Our Staff

Joining the Partnership in May 2011 as President and CEO, Mr. Waldrup is responsible for working with the Board of Directors, stakeholders and staff to create and implement a vision that ensures Downtown Pittsburgh remains a vibrant and innovative place to live, work and play.

In addition to leading the work of the PDP, Mr. Waldrup participated in the inaugural class of Lead Now, is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh Class XXXI and a board member of Pittsburgh Bike Share and the Pittsburgh Public Theater. He has also been recognized for numerous awards and recognitions including Bike Pittsburgh’s Advocate of the Year, Pittsburgh Business Times Fast Tracker, and member of Smart Business’s Smart 50.

Prior to joining the PDP, Mr. Waldrup worked to support economic development initiatives with the City of New York serving as Assistant Commissioner of District Development for the Department of Small Business Services. In this role Jeremy was responsible for the oversight and capacity building of the City’s 64 Business Improvement Districts and investing in commercial revitalization projects through an annual grant-making program to local economic development organizations.

Mr. Waldrup also worked in business support and community development having worked for the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and at Charlotte Center City Partners. Jeremy also worked in the private sector as a consultant for the downtown master plans of Schenectady, NY and his hometown of Asheville, NC. Mr. Waldrup received a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Colorado and a B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

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An experienced event planner and project manager, Caitlyn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the PDP. She helps to lead the event and activation strategy and execution for the PDP team. Caitlyn is passionate about enhancing Downtown through high-quality, diverse events and activations that create a sense of community.

Prior to joining PDP, Caitlyn worked at Carnegie Mellon in Marketing at the Tepper School of Business, as the Assistant Director of Events at Flyspace Productions, Pittsburgh’s foremost event production company, and in Marketing with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Originally the North Hills of Pittsburgh, Caitlyn has been committed to the region for her entire life and career. She holds a Bachelor of Public Relations from Duquesne University.

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As the VP of Finance and Administration, Leah is responsible for creating, implementing, and overseeing the financial and administrative policies and systems needed to support the operations of the organization including accounting and budgeting, financial reporting, and human resource administration.

Prior to joining the PDP, Leah worked as the Deputy Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh. In this role, she led the financial and operational functions of the affiliate as it executed its mission to provide affordable housing for Pittsburgh families. She has also worked as an auditor for non-profit and government organizations with Yeo & Yeo, PC in Kalamazoo, MI.

Leah returned to Pittsburgh after spending time in Chicago and Michigan. She holds a B.A. in accounting, a CPA license, and is currently pursuing her MBA from the Katz School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

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As Director of Mobility, Tosh is responsible for the development of mobility and infrastructure in Downtown Pittsburgh, spanning from right-of-way improvement projects to transportation demand management programming.

Prior to joining PDP, Tosh served as the Program Director of Move PGH, where he coordinated a consortium of transportation service providers to produce Pittsburgh’s first Mobility as a Service offering. This program built off of his previous work with the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, where he drafted formational policies related to shared mobility service operation. At DOMI he also developed projects, policies, and programs related to smart curb management, electric vehicle charging, and transit integration. Proceeding his time at DOMI, Tosh worked with Argo AI and Pittsburgh Regional Transit in mapping, policy development, and data analysis.

Tosh hails from Lancaster, PA and migrated to the Iron City to attend the University of Pittsburgh, where he graduated with a BA in Environmental Studies and a concentration in Geography.

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Joining the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership in February 2022, Bruce Chan came to the organization during a time when the world recognized that cities need a vibrant, accessible, and healthy public realm, especially in the face of an ongoing pandemic and small business distress. As the Senior Director of Urban Design, Bruce is responsible for advancing urban planning and infrastructure projects that improve the quality of life for all in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Prior to joining the PDP, Bruce worked as a designer with local firm Studio for Spatial Practice where he collaborated with local Western Pennsylvania organizations and municipalities in enhancing and updating communities, with an eye towards preservation, accessibility, and equity. He has also taught at CMU’s School of Architecture.

Bruce serves on the Board of the Bloomfield Development Corporation, advocating for affordable housing, safe streets, and green infrastructure. In 2016, he received the Advocate of the Year award from Bike Pittsburgh, where he currently serves on the Board as an advocate for a more bikeable, walkable, and livable Pittsburgh.

A native of Southern California, Bruce holds a Master of Urban Design from the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California.

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As a passionate event manger, Caroline Colantonio takes on a leading role for on-site execution and oversight of recurring and one-off special events and programming downtown as the PDP’s Event Operations Specialist.

Caroline was first introduced to the PDP in the summer of 2023 while working at night markets and Picklesburgh. She was drawn to the PDP’s mission to cultivate a dynamic and immersive downtown through thoughtful and engaging initiatives. As an integral member of the Events team, Caroline ensures the on-site success of the PDP’s downtown activations and programing for the Pittsburgh community!

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As Senior Director of Constituent Services, Jack is responsible for developing and maintaining strong relationships with Downtown community stakeholders, including businesses, residents, and property owners. Jack oversees and manages the PDP’s membership program and plan, and leads efforts to engage the Downtown community and support the organization’s mission. A member of Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP’s 40 under 40 class of 2022, Jack also plays a key role in placemaking strategy in Market Square and other initiatives that support the PDP’s role in enhancing the Downtown neighborhood for all. 

Prior to joining the PDP, he served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s office as a Civic Engagement Associate, where he was responsible for implementing and managing various volunteer initiatives including launching the Snow Angels Program. 

Jack is originally from Chester Springs outside of Philadelphia but has called Pittsburgh home since earning a B.A. in political science from Duquesne University.

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Ms. Fairbrother keeps the PDP office running smoothly and provides administrative and scheduling support to the organization’s President and CEO, as well as the executive and managerial teams.  Ms. Fairbrother also assists the marketing department with the PDP’s membership program.

Ms. Fairbrother earned a degree from Art Institute of Pittsburgh and is pursuing another in Interior Design.

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As the Operations Supervisor for the Clean & Outreach Teams, Mr. Gregg is responsible for the daily guidance and direction of on-street operations of up to 20 members of Downtown ambassadors. He creates and continually develops deployment plans for the PDP’s Clean Teams while assisting with the logistics of PDP events.

Originating from Coleraine, Northern Ireland, Mr. Gregg attended the local Technical College for Civil Engineering and then Belfast Met for Accounting. He brings his experience from working as a manager for companies like Wetherspoons, Gateway Food Markets, and Security Site Management, along with financial experience working as a Finance/Grant Officer for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

Mr. Gregg previous lived and worked in Belfast and London, where, in his spare time, he was part of the Social Outreach Team at The Holy Trinity Brompton, through which he assisted homeless persons with housing, coaching, and pairing them with employment opportunities.

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As an Associate Manager of Special Events, André Henry assists with the coordination, execution, oversight, and planning of recurring and one-off special events around Downtown Pittsburgh, as well as major events such as Light Up Night and Picklesburgh. In addition, he is responsible for coordinating basic support for non-PDP events in Market Square.

André is originally from Lancaster, PA, and moved to Pittsburgh in 2019. Prior to joining the PDP, André worked as an Operations Supervisor at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and then as a Special Events Coordinator with Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh.

André graduated from Millersville University with a degree in Communications and minor in Athletic Coaching.

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Mr. Hooper serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications and is responsible for driving all marketing activities to enhance the image and public awareness of Downtown Pittsburgh and the PDP. Working in collaboration with other senior leadership team members, Mr. Hooper ensures marketing strategy is an alignment with the brand position, and provides vision and leadership to advance the mission and goals of the organization locally, regionally, and nationally.

Prior to joining the PDP, Mr. Hooper spent 12 years as co-founder and creative director of Third Planet Communications, Inc., a nationally recognized marketing/communications firm and 8 years prior as founder and design director of Reinnov8 Design Group both based in the Pittsburgh area. He also spent several years as Experience Design Manager and Design Principal with ZEFER Pittsburgh leading a specialist teams in definition and execution of large-scale web strategies and initiatives. British born, his background also includes international experience, having worked for the British Standards Institution and AB design Associates, Nottingham. His marketing/communications work has been nationally recognized by Graphic Design USA, and American Graphic Design and Advertising, for over 30 years.

Mr. Hooper received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Information Graphics/Marketing from Nottingham Trent University in the UK.

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As the Vice President of Major Events, Mr. Howard is responsible for developing and programming activities that encourage visitation and support the economic vitality of Downtown Pittsburgh including the PDP’s signature events Light Up Night® and the Peoples Gas Holiday Market™. Additionally, he ensures the financial success of the PDP’s endeavors through creating value-added sponsorship opportunities.

Mr. Howard has extensive experience in cable and broadcast TV, most recently serving as SVP Communications Worldwide for National Geographic Channels in Washington DC. As VP Marketing & Communications at TEAM Services in Woodbury NY, he developed PPV marketing campaigns for WWE, Universal Studios, Paramount Studios and New Line Cinema. Previously, Mr. Howard managed news promotion, public relations, and community affairs at KDKA-TV2, initiating efforts such as the media partnership for the launch of the Andy Warhol Museum, fund-raising telethons for NEED and establishing joint news bureaus with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mr. Howard also served as Chairman of The Three Rivers Film Festival while on the Board of Directors for Pittsburgh Filmmakers.

Mr. Howard received a BA in Visual Media Communications from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Joining the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership in July 2022, Cate Irvin comes to the organization during a time when downtowns need to creatively adapt to recover from the ongoing pandemic. As the Director of Economic Development, Cate is responsible for the implementation of strategies that support the growth and development of Downtown Pittsburgh. 

After nearly 8 years in academia in New Orleans, Cate relocated to Chattanooga, TN to work with the Chattanooga Department of Transportation in the fields of placemaking, policy, and planning. She relocated to Pittsburgh as the Director of Placemaking and Activation for the Oakland Business Improvement District where she spearheaded the ongoing development of a vibrant, accessible, and healthy public realm.  

Cate holds a Master of Public Health from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Emmanuel College. She has also completed extensive post-graduate coursework in the fields of Urban Sociology and Cultural Geography. 

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An experienced writer and editor, Deana oversees marketing and content strategy for the PDP website, social media, and email communications. She also leads narrative development for annual publications and reports. 

Prior to joining PDP, Deana worked in higher education, most recently at Carnegie Mellon University as a communications specialist for the College of Engineering’s Information Networking Institute and as a writing consultant for the Global Communication Center. 

Originally from Hartford, Connecticut, Deana has lived in various places around the Northeast and has called Pittsburgh home since 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bates College and a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Carnegie Mellon.

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As the Senior Director of Special Events, Lynn oversees PDP’s robust schedule of programming and activations, including the Market Square schedule of Farmers Markets, Night Markets, fitness classes, and music programming, as well as the annual Picklesburgh festival, and holiday programming including Light Up Night, and the Peoples Gas Holiday Market, among many other Downtown events.

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