Contact: Executive Director Anne J. Swager, Hon. AIA (412) 471-9548

AIA Pittsburgh Hosts Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to Address Pittsburgh’s Renaissance and Renewal

PITTSBURGH, PA: Governor Thomas J. Vilsack of Iowa will deliver the keynote address on “Renaissance and Renewal: Pittsburgh’s Heritage and Future” at AIA Pittsburgh’s Build Pittsburgh, an annual conference for the Design/Build community, on March 18th at an 8 AM breakfast at the William Penn Ballroom in the Omni William Penn Hotel.

“Governor Vilsack’s insights and success in the state of Iowa are relevant to our region as we confront the problems of a decaying downtown, urban sprawl, an aging infrastructure and diminished tax base,” says AIA first Vice-President Thomas J. Briney, AIA of Astorino. “It is especially relevant as architects embark on a new and major effort to create a blueprint for our own region and its livability.”

AIA Pittsburgh has recently taken a new direction to focus on architects’ impact on communities by promoting good planning and design of where we live and work, explains AIA Pittsburgh President Stephen L. Quick, AIA of Perkins Eastman. “It’s all about repositioning architects to deal with broader scope issues in envisioning, designing and participating in communities.”

Governor Vilsack, a Pittsburgh native who grew up in Squirrel Hill, retains a deep appreciation of our region’s heritage, which is rooted in a strong work ethic, enduring neighborhood pride, and civic responsibility. As a product of this environment, the Governor understands the character and leadership that has enabled Pittsburgh to renew and redefine itself through two Renaissances.

In his own political career, he has applied those virtues together with a strategic vision and clarity of purpose to position Iowa for growth and progress in the twenty-first century. During his time in office, Iowa has significantly expanded cultural and recreational opportunities with $1.6 billion of investment in 119 Iowa communities. Under his leadership, a $503 million Iowa Values Fund is making direct investments in Iowa companies and has helped create or retain thousands of good-paying jobs since it was established in June 2003.

Consistent with Vilsack’s vision of making Iowa energy independent, the state in the last five years has nearly tripled Iowa’s ethanol production and will next year become the nation’s leading producer of ethanol.

Vilsack, who was orphaned at birth and adopted in 1951, received a bachelor's degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York in 1972, and received a law degree from Albany Law School in 1975. He was elected mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa in 1987, and was elected to the Iowa Senate in 1992. In 1998 he became Iowa's first Democratic governor in more than 30 years, and was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002.

The objective of AIA Pittsburgh, a Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, is to improve the quality of the built environment by raising the standards of architecture, education and practice; fostering design excellence, and promoting the value of architectural service to the public.