Are you a regional champion?

If you look at the region with a glass-half-full attitude, a new program from the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance and the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce wants your help.

The organizations are actively recruiting “Pittsburgh Regional Champions,” people who will be trained to serve as volunteer ambassadors touting the region’s positive assets.

The program began with a concept paper written by participants in the Leadership Pittsburgh XII class in 1997 as its graduation project. Last fall, a director was hired to develop, launch and lead the program. Its goal: to gain a critical mass of people believing that the Pittsburgh region is a great place to live, work and do business.

“The main goal in this is to get everybody to think positively about the region,” says Hilda Pang Fu, director of Pittsburgh Regional Champions. “Our hope is that all business owners here will start to focus on the assets of our region and, like you look at a glass, look at the part that is full.”

In addition to training, Champions are supported in their efforts by a “Quick Reference Guide” with talking points. It contains 14 common complaints, and detailed rebuttals for each. It also includes “key messages” for the following categories of people in the region:

  • Young adults and students — “Go anywhere and get a job, OR discover Pittsburgh and get a life.”
  • High-tech professionals — “Pittsburgh’s Technology Corridor is your superhighway to success.”
  • Executive managers — “The Pittsburgh region is committed to maintaining the right conditions for business success.”
  • Homemakers and heads of households — “Compare Pittsburgh’s quality of life with any other city—ours is tops!”
  • Tourists and conventioneers — “Discover Pittsburgh — a modern, cosmopolitan city with a small-town approach to hospitality.”

    Says Fu: “The basis of it is a person-to-person campaign with an impact that should rub off on other people. It’s a key component of marketing this region.” How to reach:: Pittsburgh Regional Champions, Hilda Pang Fu, (412) 392-4555, ext. 4514, or e-mail her at [email protected].