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
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.​
​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.
MON VALLEY ALLIANCE HISTORY
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.
kellin@monvalleyalliance.org
724-565-5638
Madison Codeluppi
Business Development Manager
Madison Codeluppi is the Business Development Manager at MVA/F. A Charleroi native and Alderson Broaddus University graduate, she started as a marketing intern in June 2021 and was promoted in May 2022. Madison manages social media, marketing, the REZ Revolving Loan Fund, community development projects in the Mid Mon Valley, and services at the BRC.
mcodeluppi@monvalleyalliance.org
724-565-5637
Abigail Stark
Director of Strategy & Development
Abigail Stark is a lifelong resident of the Mon Valley with over a decade of experience supporting Southwestern Pennsylvania communities and residents. As Director of Strategy and Development at the Mon Valley Alliance, she will focus on aligning organizational goals with community and economic development initiatives to support the Mon Valley’s growth and revitalization.
astark@monvalleyalliance.org
724-565-5639
MON VALLEY ALLIANCE FOUNDATION
The Mon Valley Alliance Foundation (MVAF), a 501(c)(3) organization based in Monongahela, PA, was established alongside its sister organization, the Mon Valley Alliance, a 501(c)(6). Both entities were originally created to support community development in the Mid Mon Valley, with a focus on transportation and industrial park infrastructure.
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Today, the Foundation primarily dedicates its resources to small business development, as well as providing strategic and capacity-building support to local municipalities within the Mid Mon Valley.
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At the MVAF, we connect Mid Mon Valley residents and entrepreneurs with essential resources to support their business needs, whether through educational workshops, one-on-one guidance, or a thoughtful referral to another organization best equipped to meet their specific challenges.
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For decades, dedicated residents have worked tirelessly to support the Mid Mon Valley, even as the region faced decline and was often overlooked. We deeply value their efforts and share their commitment to revitalization. Our goal is to build on their work by fostering strong connections across the region and driving economic growth, transforming the Mid Mon Valley into a vibrant hub of opportunity and prosperity.​
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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Will Thomeier
(MVA/F Chairman)
Washington County Chamber
Director of Economic and Tourism Development
Randy T. Patterson
(MVA/F Vice Chairman)
Washington Financial Bank
Vice President of Commercial Banking
Tanya Chaney
(MVA/F Secretary)
Chaney's Naturals, LLC
Owner
Todd Pappasergi
(MVA/F Treasurer)
Coupa Software
Contract Manager
Jeff Jones
Capture Inc. Photographic Services
Retired Executive
Louis A. Quarto
Guttman Energy, Inc.
Vice President of Supply
Jacob Cuthbert
Educo Advisor Group
President
Owen Pucel
Washington County Authority
Director of Operations
Anthony Mauro
Pennsylvania Western University California Campus
VP of University Development and California Campus Administrator
Max Miller, J.D., M.B.A.
Washington & Jefferson College
Associate Professor of Business & Entrepreneurship, Director of Entrepreneurial Studies, & Director of the Ignite Business Incubator
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THE MON VALLEY
We are proud to call the Mon Valley home.
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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.​
​The area is also host to a variety of recreational activities, including: Boating, Fishing, Golf, Hiking and Biking, Swimming, Parks, Bowling, and Music Concerts​​
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The area is also home to many historical sites, including: The Whiskey Rebellion, the Donora Smog Event, and Native American History.​
