Georgia Petropoulos

Biographie: A people-focused leader delivering transformational community change and impact. At the Oakland Business Improvement District, she leads a dynamic organization responsible for designing and executing innovative place management and economic development initiatives in support of Pennsylvania’s third-largest economic center. Excelling at relationship building, communication, and aligning diverse stakeholders around common aspirations and goals, Ms. Petropoulos organizes the voices of various diverse sectors including government, business, real estate, ed’s and med’s, arts, and culture. She led the 60-person Board Leadership team to complete a comprehensive strategic plan focused on organizational growth, capacity building, and strategic vision unveiled in Winter 2020 followed by a series of benchmarking trips to US cities supported by strong innovation economies including Houston, Philadelphia and in 2023 Ms. Petropoulos led a delegation of 30 Pittsburgh leaders to explore Midtown Atlanta and Tech Square. Putting the plan into action, the organization expanded operations, doubled in staff size, and increased the annual operating budget to over $1.7 million providing new innovative programming and services including a regional-focused winter lighting and arts festival, GLOWLAND. Working alongside many partners, Ms. Petropoulos helped lead the creation of the Oakland Plan, a 10-year community plan adopted in the Spring of 2022 by the Pittsburgh Planning Commission. Expressing the neighborhood's collective desires and values, the Plan was 2.5 years in the making, representing the voice of thousands of residents, employees, businesses, and students. To reinforce Oakland’s standing as a global innovation center, Ms. Petropoulos organized the business district stakeholders and led a successful community advocacy campaign to amend the Pittsburgh Zoning Code creating new zoning districts that encourage larger real estate options for office and housing. Drawing on her background in design and architecture, Ms. Petropoulos led the district through the COVID-19 economic recovery that included piloting novel approaches to urban street design and placemaking and the 21st-century brick-and-mortar marketplace. She organized a team of government and community stakeholders to implement Pittsburgh’s first full street and parking lane closures providing safe accessible café seating, piloted the region’s first app-based safety compliance program, and distributed grant funds and safety supplies to businesses. Ms. Petropoulos advocates for compassionate and inclusive environments, encouraging innovative ideas and creative problem-solving. She is a founding member of the Oakland for All-Beyond Accessible campaign advocating for the development of a barrier-free model community. In 2021, she led the creation of Oakland’s first retail incubator providing access to over 35 diverse makers and artists that expanded entrepreneurial opportunities for women and members of the BIPOC and the LGBTQ+ communities. Ms. Petropoulos serves on various boards and committees including the Presbyterian University Hospital/Shadyside Board of Directors and Quality Patient Care Committee, the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Task Force on Disabilities, and the Oakland Transportation Management Association. She is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and in July 2023 was named the Chair of the ULI Pittsburgh Chapter. Ms. Petropoulos completed executive training at the Center for Creative Leadership in San Diego, California, and is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh. Ms. Petropoulos earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies/ French Language and Literature from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Architecture from Washington University. As a bi-lingual daughter of Greek immigrants, Ms. Petropoulos is enthusiastic about language, culture, and design and has enjoyed extensive travels throughout North America, Australia, Africa, and Europe.