Denis McCarthy was working in the construction industry and with the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York when he was offered and accepted a position with the Hillman Corp.'s New York-based office. That decision led to another decision 10 years later and a move to the Hillman office in Pittsburgh, marking the beginning of the couple's more than twenty year love affair with Pittsburgh, as well as their initiation into the local philanthropic community.
In 2008, Denis sold his final business for Hillman Corp. and retired. As a birthday present to his wife that year, they decided to establish a donor-advised fund, a decision they considered to be a very personal vote of confidence in the city they had come to love.
"When we were in New York, it was like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon," explains Elizabeth. "You can make such a difference in this community."
The McCarthys will use their fund to endow their gifts to various charities of their choice, while also working with their six children and seven grandchildren--to give back as a family.