Stafford Joins Heinz School
Rick Stafford joins the Heinz School as Distinguished Service Professor of Public Policy. Stafford is an alumnus of the first master's class in 1972, and recipient of the University's Alumni Merit Award in 1987 and the Heinz School's Public Service Award in 1995.
Stafford retired in October, 2003 from his position as Chief Executive Officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and its affiliated regional development organizations: the Pennsylvania Economy League-Western Division, Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, and Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA). He led the effort to consolidate these four organizations and commit them to a unified approach to stimulate growth in southwestern Pennsylvania and improve its quality of life.
He served as Secretary of Legislative Affairs in the cabinet of Governor Dick Thornburgh during the governor's first term from 1979 to 1983. During Thornburgh's second term, he served as the governor's chief of staff from 1985 to January 1987. Stafford was Director of Research and Issues for the Thornburgh for Governor Committee in 1978 and served as the Director of Transition between the administrations of Governor Shapp and Governor Thornburgh.
Prior to serving in state government, Stafford was Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the Port Authority of Allegheny County; Research Associate with the Urban Systems Institute of Carnegie Mellon University; and Systems Analyst with Westinghouse Research Laboratories.
Stafford's research and teaching will focus on managing change in public policy.