MVA/F's mission is to promote and market economic development and job creation in the Mid Mon Valley communities. Our historical longer-range initiatives promoting transportation and industrial park infrastructure will be leveraged through public and private investment and innovation.
Our Vision
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The Mid-Mon Valley stands at a crossroads for renewal. We, as a region, must seize the opportunities that lie before us by working in cooperation. As southwestern Pennsylvania’s economy continues to grow and diversify, we in the Mon Valley need to prepare our workforce to participate in this rebirth.
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The merger of the Mon Valley Progress Council and the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association provides our region with the chance to expand our services and align with other regional agencies to do much more than transportation advocacy and real estate development. We look forward to working together to improve current economic distress, remove blight, improve community health, and promote more effective local government cooperation.
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Our History
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The Mon Valley Alliance (MVA) has a long, rich history of service to Mid-Mon Valley communities. In April 2016, the MVA was formed through the consolidation of two 50 year old economic development organizations, the Mon Valley Progress Council (MVPC) and the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association (MMIDA).
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MVPC was formed in 1965 by a group of local businessmen in response to the sudden collapse of the local steel industry, which left many in the Mon Valley without jobs. A year later, MVPC spun off MMIDA to foster the development of industrial parks in the region and attract new business, while MVPC remained to focus on improvement of transportation access to the Mon Valley and support existing and new business with a variety of financial and operational support programs.
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Nearly two years prior to the official consolidation, the two organizations began discussions about how we could jointly provide a greater impact on improvement of the quality of life in the Mon Valley. As a result of these discussions, and with a significant amount of planning, the organizations voted to combine operational resources and to be led by a common, invigorated board. While we are seamlessly continuing existing projects of the two originating entities, we are branching into new directions that will hopefully result in near term positive impacts on economic development in the Mon Valley.
OUR STAFF
Jamie Colecchi
Chief Executive Officer
Jamie Colecchi is the Chief Executive Officer of the Mon Valley Alliance and Mon Valley Alliance Foundation where he previously served as Director of Operations and Development from 2020 – 2022. Born and raised in the Pittsburgh region Jamie has spent his career working to better the Southwestern Pennsylvania area.
jcolecchi@monvalleyalliance.org
724-565-5641
Kelly Jo Ellin
Director of Finance & Operations
Kelly Jo Ellin has been servicing the Mid Mon Valley with the MVA/MVAF for over 35 years. In her role, Kelly oversees the industrial park’s maintenance, Town-2-Town Mini Grant Program, as well as the financial administration of both organizations.
724-565-5638
Madison Codeluppi
Marketing & Development Specialist
Madison Codeluppi, a Charleroi native and Alderson Broaddus University alumna is the Marketing and Development Specialist at the MVA/F. Starting as a marketing intern in June 2021, Madison worked part-time throughout her senior year and was promoted in May of 2022. Madison will handle social media, marketing, REZ Revolving Loan Fund, MVAF Business Creation and Sustainability Loan Fund, and community development projects in the Mid Mon Valley.
mcodeluppi@monvalleyalliance.org
724-565-5637
Cait Lee
Director of Business Resources
Cait Lee is the Director of Business Resources at the Mon Valley Alliance and Mon Valley Alliance Foundation. In this role, she leads the organization’s newly created Business Resource Center, and develops and implements strategies to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Mid Mon Valley. Cait is an experienced grant writer, nonprofit strategist, licensed social worker, and University of Pittsburgh alumna.
The Mon Valley Alliance Foundation (MVAF) was established to serve as a source of charity and support in our communities. Our various programs and initiatives are designed to promote economic development, improve the business atmosphere, and encourage philanthropy in the Mon Valley.
MVAF is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Support the MVAF by donating to the Mon Valley Community Development Fund or purchasing a Mon Valley-Opoly.
(Call 724-565-5638 or visit 235 W. Main Street, Monongahela, PA 15063)
Board of Directors
Will Thomeier (MVA/F Chairman)
Washington County Chamber of Commerce (Director of Economic and Tourism Development)
Randy T. Patterson (MVA/F Secretary)
Washington Financial Bank (Vice President Commercial Banking)
Tanya Chaney
Chaney's Naturals, LLC (Owner)
John LaCarte (MVA/F Vice Chairman)
Model Cleaners (President)
Michael Thornton (MVA/F Treasurer)
Donora Borough (Borough Manager)
Anthony (Tony) Mauro
Pennsylvania Western University California Campus (VP of University Development and California Campus Administrator)
Todd Pappasergi
Coupa Software (Contract Manager)
Jeff Jones
Capture Inc. Photographic Services (Retired Executive)
John Easoz (Ex-Officio)
Direct Gain Consulting, LLC (Retired Executive)
Louis A. Quarto
Guttman Energy, Inc. (Vice President of Supply)
Peter Adamo
Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital (President)
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THE MON VALLEY
We are proud to call the Mon Valley home.
The Monongahela is formed by the confluence of the West Fork River and its “East Fork”—the Tygart Valley River— at Fairmont, West Virginia. The river is navigable its entire length with a series of locks and dams that maintain a minimum depth of 9 feet (2.7 m) to accommodate barges. In Pennsylvania, the Monongahela is met by two major tributaries: the Cheat River, which joins at Point Marion, and the Youghiogheny River, which joins at McKeesport.
MVA serves the Mid-Mon Valley, roughly defined as Elizabeth to Brownsville (North/South) and Smithton to Bentleyville (East/West). The communities that make up this area have a strong manufacturing heritage, and though many communities have seen a decline in population, the area is still 100,000 people strong.
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The area is also host to a variety of recreational activities, including:
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Boating
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Fishing
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Golf
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Hiking and Biking
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Swimming
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Parks
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Bowling
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Music Concerts​​
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The area is also home to many historical sites, including:
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The Whiskey Rebellion
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Donora Smog Event
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Native American History
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To learn more about the Monongahela Valley, check out MVA's Economic Playbook:
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