP, Mr. Luther was a principle at S.C.P. Luther Holdings, LLC. He directed the firm’s real estate development, consulting, and market analysis efforts in Pittsburgh and South Carolina.
A Pittsburgh native, Mr. Luther earned a B.S. in Political Science/Public Administration from Clemson University in South Carolina. He also holds a Masters of Real Estate Development, also from Clemson.
Ms. Weber is charged with various administrative functions for the PDP including, assisting with special events and maintaining mailing lists. Prior to joining the PDP, Ms. Weber held administrative, secretarial and marketing positions with a number of companies, including Raytheon Consulting & Systems Integration, HDR Engineering, Inc., Daxus Corporation, Advanced Systems Engineering and Dravo Engineers.
Ms. Zwergel serves as the Office Manager for the PDP where she brings 20 years of experience to her role. Prior to joining the PDP, Ms. Zwergel held accounting, financial and business management positions with several medical and legal offices.
Ms. Zwergel attended the Community College of Allegheny County where she earned an associate's degree in accounting.
 |
Katie Zawrotniak
Program and Events Manager
|
Ms. Zawrotniak is responsible for the day-to-day programming and operations of Market Square and ongoing event support for the annual series of PDP Downtown events administered through the PDP Marketing Department.
Prior to joining the PDP, Ms. Zawrotniak held positions with Gateway to the Arts and Opera Festival of New Jersey.
Ms. Zawrotniak has an Masters degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Arts Management and a B.A. in Music at Gettysburg College.
 |
Paul J. Hochendoner
Manager, PDP Safety Ambassador & Clean Team Programs
|
Mr. Hochendoner manages the daily operations of the Safety Ambassador and Clean Team Programs and collaborates with local social service agencies, police and other emergency service providers in order to develop a strong network to keep Downtown clean and safe. Mr. Hochendoner utilizes his counseling skills while working with the homeless population.
A native of Pittsburgh and resident of Greensburg, Pa., Mr. Hochendoner earned his B.A. in Psychology from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and his Masters degree in Counseling from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
