Northside Leadership Conference

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The Northside Leadership Conference is a coaltion of 13 neighborhood based organizations servining the Northside of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Conference was founded in 1983 and was originally an advocacy group dedicated to neighborhood revitialization, historic preservation and community empowerment. Mark Schneider and Nancy Schaefer were the first two directors and helped guide the organization in negotiating major community development investments.

In 1988, the Northside Leadership Conference negotiated a community benefits organizations with Allegheny General Hospital, the largest employer on the Northside. This agreement covered development of the Hospital Campus, noise related to the AGH helicopter, employment for Northside residents, and a mortgage assistance program for AGH empolyees purchasing a home in a Northside neighborhood.

In 1992, the Conference hired its first real estate development director, Mark P. Masterson. During his seven year tenure, the program produced and sold more than 75 houses (both restored structures and new construction) and won local and national recognition for quality and innovation. Several projects were featured on the a nationally syndicated PBS home improvement series.

In early 1993, the Conference hired Ed Brandt as Executive Director. Mr. Brandt began to expand the programs that were offered by the Conference, including employment, AGH partnership, a new Community Service partnership with the HJ Heinz Company, a new community loan fund subsidiary (Northside Community Loan Fund) and other initiatives. The board membership was expanded to hinclude HJ Heinz and AGH representatives.

In 2006, Mark Fatla was hired as Executive Director. The Conference has a full time staff of 10 and is involved in Real Estate Development, the Allegheny Commons Park rehabilitation, a Main Street program, community organizing, public safety, and employment services.

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