The Pittsburgh Foundation

The Pittsburgh Foundation appoints vice president of communications

PITTSBURGH, Pa., September 18, 2014 – The Pittsburgh Foundation has appointed Douglas Root Vice President of Communications. He joins the staff with an extensive background in local philanthropy and government service, as well as daily newspaper journalism, magazine and book writing.

Before working this past year as a consultant to national and local foundations and nonprofits, Doug spent eight years as Director of Communications for The Heinz Endowments, one of the largest regionally-focused foundations in the country. In addition to managing internal and external communications, he had leadership roles in several high-profile public initiatives. He continues to serve the field nationally as a member of the board of the Communications Network, an affinity group of 500 communications professionals in philanthropy and related nonprofits.

At The Pittsburgh Foundation, Doug is responsible for developing and implementing all communications activities, ensuring they connect to audiences the foundation needs to reach to be effective in its work. Internally, he is a communications advisor to the president, board, senior managers and partner organizations. Externally, he is responsible for communications strategies that educate and engage the public on issues that are important to the foundation’s initiatives.

“Doug Root is a consummate professional who knows the Pittsburgh region and the foundation and non-profit communities very well,” said Maxwell King, President and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation.  “He demonstrated during his years at The Heinz Endowments that he is a fine writer and editor, and knows how to skillfully manage communications on multiple platforms and with many different audiences. We are very lucky to have him here at The Pittsburgh Foundation.”

Before joining the Endowments in 2001, Doug served as Communications Director for Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy. His 16-year newspaper reporting, magazine and book-writing career began after graduation from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in journalism. Doug spent 12 years as a reporter for the former Pittsburgh Press, and after it was sold in 1993, went on to write for more than a dozen regional and national publications. He also is the author of two books, one a travel history guide to Pennsylvania.

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