News

Benedum Hires Director of Strategic Initiatives

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2024
Contact:
Jennifer A. Giovannitti, President
412-246-3642
PITTSBURGH (January 9, 2024) – Rochelle (Rocky) Schrecongost Goodwin has been named Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, a senior leadership role at the Foundation.
Jen Giovannitti, President of the Benedum Foundation, noted the importance of this position with the Foundation, stating, “Benedum is turning 80 this year and I can’t think of a better way to increase our staff talent than to bring on Rocky. She will lead some of our most interesting work and help shape our upcoming years. …

Benedum Foundation Announces New Board Chair

Tom HeywoodPITTSBURGH (June 28, 2023) The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation welcomes its newest Board Chair, Mr. Thomas A. Heywood. Effective June 13, 2023, Mr. Heywood will lead the Foundation’s nine-member Board of Trustees succeeding Mr. Lloyd G. Jackson, II who masterfully chaired the Benedum Board for the full allowable term of ten years. 
Mr. Heywood has been a Trustee of the Foundation since March 2012 and is a leading attorney in West Virginia with Bowles Rice, a regional law firm, where his expertise spans health care, banking, and corporate/commercial law. In addition to being an immediate past Managing Partner of Bowles Rice, …

Paul G. Benedum, Jr. (1931 -2023)

The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation announces with great sadness the death of Paul G. Benedum, Jr. (1931 -2023)
Known to all as “Benny,” Mr. Benedum was the great nephew of Michael Benedum. He was 92 upon his death and the only lifetime appointed Trustee of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, where he served with distinction for 46 years, leading the Foundation for 22 years as Board Chair (1991-2013). 
Benny was the heart and soul of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation acting as family historian, community cheerleader, humble servant, and overall prankster. Benny had an endearing sense of joy, a fashion affinity for bolo ties, …

New Senior Program Officer Announced

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2022
Contact:
Jennifer A. Giovannitti, President
412-246-3642
Benedum Foundation Announces Bill Woodrum as Senior Program Officer
PITTSBURGH (May 11, 2022) – Bill Woodrum has been named Senior Program Officer at the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation where he will lead community and economic development initiatives in West Virginia. He was congratulated by the Chair of the Benedum Board of Trustees, Lloyd Jackson, who said, “Bill is coming to Benedum with the right background to work with people at all levels of our economy and across sectors. He understands the challenges and the opportunities that exist, …

Hazelwood Green: Tishman Speyer Named as Master Developer

ALMONO AND CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY REACH AGREEMENTS WITH TISHMAN SPEYER TO ACCELERATE TRANSFORMATION OF HAZELWOOD GREEN INTO 21ST CENTURY INNOVATION HUB
Global real estate developer and owner of Rockefeller Center in New York City and Mission
Rock in San Francisco to lead transformation of 178-acre former urban brownfield into a
neighborhood centered on innovation, sustainability and community connectedness
A generational opportunity for leapfrog growth and global economic leadership in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH [February 25, 2022] –The Almono Limited Partnership – owners of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Green – and Carnegie Mellon University announced today that they reached agreements with Tishman Speyer, …

Mary Hunt Retiring from Benedum June 2022

The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation announces the planned retirement of its program director for community and economic development, Mary Hunt. A native of Clarksburg, West Virginia, Ms. Hunt joined the Foundation on December 1, 1999.
Lloyd Jackson, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees commended Mary’s work saying, “Mary has been a valued member of the Benedum Foundation family for over 20 years. She always was the consummate professional and the value she has added to the organizations, communities, and especially the people she worked with over those years is immeasurable. We will miss Mary, but she leaves the Foundation with a rich legacy, …

Hazelwood Green, Transforming a Brownfield

This Hazelwood Green video outlines stunning transformation of former steel mill site into community-guided development
Hazelwood Green is a former steel mill site on 178 acres of Hazelwood’s riverfront along the Monongahela River. The property was purchased out of bankruptcy for $10 million by local foundations in 1999. This foresight ensured that the site could be land banked for a thoughtful redevelopment vision that could benefit the neighborhood, city, and region as a whole. Today the three foundation owners, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, and Richard King Mellon Foundation, remain committed to the redevelopment of Hazelwood Green. …

Grantee Tributes to Jim Denova

20 Years of Strengthening Our Communities

Click on the images below to view grantee videos celebrating Jim Denova’s impact on our communities.

Education Alliance Business & Community for Public Schools

National and International Awards for Simulated Workplace

New Senior Program Officer Announced

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2021
Contact:     Jennifer A. Giovannitti, President
412-246-3642
Benedum Foundation Announces New Program Staff
PITTSBURGH (May 14, 2021) – Melanie Claxton has been named Senior Program Officer of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. She will join the Foundation on June 3, 2021 and will oversee the Foundation’s grants programs in education.
Ms. Claxton comes to Benedum with expertise in learning initiatives aimed at out-of-school time.
As the Coordinator, Out-of- School Time, for Pittsburgh Public Schools, Ms. Claxton implemented flexible policies that adapted to the needs of those served, specifically in informal learning environments. …

Preserving Democracy, Jen Giovannitti Guest Speaker (Video)

Why is bridging the rural-urban divide so important?
Thursday, April 15, 2021
If you did not have the opportunity to enjoy the April 15 live-stream event and/or would like to share this interview, please view and share using the video found here.
One of our polarized country’s most pronounced challenges is the growing divide between rural and urban America. It is a gap that includes significant variations in economic opportunities and what can be debilitating disparities in critical modern infrastructure, such as access to high-speed internet. It is a gap that also includes sometimes stark social and political differences. …