When he worked in Washington, D.C., Jason Altmire was in the thick of things, a firsthand witness to deals and decisions that affected lives well beyond the Beltway.

Now, Altmire lives in McCandless, but he still is involved in the political process. And, more than ever, he works to leverage political know-how for the good of others.

For his dedication to the North Hills area's business community and his spirit of community service, Altmire last month was awarded the 2005 Arcadia Award by the Northern Allegheny Chamber of Commerce.

"He's been very influential in helping us build relationships with people in state and federal government," said Lynn Landis, a Ross accountant who nominated Altmire for the award.

Altmire, 37, is acting vice president for government relations and community health services at UPMC. In that position, he represents UPMC in discussions with government officials on health-care issues.

"We work with members of Congress and let them know how UPMC feels and also let UPMC know what people in Washington are working on," he said.

Altmire is immersed in community activities. He holds positions on numerous boards of directors, including those of La Roche College, Northland Public Library Foundation, the Oakland Business Improvement District, Penn State Beaver Campus, Heritage Health Foundation in Braddock, Manchester Bidwell Development Trust and North Hills Community Outreach.

He also serves on legislative committees for both the Allegheny Valley and the Northern Allegheny chambers of commerce and is past president of the North Allegheny Lions Club and McCandless Rotary Club.

It was through the Rotary Club that Landis met Altmire. Landis said he was impressed not only with Altmire's political experience but his extensive community service and generous spirit.

"He's involved in a lot of community activities because he wants to be involved, not because he wants to get his name out in public," Landis said.

Still, Altmire's understanding of the ways of Washington has been an asset.

"Everybody knows Jason. Jason has the utmost respect of some very influential people," Landis said.

Landis, president of the board of directors of North Hills Community Outreach, nominated Altmire to his current office of vice president. Altmire's connections have helped the organization work through a complicated grant application process, Landis said.

Altmire met his wife, Kelly, at Florida State University, when they both attended college and worked on a Florida congressman's campaign. Their candidate won, and the pair moved to Washington, D.C., where Altmire worked for five years as legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. Pete Peterson, D-Florida. Altmire had grown up in Lower Burrell, so after the couple married and started a family, they returned to the Pittsburgh area and settled in the northern suburbs. They have two daughters.

Although Altmire's volunteer activities can be time consuming, he believes his family will benefit from his work, too.

"I consider what I do in the community to be part of being a parent," he said.