Celebrating a transformative leader and arts advocate in Downtown’s Cultural District

This month, Kevin McMahon, who has led the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust through two decades of vibrant growth and change, is retiring as the organization’s President and CEO. Throughout his long and impactful tenure, McMahon has also been a key partner to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP), having served on our board of directors and as a member of our executive committee.

If you’ve been to the Cultural District, you’ve seen what makes this area the beating heart of the region. This 14-block stretch of Downtown attracts over two million visitors every year with its world-class performing arts venues, festivals, galleries, visual arts installations, and educational programs.

The Cultural District thrives today thanks in large part to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and its long-time leader Kevin McMahon, who is retiring as the organization’s President and CEO at the end of January 2023.

The Cultural Trust saw incredible growth under McMahon’s two-decade-long tenure, which accelerated Downtown’s cultural and economic transformation and garnered local, regional, and global recognition for harnessing the arts as a “catalyst for urban revitalization.” McMahon has collaborated closely with many Cultural District institutions including the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

“It has been an absolute honor to serve Pittsburgh for the past 21 years and be a part of a community that has generously supported and attended tens of thousands of events and programs in Pittsburgh’s vibrant Cultural District,” said McMahon in a press release from the Cultural Trust.

McMahon also steered the organization through the COVID-19 crisis and its devastating economic and social impacts. While the non-profit organization, like many others, is still recovering from the toll of the pandemic, his efforts have made the Cultural Trust, and Cultural District as a whole, more resilient and poised for long-term success.

Through his dedicated service to the arts in Downtown, McMahon has also been a key partner to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership in our efforts to make the Golden Triangle the region’s top destination to work, live, and play. He has served on our board of directors and as a member of our executive committee, supporting the leadership and direction of our work.

“I am grateful to have worked with Kevin over the years and to witness the transformative impact of his leadership in arts advocacy, community engagement, and visionary collaboration,” said Jeremy Waldrup, President and CEO of the PDP. “His legacy will continue to be felt in Downtown for years to come, and I congratulate him on his long and successful tenure at the Cultural Trust and wish him the best in his retirement.”

Starting in February 2023, Kevin McMahon will be succeeded by Kendra Whitlock Ingram as president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. 

Read the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s official statement announcing Kevin McMahon’s retirement.