Diamonte Walker, the deputy executive director of Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, said the unveiling of the Avenues of Hope initiative comes at “a pivotal moment in our country, and a pivotal moment in our city” during a press conference in Larimer on Oct. 14, 2020. (Photo by Jay Manning/PublicSource)
Diamonte Walker leaves the redevelopment agency’s No. 2 slot to bring a career development program to Pittsburgh.
by Rich Lord, PublicSource
The woman who has been the face of redevelopment in Pittsburgh for nearly three years said goodbye to public sector service and announced the impending arrival of a landmark career development program to the city.
Diamonte Walker has served as deputy director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority since 2019, largely publicly eclipsing Executive Director Greg Flisram by leading board meetings and announcing new approaches like the Avenues of Hope initiative to revive Black business districts.
Starting Monday, she will lead the launch of Pittsburgh Scholar House, an offshoot of Louisville, Ky.-based Family Scholar House. That program helps single parents to earn college degrees and establish economic stability for their households.
At Walker’s final URA board meeting Thursday, Flisram said he had been hired in late 2019 with the expectation that he would mentor Diamonte and then hand her the keys. It didn’t turn out that way. “Diamonte basically took me under her wing, as it turns out,” he said, and she became “my confidant, main collaborator, consiglieri, main sounding board.”
Walker said little, other than thanking the board and the URA’s staff.
At a March 31 event at the new Catapult Greater Pittsburgh location in the Hill District, Walker and new Mayor Ed Gainey provided a more detailed evaluation of her tenure and philosophy.
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