Rich Fitzgerald
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Rich Fitzgerald (born May 8, 1959) is an American elected official who serves as the 3rd County Executive of Allegheny County. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a member of Allegheny County Council from 2000 until 2011 as the District 11 representative.[1]
Rich Fitzgerald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief Executive of Allegheny County | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Dan Onorato |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 8, 1959 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Cathy Tomasovich Fitzgerald |
| Children | 8 |
| Residence(s) | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Central Catholic High School, Carnegie Mellon University |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, politician |
Education/Early Career
The oldest son of Dick and Pat (née Mangold) Fitzgerald, Rich Fitzgerald was born at St. Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood. He attended St. Lawrence O'Toole grade school and Central Catholic High School.[2] After high school graduation, Fitzgerald attended Carnegie Mellon University. During college, he paid his tuition by driving a cab for Yellow Cab Company as a member of Teamsters Local 258. He graduated in 1981 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a business minor.
After graduating from Carnegie Mellon, Fitzgerald was unable to find a job in engineering in the region and so moved to Rockford, Illinois to take a job with NALCO Chemical Company as a water treatment chemical sales associate. In the fall of 1982, Fitzgerald returned to Pittsburgh and started a small business which provided water treatment equipment and services for industry in the western Pennsylvania region.[3]
Political career
Allegheny County Council
Fitzgerald became the first County Council member for District 11 in January 2000 and held the seat through 2011. From 2004-2011 (eight consecutive terms), he served as the President of Council, elected to the position by his colleagues. During his time on County Council, further row office reform was passed which resulted in the electorate eliminating and consolidating a number of offices and saving taxpayer dollars. Additional legislative initiatives included a Homestead Exemption for property owners and the creation of a Human Relations Commission.
In 2011, Fitzgerald resigned from County Council to run for the office of County Executive (a provision of the Home Rule Charter provides that a person may not run for County Executive while serving as a member of County Council).
Allegheny County Executive
Fitzgerald was sworn into office as County Executive on January 3, 2012. He was re–elected in November 2015 from an unopposed canvas. He is in his third and final term as County Executive.[4] Under his leadership, the Allegheny County has received the best credit rating in 35 years or since 1983 by recognising quality of life making Allegheny County attractive to many for their diverse economy in artificial intelligence, clean energy, cultural arts, education, finance, health care, and manufacturing.[5]
Personal life
Fitzgerald is married to pharmacist Cathy Tomasovich. They reside in Squirrel Hill and had eight children that attended Penn State University.[6] He has been noted for his resemblance to the actor Jeff Daniels.[7]
References
- ^ "County Executive | Biography of Rich Fitzgerald". www.alleghenycounty.us. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
- ^ "Rich Fitzgerald". www.alleghenydems.com. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
- ^ "Biography of Rich Fitzgerald". alleghenycounty.us. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
- ^ "McClelland gets early start in Allegheny County Executive race". 90.5 WESA. 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- ^ "County Executive | Biography of Rich Fitzgerald". www.alleghenycounty.us. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "County Executive | Biography of Rich Fitzgerald". www.alleghenycounty.us. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
- ^ "How Ted Cruz helped Rich Fitzgerald become Yinzer Jeff Daniels".