Kayla Portis Becomes Sharpsburg, PA’s First Black mayor
SHARPSBURG MAYOR KAYLA PORTIS (PHOTO BY NANCI GOLDBERG) The U.S. Census says there are about 180 Black people who currently live in Sharpsburg, PA, or 5.6 percent of the borough's population. But don't let the small percentage fool you—in the past eight months, African Americans have been making historic moves in Sharpsburg politics. Kayla Portis, 39, a Sharpsburg Borough council member since 2021, made history on July 11 by being appointed Sharpsburg's first Black mayor. And following an open interview process with Portis and other candidates on that July 11
Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith, PTC president stands strong on her record; ‘I Finish What I Start’
Dr. Harvey-Smith is the president of Pittsburgh Technical College, or PTC for short. Today, the school is pretty much no more. The school’s Board of Trustees decided in June 2024 to close the college altogether in August following declining enrollment and a host of investigations and local TV news stories that, according to some at the college who spoke with the Courier, including Dr. Harvey-Smith, portrayed the college in a very bad light. In the fiscal year 2019, the college had a debt of $46.4 million, the
Larry Pickett named Chairman of International Association of Technology and Management
The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Larry C. Pickett was selected as Chairman to lead the International Association of Technology and Management (IATM). The selection was made on May 22. The goal of IATM is to foster collaboration among professionals in academia, industry, and research to advance the fields of technology and management. Pickett serves as a member of the IATM advisory board. He is also a member of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Business Innovation Office, where he leads the Project Management Center of Excellence. He
Rev. Cornell Jones Receives Inaugural Fred Rogers Institute Award
The people who everyone gives up on are the ones who I’m drawn to.’ When you do good, it seems like good always comes back to you. Andrea Flack-Wetherald could have just let the deadline pass. She could have just turned on the TV, or scrolled through Facebook. Instead, she was determined to fill out a number of questions and even create and submit a video about how much Rev. Cornell Jones deserves the inaugural Fred Rogers Institute Helper Award. Flack-Wetherald, who no longer lives in Pittsburgh, described how, when she
Dr. Kathi Elliott, Gwen’s Girls Executive Director Wins Pittsburgh Steelers’ Changemaker Award
Gwen’s Girls CEO touts early success of diversion program for Allegheny County youth Kathi Elliott, Ph.D., the CEO of inspirational nonprofit organization Gwen’s Girls, was surprised as “all get out” when she was named the recipient of the Pittsburgh Steelers' Inspire Change Changemaker Award. The annual award is presented to an individual for their work in support of social justice in the Alleghany County region. The NFL franchise reserves the Changemaker Award for those making a difference in their community across Inspire Change’s four focus areas: education, economic advancement,
Pittsburgh’s Mayor Gainey is Unfiltered and Unafraid to take on tough issues
Affordable housing is a major problem in the City of Pittsburgh. Many African Americans who once lived in East Liberty, Uptown, the South Side Flats area and parts of the Central North Side have been uprooted, with sparkling, flashy new apartment developments that, if the developers had their way, would have all the units priced at market-rate. But in the words of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, the city's first Black mayor, "if you're coming to ask me for city subsidy, I'm gonna tell you what I need; I need
Kevin Walker named President and CEO of Duquesne Light Company
PITTSBURGH—The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that the Board of Directors of DQE Holdings LLC (DQE) has appointed Kevin Walker as the new President and CEO of Duquesne Light Company (DLC), Duquesne Light Holdings, Inc. and DQE. Walker succeeds Mark Kaplan, who had served in an interim role since January of this year. Kaplan has also served as chief financial officer and will retain that role throughout June, after which he will become special advisor to the company’s management and board of directors. Matthew Ankrum will assume the
Karla Trotman and Electro Soft: The legacy that keeps on giving
For Karla Trotman, legacy isn’t just a six-letter word for generational success - it’s a motivating force ignited by desires to inspire, uplift, and encourage the Black community to pursue goals normally deemed unobtainable. Trotman is the President and CEO of Electro Soft, Incorporated, America’s largest Black-owned electronics manufacturing and engineering firm. An origin story of family traditions and shared careers, Trotman’s journey into the business world began with a front-row seat to the thriving Pennsylvania-based electronics-manufacturing company. Established in 1986, Electro Soft is the brainchild of Trotman’s parents,