Lauren Connelly

Lauren Connelly’s 20+ year career in Pittsburgh has focused on making the region’s communities more equitable, accessible, and vibrant by creating conditions where people, businesses, and institutions can work collaboratively to achieve a higher quality of life for all. Lauren’s professional experience includes community organizing, engagement, and planning, business and economic development, program design and evaluation, local government and policy, and non-profit management. 

Lauren currently serves as the Vice President of Local Government Affairs and Advocacy for the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce (Chamber), an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Advancing the Allegheny Conference’s vision to achieve a vital, globally competitive region for all, the Chamber advocates at the local, state, and federal levels of government on issues important to improving the economy and quality of life in the 10-county Pittsburgh region. Lauren leads local policy efforts throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region and leads the Conference’s Downtown revitalization efforts. 

Prior to joining the Chamber, Lauren managed community development efforts in both local community-based organizations and local government. Lauren spent more than a decade leading community development in the Lawrenceville community of Pittsburgh. She has served as the Executive Director of both the Lawrenceville Corporation (LC), a community-development corporation serving as a catalyst and conduit for sustainable and responsible growth and reinvestment in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and Lawrenceville United (LU), a residents’ advocacy organization focused on improving and protecting the quality of life for all residents of Lawrenceville.

As an Assistant Director in Allegheny County’s Department of Economic Development, Lauren managed community development loan and grant programs, mainstreet revitalization programs, real estate development projects, and business development programs and projects throughout the 130 municipalities within Allegheny County.

After working through college as an intern with State Senator Jim Ferlo, Lauren started her career within the City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Neighborhood Initiatives leading community development initiatives focused on community engagement, vacant land reclamation and reuse, and mainstreet revitalization.

Lauren currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Local Government Academy, City of Bridges Community Land Trust, City of Pittsburgh License Inspection and Review Board, the Community Growth Fund, and as a Co-Chair of Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s All in Allegheny community engagement and policy development transition initiative.

She has previously served on the Boards of Lawrenceville Corporation, Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group, East End Neighborhood Employment Center, City of Pittsburgh Disruptive Property Appeals Board, and served as a member of the City of Pittsburgh Planning Commission. 

Lauren was inspired and encouraged to work in community development as a child by her grandmother. She graduated from Allegheny College and lives in Lawrenceville with her family.