 The QVCOG has a new Executive Director! Click here to read the TribLive article about Michelle Harkins.
The Quaker Valley Council of Governments is pleased to announce the hiring of Michelle Harkins as the organization’s new Executive Director, effective February 18, 2026. Michelle brings more than a decade of experience leading municipal-aligned redevelopment, community development, and regional collaboration initiatives. She has worked closely with local governments, nonprofits, and community partners to manage major projects, secure grants, and advance strategic planning efforts that strengthen communities. The Board looks forward to her leadership in supporting our member municipalities and advancing cooperative initiatives across the Quaker Valley region. Please join us in welcoming Michelle to the Quaker Valley COG!  Registration is now open for Local Government Academy’s 2025-2026 Newly Elected Officials Course (NEOC) — the region’s premier training program designed specifically for newly elected and appointed municipal leaders, as well as incumbents seeking a refresher. Seats are limited and fill quickly. At a glance, NEOC covers: Roles & responsibilities, ethics, and Sunshine/Open Records, Budgeting, finance, and procurement, Planning, zoning, and code enforcement, Public works, public safety, and intergovernmental cooperation, HR, labor, and meeting management, and Communications, public engagement, and risk management The format of the Program includes a mix of live in-person sessions and webinars to fit busy schedules, while maximizing networking opportunities. This event is intended for Newly elected officials, returning elected officials, appointed officials, and municipal staff seeking a comprehensive refresher. Additional details can be found by visiting localgovernmentacademy.org.  Is your municipality interested in hosting a summer intern and growing your organization’s capacity? Local Government Academy’s Municipal Intern Program is seeking dynamic placement site applicants for Summer 2026! Eligible hosts include municipalities, councils of governments, and municipal authorities across Southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2025, 100% of Municipal Intern Program Placement Sites -Reported Municipal and Community Benefit -Expect to apply to the program in the future -Recommended the program to a colleague Join LGA on October 22nd at noon for their virtual pre-project application meeting where they will discuss the placement site application process, program expectations, and best practices. Registration is live on the Local Government Academy website or linked below. The 2026 Municipal Intern Program Placement Site project application will open on October 27, 2026. If you have any questions, please reach out at [email protected] Sign up: https://lnkd.in/gwT-YctE  QVCOG Member Communities are invited to attend a pavement maintenance "lunch and learn" on Oct 30th at the offices of Gateway Engineers (100 McMorris Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205). The formal invitation can be found here with all of the RSVP and content details. Please forward this invitation through your networks. For any questions regarding the event, please contact Mr. Zach Helm by email at [email protected].
LOCATION: The Gateway Engineers, Inc. 100 McMorris Road Pittsburgh, PA 15205 DATE & TIME REMAIN THE SAME: Thursday, October 30th, 2025 9am – 2pm Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP before Thursday, October 23rd. On October 9th the South Hills Area Council of Governments (SHACOG) hosted its annual Purchasing Alliance Pre-Winter Meeting. The rock salt provider, Compass Materials, was in attendance and outlined the ordering process (see below). You can access the provided presentation here.
COMPASS MINERALS ORDERING DETAILS EMAIL: • Orders – [email protected] • Questions – [email protected] PHONE: • Orders and General Questions – 1-800-323-1641 (Select Option 1) EMERGENCY CONTACT: Austin Hilbrands [email protected] or 913-344-9369 The Allegheny County Dept. of Sustainability will be hosting four Climate Action Plan Public Meetings. Additional details, including how to register for the events can be found below. In person Meetings:
Virtual Meetings:
Quick Update The Allegheny County Dept. of Sustainability will be shifting from Phase 1: Vision & Values of the project to Phase 2: Inventory & Analysis. During Phase 1, they directly engaged over 2,400 people and received over 500 online survey responses. Direct engagement included 37 community events, 10+ speaking engagements, 29 regional coordination meetings, and our first Climate Working Group meeting. Their consulting team also completed Phase 2 energy audits for major county facilities, county-wide and county operations-specific greenhouse gas inventories, and a county operational assessment. There will be 3 different online surveys during the process, so please continue to help encourage folks to provide feedback on the website or by reaching out to [email protected].  Classes Start in October! Start a new career or advance your current one with our Wastewater Operator Certificate program at CCAC! In this course, you'll learn the essential skills and knowledge needed to operate and maintain wastewater treatment facilities. This program is offered in a hybrid format, combining online learning with in-person lab sessions at CCAC’s Allegheny Campus, Room S310. What You'll Learn:
Class Details:
 Per an email from PRT dated 9-26-25: Throughout the summer the legislature and Governor have been negotiating a budget that included funding for public transit, and you may have recently heard news that service cuts and fare increases were not going forward. While that is true, the crisis has not been averted. Earlier this month, when it became abundantly clear that a long-term funding solution for public transit wasn’t going to happen – at least not this year – PRT followed SEPTA’s lead and asked PennDOT for permission to shift money from our capital budget into our operating budget. This is an option that is unique to PRT and SEPTA, per Act 89 of 2013, and can only be used once this fiscal year. On September 12, PennDOT approved Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s request to use up to $106.7 million in state capital funds to cover operating expenses. Today, PRT’s board adopted the agency’s amended FY 2026 budget that reflects the use of these funds. This move allows PRT to close the budget deficit for FY 2026 and avoid a 35% service reduction and 9% fare hike on buses and light rail, and ACCESS paratransit service reductions and fare increases that would have taken effect in early 2026. The reduced capital funding means some projects will be delayed, though no safety-critical projects will be impacted. PRT is expected to have a list of the projects it plans to delay in the coming weeks. PRT will exhaust these reserves in a couple of years, and without new, sustainable funding, we’ll be staring down a deficit again. Once there is a state budget PRT will be back in Harrisburg, pushing for the long-term solution that our riders, our employees, and this region deserve. We will keep you up to date on these efforts so that we can continue to partner on these efforts.  Allegheny County Community Partners are invited to join County Executive Innamorato, her team, and key Allegheny County departments for a series of "County Connect" events. The QVCOG and its membership has been invited to attend the October 9th event at Cobblehaus Brewing Company. These are informal opportunities that the County Executive is hosting in a series of events throughout Allegheny County to hear ideas and connect with community leaders, elected officials, and residents. Interested parties are encouraged to share this invitation widely with their colleagues, neighbors, and constituents. Additional details regarding the October 9th event can be found within the flyer below.  |