What Does It Take To Drive the Economy of an Entire County to “Victory”? Bob Hurley Has the Answers!
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Mention the name “Bob Hurley” to anybody outside of Allegheny County in Western Pennsylvania, and the majority of responses you’d get will likely involve the star point guard who led Duke University to back-to back NCAA basketball championships in the early 1990′s (or his father, an iconic high school basketball coach in New Jersey, developing his son and countless others for decades).
But much like his namesake drove the Blue Devils to unparalleled success some 25 years ago, Allegheny County’s Bob Hurley is charged with a similar, albeit more important task as the Director of Economic Development in Allegheny County.
As the County’s premier champion for fulfilling the region’s vast potential when it comes to maximizing the resources, (natural, human, infrastructure), Bob’s mission is three-fold. First, Bob works tirelessly to ensure that the county’s businesses have the resources and the opportunities they need to reach their fullest potential to succeed and thrive within county borders, and the incentive to STAY in Allegheny County as they continue to do so.
Second, Bob serves as the County’s flagbearer when it comes to attracting businesses from around the country, and the world, to either relocate their headquarters, or, at the very least, establish a presence, within the County. And that “word of mouth”, so to speak, is paying off, as in recent years, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Uber, American Eagle, and other companies spanning a variety of sectors have taken the hint and found out for themselves what the County has to offer.
Third, Bob continues to bridge the economic evolution of Allegheny County, from the steel and manufacturing drivers that once saw the County through, to the current stalwarts of tech, medicine, and education.
How does Bob manage it all, and continue to drive the County’s economy forward to bigger and better things? And what does Bob see for the future of the region? Bob tells all on this edition of “The Raja Show”, as he talks with Raja about his role as “point guard” for the County’s economy, as well as his role as Chairman of the Port Authority of Allegheny County
-Also on this show, we check in with not a namesake, but an actual former star athlete, as Raja talks with Charlie Batch, the former Steel Valley High School/Central Michigan/Detroit Lions/Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback whose work after retirement has transcended his on-field success. As founder of Best of the Batch, Charlie has given back his fair share and then some, providing educational and social opportunities to students who may not otherwise afford it. He has been recognized for his efforts on a national level, including his honor as the Byron “Whizzer” “White NFL Man of the Year in 2013, as voted on by his peers in the NFL Players Association.
Charlie talks with Raja about the latest happenings with his organization, including Impellia, his recent initiative, established in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh, that focuses on human athletic performance, wellness, fitness, and rehabilitation.
This show is a must for people who want to know about the economic potential of the Western Pennsylvania, and hear about it from those who are making it happen.
