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WHEREAS, Tom Croft came to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1986; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft brought his background in economic development from the West Coast to help save jobs in Pittsburgh with the Steel Valley Authority; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft went on to work across twelve municipalities to gather resources for saving Pittsburgh area companies and creating a network of regional partners; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft designed the Strategic Early Warning Network (SEWN) program, recognized as one of the most effective job retention programs in the nation; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft authored the national Guidebook of Layoff Aversion for the U.S. Department of Labor and has trained more than 20 states on the practices of layoff aversion; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft brought the Steel Valley Authority into the policy realm through the development of the National Call to Action to Retain, Restore and Create Jobs conference and cohort bringing together numerous states and stakeholders to discuss economic recovery strategies; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft went on to partner with United Steelworkers and the AFL-CIO in 1995 to establish the Heartland Network to advocate for rebuilding cities, renewing industrial commons, growing a clean economy, and making the boss more accountable; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft established the Labor Capital Strategies Fellowship in collaboration with Georgetown University to educate emerging capital stewards on the labor movement and innovative alternatives to traditional Wall Street practices; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft published three successful books including Up from Wall Street, Working Capital: The Power of Labor’s Pensions, and in 2016, The Responsible Investor Handbook; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft has shared his expertise at over 100 conferences and panels throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States-including a distinguished appearance at the White House-demonstrating his remarkable impact and commitment to the field; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Croft has devoted more than 35 years advancing worker representation in the workplace, community, and public policy.
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes Tom Croft for his 35 years of dedicated service and commitment to the Steel Valley Authority; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby recognize December 18, 2025, as “Tom Croft Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.