The Pittsburgh Foundation, President and Chief Executive Officer

The Pittsburgh Foundation has appointed William “Bill” Generett Jr. as its next President and Chief Executive Officer.

A proven leader with a deep commitment to community, innovation, and underserved populations, Bill has built a career setting and achieving bold visions through entrepreneurship, economic and workforce development, and civic engagement. His successes in growing southwestern Pennsylvania’s economy and expanding opportunities for upward mobility in Pittsburgh have rippled across the region and have become national models for other cities to follow.

Bill has served as a member of the Foundation’s board since 2018, most recently as vice chair. He will be stepping into the Foundation’s President role after nearly a decade at Duquesne University, most recently as Senior Vice President for Civic Engagement and External Relations. Under Bill’s leadership, the University’s Office of Civic Engagement and External Relations raised approximately $30 million to support university initiatives. He also serves as executive in residence at the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business and is an adjunct professor at the Thomas Kline School of Law.

Before his tenure at Duquesne, Bill founded and led Urban Innovation21, a public-private partnership that became a national model for inclusive innovation. It connected the Pittsburgh region’s burgeoning innovation economy to underserved communities through business attraction and expansion, equitable development, and workforce development and training programs for students and residents.

Bill is a graduate of Emory University’s School of Law and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College.

You can read the full press release here.

Rebecca Swartz led this search with Tatiana Oberkoetter and Harley Bartles.