PA Chamber members are leading the way across Pennsylvania, creating jobs, investing in their communities, and driving innovation. Each week, we are proud to spotlight some of the latest news and accomplishments from businesses across our membership. Healthcare Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has welcomed Dr. Joe Mitchell as its new president and chief executive officer, succeeding longtime CEO Madeline Bell, who retired after nearly 40 years of service to the organization. A nationally recognized healthcare leader with more than 20 years of experience in pediatric healthcare, strategy and organizational leadership, Mitchell joined CHOP as president in 2025 and has spent the past 18 months preparing for the transition. CHOP said Mitchell will help lead the institution’s continued focus on advancing research, expanding access to care and improving outcomes for children and families. Read more from NBC 10 Philadelphia West Virginia University Medicine has completed a deal to affiliate with five new hospitals. On Thursday, the health system welcomed Butler Memorial Hospital, Clarion Hospital, Frick Hospital, Latrobe Hospital and Westmorland Hospital. The deal also includes the affiliated physician practices and outpatient facilities for the hospitals. Over the next five years, WVU Medicine has committed $800 million to modernize the hospitals, with two of the priorities being Butler Memorial Hospital’s emergency room and Westmoreland Hospital’s campus. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times. UPMC has officially completed its affiliation with Trinity Health System, the Steubenville, Ohio-based hospital network, from CommonSpirit Health. This adds a new state, Ohio, to UPMC’s system. “We are proud to officially welcome the Trinity team to UPMC. We look forward to a bright future focused on serving communities of the Ohio Valley with both innovation and compassion, advancing care close to home, and improving the health and well-being of every patient who turns to us,” said Leslie Davis, president and CEO of UPMC, in a statement. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times. Pharmaceuticals Cencora has appointed Robert Sanchez, former chair and chief executive officer of Ryder System Inc., to its board of directors as an independent director. Sanchez brings extensive leadership experience in logistics, supply chain management and corporate strategy after leading Ryder and overseeing the company’s growth and transformation. Cencora leaders said his expertise will help support the company’s pharmaceutical-focused strategy and long-term growth objectives as it continues to advance its role in the global healthcare supply chain. Read more from Pennsylvania Business Report Manufacturing Wabtec has signed an approximately $254 million agreement with Brazilian rail freight operator MRS Logística for new Evolution Series locomotives, spare parts and maintenance services. Wabtec said its Evolution Series locomotives are designed to improve productivity while lowering fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Company leaders said the agreement reflects the strength of Wabtec’s longstanding partnership with MRS and supports efforts to advance more efficient and sustainable rail transportation in Brazil. Read more from Pennsylvania Business Report Professional Services McNees has launched Ryepeck Ventures, a new management and commercialization consultancy designed to help organizations transform innovative ideas into commercially successful businesses. The new subsidiary will provide commercialization support, management consulting and fractional executive leadership services to entrepreneurs, innovators and growing companies. Geoffrey White, an attorney in McNees’ Intellectual Property Group, will serve as president, while experienced business leader and consultant Walt Vester will serve as executive vice president. Read more from the Central Penn Business Journal Business Development The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania has named Holly Douglas, vice president of Cosmos Technologies, as the new chairwoman of its board of directors. Douglas will work alongside chamber leadership and the board to advance the organization’s mission of supporting small and minority-owned businesses and expanding economic opportunity throughout Western Pennsylvania. Chamber leaders said her appointment comes as the organization continues to grow its programs, partnerships and resources for entrepreneurs and business owners across the Pittsburgh region. Transportation & Infrastructure Allegheny County Airport Authority announced that Pittsburgh International Airport will receive $11.02 million in Federal Aviation Administration funding to support runway and airfield improvements. The funding includes upgrades to pavement and lighting on runway 10L/28R, helping enhance the airport’s infrastructure and operational reliability. The award follows additional federal support for air traffic control modernization initiatives at PIT, including new technology and data systems designed to improve the safety, efficiency and management of air travel. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times Education The University of Pittsburgh has received a $1.8 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation to support a three-year research initiative examining how communities can respond to declining trust in public institutions and strengthen effective governance. Led by the university’s Center for Governance and Markets, the project will support new research, policy briefs, case studies, educational resources and mentorship opportunities for early-career scholars. University leaders said the initiative aims to advance understanding of public governance while helping prepare the next generation of researchers and practitioners focused on civic leadership and institutional trust. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times Carnegie Mellon University will open an innovative campus in Miami after a $3 billion donation from hedge fund CEO Kenneth Griffin, whose nationally historic gift will also aim to bolster CMU’s flagship Pittsburgh campus. Two-thirds of the gift, announced Wednesday morning, will go toward the Miami campus. Slated to open in just two years, the campus will pioneer a new higher education model that is centered around societal challenges rather than academic majors. The remaining $1 billion will support the Pittsburgh campus, and will include a $500 million investment in the School of Computer Science. That money will also be used to recruit talent to the Pittsburgh campus, expand access and affordability for students, and invest in research. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times Energy Pennsylvanians for Reliable and Affordable Energy executive Director Terry Fitzpatrick is making the case that modernizing Pennsylvania’s energy infrastructure is the key to unlocking reliable and affordable energy. In a new op-ed published in PennLive, Fitzpatrick cites his experience as former chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and a recent survey indicating that electricity demand is projected to rise nearly 20 percent by 2034. Yet much of Pennsylvania’s high-voltage transmission network is 40 to 70 years old, built for a smaller, less electrified economy. Fitzpatrick argues that Pennsylvania has debated infrastructure long enough, and it’s time to act on the broad consensus that a modern economy requires modern energy infrastructure Read more in PennLive.