The Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW | Page 4

Local Priorities
270,000+ Baby Boomers working here are eligible to retire over the next 10 years. If we
do nothing, our region will be short about 100,000 skilled workers to replace them. As
part of its priority to make the region a more welcoming and diverse place for immigrants
and newcomers, the GPCC participated in the City of Pittsburgh’s “Welcoming Pittsburgh
Advisory Council.” Our participation helped to ensure that the final “Welcoming Pittsburgh”
report reflected the interests of regional employers to develop innovative ways to attract
and retain more people to our region to build a more competitive workforce.
The GPCC also highlighted the importance of raising the state’s Neighborhood Assistance
Program (NAP) tax credit above the current $18 million cap due to the success of the
Allegheny Conference’s Strengthening Communities Partnership in participating
underserved local communities.
Finally, the GPCC led and advanced the dialogue around the necessity of high-skilled
immigration reform to drive our local economy forward.

Brandon Mendoza, the GPCC’s government affairs manager, represented the GPCC on the
City of Pittsburgh’s “Welcoming Pittsburgh Advisory Council.”

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