PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY NAMES NEW PRESIDENT & CEO
PITTSBURGH – MAY 27, 2021 – The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy announces the appointment of Catherine Qureshi as President and Chief Executive Officer. Currently serving as Chief Operating Officer, Qureshi has 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, financial operations, and municipal government.
“Catherine’s steady hand at the helm during the COVID pandemic has been an extraordinary asset for the PPC,” said Michael Lyons, Chair of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s Board of Directors. “As we strengthen our close working relationship with the City of Pittsburgh following implementation of the voter-approved parks tax, Catherine’s professionalism and experience are vitally important. She is the right leader for the PPC today.”
Qureshi joined the Conservancy in 2014 as Director of Finance and Administration. In 2015 she was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer and in 2020 to Chief Operating Officer. In all of those roles she has managed the financial strategies for the Conservancy’s capital projects, including the completion of Frick Environmental Center, restoration of Westinghouse Pond, ongoing Allegheny Commons restoration, improvements in Mellon Square park downtown and Mellon Park in Shadyside/East Liberty, transformation of August Wilson Park, and green infrastructure work in McKinley Park.
Prior to joining the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Qureshi held positions in several City of Pittsburgh departments, including Parks and Recreation, Management and Budget, and Finance. She also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority. From 1999 to 2001, she was Director of Professional Development for the national Government Finance Officers Association in Chicago.
Qureshi earned a Master’s degree in public management from Carnegie Mellon University (with highest honors) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and sociology from the University of Richmond. She was a member of Leadership Pittsburgh XXXIV.
“Catherine Qureshi’s deep experience in local government combined with her years as a valued senior executive at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy make her an ideal choice to lead the organization to its next chapter,” said Meg Cheever, the PPC’s founding President and CEO who currently serves as Senior Executive Advisor. “Having worked closely with Catherine, I can’t imagine a better choice as the next President and CEO.”
###
Alana Wenk
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
412.527.0020
awenk@pittsburghparks.org
About Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy:
Now celebrating its 25th year, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy was founded in December 1996 by a group of citizens concerned with the deteriorating conditions of Pittsburgh’s historic city parks. A non-profit organization, the Parks Conservancy works closely with the City of Pittsburgh under an official public-private partnership agreement to restore and improve the city’s park system to its full potential. To date, the Parks Conservancy has raised more than $130 million and completed 22 major park improvement projects. The Parks Conservancy works with thousands of volunteers, hosts hundreds of events, and provides programming for more than 7,500 children annually.