On Wednesday I was lucky to attend the grand opening of the Thelma Lovette YMCA, which represents the latest step in the redevelopment of the Hill District.  The brand new 43,000 sq. ft. facility is approximately one mile from the Consol Energy Center.  The Pittsburgh Penguins contributions to the recreational sports and community gathering center are recognized with a plaque in the lobby.  This link will take you to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper article about the event.
The opening was well attended with hundreds of Hill residents, YMCA staff, and local and city officials gathering in the gymnasium.  Plenty of local media was on hand as well.  Following the ribbon cutting ceremony refreshments were served and everyone was given the opportunity to tour the new building.
The namesake of the facility, Thelma Lovette, traveled from her home in Arizona to attend the ceremony.  Ms. Lovette lived in the Hill District for most of her life until very recently.  She has been a strong advocate for the community and influential in serving the needs of those that might not otherwise have a voice.  Ninety-six years young, Thelma received some assistance from her daughter and son-in-law cutting the ribbon.  She is seen below amongst Mayor Ravenstahl, City Councilman Daniel Lavelle and State Senator Jim Ferlo.  County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, State Senator Jake Wheatley and many others were also in attendance.  The Pittsburgh Penguins were represented by Director of Outreach Kim Wood.

I want to thank everyone, especially the YMCA of Pittsburgh. You have been a stalwart in this city and I have watched you and you have encouraged me and I want to continue to encourage you the way you have encouraged me,” – Thelma Lovette
 
Today we met with a local graphic designer as part of the Penguins Supplier Diversity program.  This initiative is an effort on the part of the Penguins to engage and utilize local, minority owned and female owned businesses whenever possible.  We discussed the many different types of graphic design that the organization uses in a given year.  Some of the most prominent graphic designs are the various signs that you see around the arena.  After the discussion we took a tour of the Consol Energy Center and identified a number of different types of signage around the facility.  You can see
 
Despite everything else that is going on around the organization as far as the development of the old Civic Arena site is concerned, the Pittsburgh Penguins are still in the hockey business.  Unfortunately business has not been too good so far in the playoffs.  The team had their third game in the best-of-seven series with arch rival Philadelphia yesterday.  First game away from Consol Energy Center.  New venue, same result.  In a game that was marred by over 170 penalty minutes between the two teams, the Penguins lost 8-4 and now trail 3 games to none.
The team has given up 20 goals in the three games which would seem to explain why they're having trouble winning.  There is no more room for error.  The Penguins will have to win all four remaining games to advance.  This feat has only been accomplished three times in the 50 year history of the National Hockey League.  I am hoping that the team can at least salvage a little bit of pride and win one.  A win on Wednesday would bring the series back to Pittsburgh for at least one more game.
I was not sure what the office would be like today after such a gloomy weekend (a loss Friday night and Sunday afternoon) but it appears that most go about their business.  There is a little bit of water cooler talk here and there about the games but that's about it.  Then again, what can you say?  We'll keep our fingers crossed and see what happens in Philadelphia on Wednesday. 
 
Another week in the books.  Another interesting week I should say.  It is certainly satisfying when I realize how much exposure I am gaining to various aspects of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.  On the political side, I attended a public hearing and a local community meeting this week, in addition to participating in some internal discussions about the Supplier Diversity Program and the First Source Hiring Program.  On the Operations side I assisted with activities for the two Penguins playoff games on Wednesday and Friday.  One thing I have noted is that in this unique position, I am exposed to "fans" that are obviously huge supporters of the team, but also come in contact with other individuals that are not completely in concert with the actions of the organization.  This situation provides a nice balance in my opinion.

At the Zoning Hearing, which was presided over by members of the Pittsburgh City Council, the Penguins made their case for a variance in conjunction with the new parking lot that will be built on the side of the demolished Civic Arena.  Specifically, it seems foolish to landscape the parking lot in accordance with city ordinance if that lot is only going to be temporarily.  The plan is to develop that land and remove the parking within the next few years.  As one person put it, "interim parking lots are fine, interim trees are not."  Some members of the local community used this hearing as an opportunity to express their concerns about the intentions of the Penguins in the larger context of the development.  It is absolutely their right (and on some level their civic duty) to raise these concerns in front of the local government, and I commend them for making their voice heard.  Obviously though the scope of this particularly hearing was fairly small only that it was intended to deal only with the landscaping variance for the proposed parking lot and was not necessarily the time or place to discuss the development as a whole.  All involved parties though want to make sure that they are considering the wishes of the local community which will be significantly impacted (hopefully in a positive way) by the development plans of the Penguins.

At the local community meeting on Friday, individuals associated with the development explained to the group (about 60 citizens and representatives of other local organizations) where the project is currently and what the next steps are.  It does not seem like anyone is opposed to the development.  Ultimately this could be a very good thing for the community.  There are obviously people that are concerned that none of the benefits of the proposed development will actually reach the Hill District.  Again, I commend them for showing their concern with their presence and their voice.  I think that everyone wants the same thing, the Penguins, the city of Pittsburgh, the development companies that are involved and the residents and leadership of the Hill.  We all want to make sure that everyone benefits from the project.  Obviously when you have something with such a large scope that will affect so many people, it is not always easy to come to consensus as to how to accomplish those goals.

I had my first exposure to game operations this week too, which I described in some detail in the previous post.  Both Wednesday and Friday at the Penguins first two playoff games I helped hand out programs and "rally towels" at one of the gates and participated in some other in-game promotions.  People love free stuff!  That's obvious.  It is also neat to watch so many fans on their way into a playoff game.  For many this will be the best part of their day and it's nice to play a small part in it.

Unfortunately the team itself struggled in the first two games.  The arch rival Flyers were able to win both games here in Pittsburgh.  If the Pens don't win one in Philadelphia tomorrow or Wednesday, that's going to be it for this season.  Last night was particularly brutal with the Penguins taking a 3-1 advantage into the first intermission.  The Penguins were able to score two more goals but both times the Flyers returned the favor almost immediately.  Ultimately the home team went down 8-5 with the last goal being scored into an empty net in the last minute of the game.  Giving up eight goals does not bode well for the Penguins chances in the this series.  We'll hope for the best as the action moves to Philadelphia tomorrow.

 
Quite a day with the Penguins.  Quite a few days as a matter of fact.  A palpable buzz in the air with the entire organization getting ready for the first playoff game.  In the meantime, more long term concerns are being addressed.  Demolition of the old Civic Arena is nearly complete and on schedule to be finished in May.  All that's left across the street from Consol Energy Center is a pile of rubble that is slowly being cleared away.  In the short term, that space will be converted to parking.  The city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins have big plans for the 28 acres of land sitting on the other side of Centre Avenue.  Preliminary development plans are in the works.  Many interested parties (including a Penguins intern) are participating in ongoing meetings to start fleshing out the specifics of the mixed-use space that will hopefully be built over the next decade.  With such a large scale project, it is important to get everyone on the same page and in agreement as to how everything will shake out.  There are many, many details to figure out even in the early development stages.  There are many government approvals that are required on the local, city, county and state levels.  The process is in motion but it is clear that this is a project that will take many years until it will reach any sort of conclusion.

Today was also my first exposure to game day operations.  My role was fairly minimal and my assigned tasks seemingly mundane.  I very much enjoyed the experience though and feel like I definitely contributed to the overall experience of the fans entering the building.  First I helped pass out programs and "rally towels" at one of the gates.  Amazingly the Penguins give away for FREE their game program for every single game.  'Ice Time' as it's called, is not just a couple of advertisements stapled together.  It's over 200 pages of professionally published game information.  Giving a program to every fan that walks in the door is one of the little things that I believe contributes to the outstanding game experience that people rave about every year. 

I also helped out in a small capacity with some other in-game promotions.  I have not been a part of these types of operations since I was working at The Horseshoe for Ohio State.  This was certainly a different type of operational experience but one I enjoyed nonetheless.  I am looking forward to the next playoff game on Friday.

Unfortunately the day ended on a somewhat sour note when the Penguins gave away a 3-0 first period lead to arch rival Philadelphia.  The good guys lost in OT and the hated Flyers took a 1-0 series lead.  Fortunately for the Penguins there is still plenty of time to get that game back. 

All in all, I'd have to say that being involved with my very first Penguins game from "behind the scenes" is something th
 
The playoffs start on Wednesday!  I'll be getting my first experience with game day operations.  Looking forward to exposure to another aspect of the organization.  I thought this graphic on our administrative office elevators was pretty cool.  The Penguins will be the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and will face arch rival Philadelphia in the first round.
 
A couple of initiatives that I’ve been helping with thus far for Community Outreach are very interesting and I think demonstrate clearly the Penguins stated desire to assist the local community.  One is the Diversity Supplier program and the other is First Source Hiring plan.  I have participated in organizational meetings and provided summaries for several discussions regarding these programs.  During these conversations the Director of Community Outreach, Kim Wood, has conveyed to various staff members the purpose of these programs.

The Diversity Supplier plan is an effort by the Penguins to engage and utilize minority-owned and female-owned businesses (MBE/WBE).  The Penguins organization obviously uses all kinds of different suppliers for various products and promotional items.  Banners, business cards, “rally towels” and even electrical work are all things that the team needs from time to time.  The Penguins would like to when possible utilize MBE/WBE’s. 

The First Source Hiring Center is a facility in the Hill District that attempts to help Hill residents (and others from outside the Hill) find employment.  When Consol Energy Center (CEC) was being constructed the Penguins created a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), a contract, that they entered into with the Hill District (the neighborhood directly adjacent to the CEC).  Among other things the CBA stipulates that the Penguins will give strong preference towards hiring individuals from the Hill District whenever possible. 

It is necessary that the Director of Community Outreach convey these initiatives to Penguins staff internally and to other partners of the organization such as the companies that provide security for Consol Energy Center, the concession stand staffer for the arena and even the management of the restaurant that is located inside the CEC.

I have assisted the Director with creation of spreadsheet that will allow us to easily track hiring numbers from these various arms of the organization.  This will give the Penguins data that they can share with the local community to demonstrate that the team is following through on its stated intentions in regards to the CBA.

I’ve also spent a great deal of time through my first week and a half working on a database that contains information for many local Pittsburgh officials.  This database is an important resource for the Penguins.  It helps ensure that lines of communication are open and available with important individuals, elected politicians and otherwise, on the local, state and federal level of government.

My Microsoft Excel skills have come in handy!  I have used them extensively in my obligations to both Government Affairs and Community Outreach.  Creating databases, sorting information and formatting easy-to-use lists using Excel is something that I am very good at and I’m very glad that I’ve been able to use those skills early on with the Penguins.

 
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Van Halen came to town on Friday to perform at the Consol Energy Center.  These signs were put up on the doors in preparation.  I was told that these are rarely displayed.

To this point my duties with the Penguins have strictly of the office variety.  With the NHL playoffs starting next week though I expect that to change.  Government Affairs and Community Outreach host various activities at many of the Penguins games and other Consol Energy Center events such as concerts.  These sporting events and other activities provide an excellent opport

 
 
The first week with the Penguins was a great learning experience.  I am meeting a lot of different people with the organization and starting to get comfortable with the Consol Energy Center.  Most importantly, I’m learning a lot about the various initiatives of the Government Affairs and Community Outreach departments.  One of the main focuses these days of this arm of the organization is connecting with the local community and supporting it through a time of great transition.  Without getting too detailed I’ll try to sum up below the current relationship between the Penguins and the surrounding neighborhood, commonly referred to as the Hill District.  All of this is critically important to my current role with the organization.

In 1961 the city of Pittsburgh completed and opened what was at the time a state-of-the-art facility called the Civic Arena.  It had a gleaming stainless steel domed roof which was retractable.  Given its outward appearance and eventual addition of ice on the floor for hockey, the Civic Arena was nicknamed “The Igloo.”  One of the negative effects of the arena construction was the creation of a barrier between downtown Pittsburgh and the Hill District.

The Penguins started using Civic Arena as their permanent home in 1967.  Unfortunately, its role as a hockey arena prevented use of The Igloo’s most prominent feature, the retractable roof.  The Penguins had varied success in the decades that followed.  The highs included three Stanley Cup championships in 1991, 1992 and 2009.  The lows were potentially more damaging with the team entering bankruptcy twice in both 1975 and 1998.

During the last round of financial difficulty it was longtime Penguin great Mario Lemieux that came to the rescue.  Along with a minority stake partner, Lemieux purchased the Penguins and pledged to keep the team in Pittsburgh following speculation that the team would move.

The organization continued to struggle financially even with the added boost of Lemieux’s return to the ice as the league’s first ever player-owner.  The NHL lockout which canceled the entire 2004-2005 season was ultimately a good thing for the Penguins.  The new salary cap structure of the league allowed the Penguins to finally compete financially with other teams in the league.

To further solidify the future of the team in Pittsburgh a new arena would be necessary.  Ultimately the Penguins and the city along with the state of Pennsylvania reached an agreement that would lead to construction of the Consol Energy Center (CEC).   As part of the agreement, the Penguins have 10 year development rights to the 28 acre site that the Civic Arena and adjacent parking lots currently sit on.

The CEC was constructed across the street from the old Civic Arena.  The Penguins began using the new arena in 2010.  The versatility of the brand new CEC as not only a hockey arena but also a venue for concerts and other sporting events made the Civic Arena completely obsolete.

What to do with the old arena became the subject of much debate.  There were many that wanted the old arena razed in order to make way for newer development that would ultimately benefit the surrounding community and the city at large.  Others saw The Igloo as a cultural and historical landmark that should be preserved or at worst incorporated into the new development.

Ultimately the city of Pittsburgh, the Penguins and the local community agreed that tearing down Civic Arena completely made the most sense in terms of the long term financial benefit to everyone involved.  The old facility will be completely torn down in another month or two.

The Penguins have stressed that they want to provide both financial and employment opportunities to the Hill District during this period of revitalization.  The team wants to help reconnect the community with downtown Pittsburgh as well.  Much of what the Government Affairs and Community Outreach departments do for the organization is help maintain relationships with the community and local government to ensure that common goals and the best interest of everyone is being served.  My role as an intern to help support those objectives.