Words can barely express the importance to the Pittsburgh region of the announcement that the next meeting of the Group of 20 World Economic Powers will be held in the city this fall. Not to put too fine a point on it, but this may be the big break we've been waiting for.

The eyes of the world will be on the Golden Triangle when the leaders of the world's top 20 countries come to Pittsburgh on Sept. 24-25, 2009. And even before that, in the months leading up to the big event, the news will be full of stories about the city's recovery from the dark period of the early 1980s, when the steel industry collapsed and the local economy lay in ruins.

All too many people remember those days of 18 percent unemployment, home foreclosures and personal bankruptcies that make today's world economic environment look like a walk in the park. Well, almost.

Some may have heard the chuckles in the White House press corps when it was announced on May 28 that Pittsburgh would host the G20 Summit. That's OK, we're used to people who misunderstand Pittsburgh. They're the ones who need to be schooled on the tremendous progress that has been made in the area in recent years. They're the ones who will be coming to Pittsburgh in September and they're the ones whose editors are already saying "Hey, we need a story about Pittsburgh. Why don't you put something together."

That's where the opportunity comes in for everyone in the Pittsburgh region, and all of the city's many fans around the world, to talk up all the positive things that have been happening here in the past 25 years or so.

GlobalPittsburgh knows that the Pittsburgh region is home to tens of thousands of new Americans and others born in foreign countries who have come here to work, to play, to study and to invest. More than 40 distinct international communities can be found in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and more than 300 international firms from 26 different countries operate offices, research labs or manufacturing facilities in the region.

Bill Flanagan of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development likes to start off his talks by reminding people that the number of total jobs in the Pittsburgh region is 70,000 higher than in 1979, when the steel industry was at its peak. And he also points out that the local unemployment rate is currently below the national average.

Pittsburgh is a world leader in health care, thanks to UPMC and Allegheny General Hospital, and an innovation hub thanks to Carnegie Mellon University and the University and the many business spinoffs they have created. In addition, more than 125 corporate and federal research & development centers are located here, along with 90 billion-dollar-plus companies.

There's the world-renowned Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the championship sports teams, the wide range of international restaurants, and the many recreational activities on and off the water. And if you want to get away, we're a day's drive from half the population of the U.S. and Canada.

On top of that, it's an affordable, accessible, safe and increasingly cool place to live. Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood has been called "the next Williamsburg," referring to the Brooklyn section that grew from gritty urban wasteland to ultra-hip oasis. And don't forget the South Side, East Liberty, Squirrel Hill and Bloomfield.

We all know people who have moved to Pittsburgh from other parts of the country who are amazed at how much house they can get for their money and how safe it is and easy to get around in (unless you count the fact that you'll often get directions based on landmarks that have long since disappeared - "Turn left where the old Isaly's used to be.")

We can all be ambassadors for GlobalPittsburgh in the months to come. We can help in the continuing efforts to change the minds of those who chuckle when they hear about Pittsburgh. We all have a lot to be proud of and we have the right to boast about the changes that are taking place here every day.

Read the GlobalPittsburgh blog at globalpittsburgh.blogspot.com. Learn more about the Pittsburgh region at www.globalpittsburgh.org and www.imaginepittsburgh.org.

- Thomas Buell, Jr.

A group of prominent Pittsburghers will travel to Europe this month to study how other post-industrial cities are learning to grow, and to spread the word about success stories in the Pittsburgh region.

The group, which also includes representatives of Cleveland and Detroit, will visit Turin, Italy and Essen, Germany, both of which suffered the collapse of their industrial base around the same time the steel industry bottomed out in Pittsburgh.

Organized by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the June 13-21 trip is the latest activity involving the Transatlantic Cities Network, a group of 25 cities on both sides of the Atlantic.

Representing Pittsburgh on the trip are Allen Kukovich - Executive Director, Regional Visioning Project, University of Pittsburgh; William Getty - President, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation; Audrey Russo - President & CEO, Pittsburgh Technology Council; and Tracy Certo - Publisher and Editor, Pop City Media.

The Network "provides a framework for the exchange of information about innovative policies, best practices, and local policy challenges among a diverse network of policymakers, practitioners, and civic leaders who are well-positioned to put new ideas into practice in their home cities."

Cities in the Transatlantic Cities Network were chosen "based on their potential to share innovative policy solutions in certain key policy areas, as well as to benefit from the experiences of other cities in different policy areas."

Other U.S. cities in the TCN are Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Charlotte, NC, Cleveland, OH, Denver, CO, Detroit, MI, Oakland, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, San Antonio, TX, and Washington, D.C.

European cities are Belgrade, Birmingham, Brussels, Copenhagen, Essen, Genoa, Krakow, Leipzig, Lille, Lyon, Rotterdam, Turin and Valencia.

The trip supports the efforts of Pittsburgh's Regional Visioning Project, which is drafting a set of goals for the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area, a 30-county region that spans four states and includes nearly 4 million residents.

Coordinators of the project, which is led by former Pennsylvania State Senator Kukovich, will focus on building a consensus among the region's residents, instead of following the more traditional approach of drafting and implementing a long-term regional plan from the top down.

"Like a number of other older industrial cities, including many members of the Transatlantic Cities Network, Pittsburgh will use the regional visioning process as a way to begin approaching its post-industrial future with a sense of purpose and focus, shared broadly between citizens, stakeholders, and institutions," the GMF said.

The first major public event of the process was a town hall meeting on May 20 staged by cityLIVE!, an event series jointly supported by local foundations and media. The evening featured former Mayor of Turin Valentino Castellani. During his term in the 1990s, Castellani spearheaded the creation of Turin's region-based, internationally-focused Strategic Plan, which was drafted collaboratively by over 100 stakeholders representing a broad cross-section of the public, government, and business.

The Transatlantic Cities Network is supported by the Bank of America Foundation, the Compagnia di San Paolo, and the Ford Foundation.

Read the GlobalPittsburgh blog at globalpittsburgh.blogspot.com. Learn more about the Pittsburgh region at www.globalpittsburgh.org and www.imaginepittsburgh.org.

GlobalPittsburgh is expanding its mission to spread the word about the Pittsburgh Region on an international scale and host delegations of visitors from around the world with the ultimate goal of boosting economic growth in the region.

To facilitate this step forward, the Board of Directors of the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors has voted to change the name of PCIV to GlobalPittsburgh, effective immediately.

The newly named organization will continue and expand PCIV’s hosting and programming functions for international delegations to the Pittsburgh region, which it has performed with distinction for 50 years. Growth will be accomplished by the addition of active promotional and business development functions, according to Board Chairman James S. Wolf. The new GlobalPittsburgh, which will retain PCIV’s not-for-profit status, plans to increase the number of international delegations to Pittsburgh, and thereby increase revenues and sustainability for the new organization and enhance global economic growth in the Pittsburgh region, he said.

“The outcome of this decision will be to combine the highly respected hosting activities of the PCIV with the existing and also respected brand of GlobalPittsburgh, which was founded eight years ago to highlight the region’s international connections and bring together its many international communities,” Wolf said.

Running the new GlobalPittsburgh will be Roger O. Cranville, former Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary for International Business Development, and former Senior Vice President – Global Marketing at the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, who will serve as president of the organization.

Joining Cranville will be Gail Shrott, vice president – programming services, who previously was PCIV’s executive director. Also remaining on the staff will be Tim Allen, director – programming services. New staff will include Thomas Buell, Jr., vice president – communications, and Pat Fustich, director – operations.

“During the next 12 months, GlobalPittsburgh will focus on spreading the word about Pittsburgh internationally, and energizing the region’s many followers around the world, both during the months leading up to the G-20 Economic Summit, and, perhaps more importantly, beyond the G-20,” Cranville said.

Originally an outcome of the Allegheny County 2001 International Transition Team recommendations, the GlobalPittsburgh initiative was conceived by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance and the PCIV. A GlobalPittsburgh website and electronic newsletter were developed, but have since had their funding discontinued.

GlobalPittsburgh will continue to work closely with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh on international education programs under the GlobalPittsburgh brand. The new GlobalPittsburgh will operate as an independent organization, but will work in cooperation with its original founding groups, Wolf said.

The PCIV’s website will shift to the www.globalpittsburgh.org domain name, and the content will be updated to combine the promotion, hosting and business development functions, Cranville said.

Moving forward, GlobalPittsburgh will partner with local media organizations and other organizations to foster international community growth in the region, and provide resources to foreign companies and organizations to start their U.S. operations including immigration, administrative support for foreign executives, access to community resources, familiarization and relocation information, while supporting but not duplicating other international business development programs in the region, he said.

In its new configuration, GlobalPittsburgh will undertake four main activities:
• Actively marketing & promoting the Pittsburgh region and its many international connections around the world
• Hosting visiting international delegations, groups and individuals by assimilating and growing the programs and functions of the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors (PCIV)
• Engaging globally with companies and organizations, and expanding recognition of the Pittsburgh region as an internationally connected place to live, work and do business
• Creating and Managing a network among organizations in the region sharing a common vision of advancing the Pittsburgh region as a truly global community

GlobalPittsburgh will continue to expand its social media presence, which includes a news and information blog at globalpittsburgh.blogspot.com, and accounts on Twitter (@GlobalPGH), Facebook (GlobalPittsburgh fan page) and LinkedIn (GlobalPittsburgh group).

“Our goal is to provide news and information not only about the activities of GlobalPittsburgh, but also the internationally related activities of organizations, companies, schools and universities, government organizations and any other entities and individuals with any connection to the Pittsburgh region,” Cranville said. “Our scope is intentionally broad and all-encompassing.”

For further information, contact Thomas Buell, Jr., VP-Communications, at 412-720-2218 or tcbuell@versopartners.com