Remarks by Timothy White, Senior Vice President of Development

Thank you for this recognition of RIDC and its work in developing Mill 19, which is such an important project for our region. We’re very proud of Mill 19 – I think it’s a good representation of our values as an organization, but also of our values as a community.

The name “March of Dimes” was born out of a campaign that sought not only to raise money, but to engage all Americans – to unify the country around a common purpose, to give everyone an opportunity to participate in solving a common problem.

And while there may be a lot of division on the national level over our current public health crisis, what I see at the local level, especially here in Pittsburgh, is a greater recognition of our common values and the goals we all must work toward together.

But people in our region have a long track record of working together to solve big problems. Our foundations have played a large role in supporting our quality of life and advancing projects that move us toward the future. Our world-class universities are driving innovation and producing technological advancements as much today as they were in the days of Dr. Salk. Our civic minded corporate sector has partnered with communities and always recognized that their success is tied to the success of those they serve.

And then there are unique entities like RIDC, a private nonprofit organization, that runs like a business, but has the economic development of our communities as its mission.

That mission leads to an approach that, like the March of Dimes, is practical and focused, but also inclusive – never losing sight of the communities and people who benefit from our work. Mill 19 is a perfect illustration – originally led by the foundations, planned in a way that makes it part of the larger community, designed to preserve what was best of the past, but to be environmentally friendly, now housing university groups and companies that are leaders in technology innovation – creating jobs and economic activity that benefit us all. And it’s only the beginning.

Thank you again for this award. Thank you to all our partners. We are proud to be part of the March of Dimes family.