Announcing a new chapter
Laura Poskin recently shared that she will be leaving her position as Executive Director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh effective Friday, July 24, to become Chief Aging Officer with Jewish Healthcare Foundation. Laura has been a stellar leader for Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh over the past ten years, and we are incredibly grateful for her extraordinary commitment, vision and energy which has touched the lives of so many older residents of our region and positioned AFGP as a national leader.
Laura has built an exceptional, high-performing team, which has effectively executed and successfully achieved the goals and objectives of our latest five-year Action Plan. We are so grateful to them and all our partners for such world-class achievement.
We are also very fortunate to have Cassandra Masters as our Associate Director, who has led several of our major projects, including the impactful Age Inclusion Campaign. We are especially pleased that Cassandra has agreed to serve as our Interim Executive Director over the coming months. Please feel free to reach out to her during this time: cassandra@agefriendlypgh.org
A Search Committee has been assembled to map out a process to identify qualified Executive Director candidates and make a recommendation to AFGP’s supporting partners, SWPPA and Pitt School of Social Work, regarding a permanent selection. Thank you for all you do to create livable communities and make our region more inclusive and respectful of all ages.
David McDougal, Co-Chair, Age-Friendly Steering Committee
Joe Angelelli, Chair, SWPPA Board of Directors
Celebrating Dean Kyaien O. Conner
And more congratulations are in order! We’re excited to share that Dr. Kyaien O. Conner, PhD, LSW, MPH, has been appointed Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Conner is a nationally recognized scholar and serves on our Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh Steering Committee. Her work centers on advancing health and mental health equity, with a focus on community-based solutions and reducing disparities.
One year in: Age-Friendly PA Learning Collaborative continues to grow
The Age-Friendly PA Learning Collaborative officially launched in July 2025 after the announcement of Pennsylvania becoming the 13th Age-Friendly State. Since then, we’ve hosted 11 Zoom sessions for nearly 500 attendees across 46 counties! The sessions bring together communities at different stages of their age-friendly work to share practical lessons, real challenges and ideas that travel across the Commonwealth. We’re proud to lead this monthly series in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.
Community Panel talks robots with Carnegie Mellon University
Robots roaming the sidewalks sounds like science fiction, but they’re already being tested in cities across the country. Here in Pittsburgh, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University want to make sure the technology keeps local residents involved and safe. CMU’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute met with the Age-Friendly Community Panel, a group of ready-made age-friendly consultants. Researchers shared their research and got feedback on real-world scenarios that shape how robots should move, communicate and behave in public spaces.
Reflecting on the impact of Picture ThisAge Inclusion Campaign
In the Art Supply Co.’s latest issue of The Journal, Age-Friendly’s new Interim Executive Director, Cassandra Masters, writes about how community voices shaped the project and what they reveal about connection, creativity and intergenerational life in Pittsburgh.