Children enrolled in the new childcare center at Pittsburgh International Airport were ready for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis.

They made him a personalized welcome sign and picked out a book for him to read to them. Davis didn’t disappoint – posing for photos and, of course, reading their preferred book – Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late – to the eager listeners.

“The fact that the airport has stepped up as an employer is truly tremendous, and it’s a model that I think can be replicated across the country,” Davis said after touring the center.

Davis visited the childcare center, which opened in September as La Petite Academy, as part of an airport visit last week that included a keynote address at the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting at the nearby Hyatt hotel.

Davis also said the airport’s impact on the statewide economy continues to grow, with significant wins in air service and business development, cargo, energy and more.

“The airport is a huge economic driver not just for southwestern Pennsylvania, but our entire commonwealth,” Davis said. “You all have focused on energy, on building a business park, on making sure this airport is leading on every economic front and not just transporting people, which I think is truly amazing. I think this is going to be the model for airports in the future.”

Airport Chamber of Commerce Presents PIT CEO with Community Award

The Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce and former County Executive Rich Fitzgerald surprised Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis at their annual meeting – after Davis’ keynote address – with an award for making a large positive impact on the Pittsburgh region.

Named for the former county executive, the 2024 Rich Fitzgerald Distinguished Public Service Award recognized Cassotis for the significant gains and contributions the airport made in the past 10 years.

“I am thrilled that there is such recognition of our work and its impact,” Cassotis said in crediting the entire airport team for the win. “This award is a victory for each of us at ACAA. It is the direct result of all we each do every day to make sure we don’t ever go back and that we continue to move forward together as a team for a region that deserves our best.”

PIT CEO Christina Cassotis (left) accepts the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Distinguished Public Service Award from former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald (right) on Feb. 15, 2024. (Photo by Beth Hollerich)