Nemani-Stanger named executive director of Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority

Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority has named Susheela Nemani-Stanger as its executive director.

She will be the first woman to take the role.

Nemani-Stanger assumed the role of acting executive director after Greg Flisram resigned from the post at the end of last year.

“I’m proud to say that I’ve watched her work tirelessly for over a decade in the economic development field to ensure our communities are being served,” Mayor Ed Gainey said of Nemani-Stanger.

Nemani-Stanger has a total of 13 years of experience at the authority. She first joined the URA in 2007 as a project development specialist in the economic development department. She later became director of economic development and helped to create and finance the first Transit Revitalization Investment District in Pennsylvania.

After leaving the URA in August 2020, she led an effort at QWED to launch a covid-19 vaccine hesitation public health campaign in partnership with the Black Equity Coalition and POISE Foundation. In April 2021, she became Allegheny County’s economic development’s deputy director.

She rejoined the URA in August 2022 as deputy executive director, succeeding Diamonte Walker, who now serves as the CEO of Pittsburgh Scholar House.

Nemani-Stanger told the URA board on Thursday that she was committed to advancing affordable and quality housing throughout the city, using American Rescue Plan Act dollars that have been allocated to the authority and leveraging networks with other community partners.

“I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead an organization of human beings who are passionate about their communities and who turn that same passion into thriving projects,” she said. “Through our work at the URA, we have a unique opportunity to help support our residents and others who share our entrepreneurial spirit.”

Kyle Chintalapalli, the URA board chair, said the board is “confident that Susheela’s business acumen, inclusive leadership style and care for our communities will facilitate the organization’s mission with distinction as we work towards building a more equitable and just Pittsburgh.”