It is my belief that a critical element in the future of the Pittsburgh region, and in fact the future of the southwestern Pennsylvania, will be largely determined by the quality, depth and technical ability of our work force.

This region must be able to educate and train individuals who are on par with their counterparts in any region or nation in the world. To achieve this, it will be required that we incorporate the technology and thought process as to what the world is becoming as opposed to what it used to be.

The standard of excellence must begin in preschool and be applied to students throughout their formal education and beyond. Excellence and learning must be recognized as lifelong experiences, not limited by time, but incorporated as part of our culture -- a culture that is dynamic and focused squarely on the future.

To find this expertise will require that we identify the best practices regardless of background, create learning environments that utilize this experience and provide opportunities at every professional level to contribute to this collective wisdom.

With an attitude of leadership that is broadly and community based, I believe the future of our region could be very bright indeed.