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Braddock mayor to be honored by White House as AmeriCorps alum
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The White House Friday will honor Braddock Mayor John Fetterman as an outstanding AmeriCorps alum who is a "Champions of Change."
Mr. Fetterman is one of a dozen lauded for what the White House said is "leveraging their national service experience to become an influential leader in their communities."
Mr. Fetterman, a Harvard graduate with a master's degree in public policy, was placed in AmeriCorps service by the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council. He moved to Braddock in 2001 to do the AmeriCorps work. Four years later he became the town's mayor -- winning the election by a single vote -- and has been at the forefront of a massive effort to revitalize the once-prosperous town ever since.
In 2009, Fetterman won a second term by nearly a 3-1 margin.
An advocate for re-imagining and redesigning Braddock, a press release from the White House said Mayor Fetterman focused on "creating a safer, more just Braddock by developing youth-oriented programs, attracting artists and others to the community and by pursuing green urban renewal and economic development."
Some 150 corps alumni have been invited to tomorrow's event.
Since 1994, more than 775,000 Americans have served in AmeriCorps; some 80,000 today.
Jon Carson, White House director of the Office of Public Engagement, said those to be honored "get things done for America."
Friday's ceremony is at 2 p.m. and can be followed on Twitter using the hashtag #WHAmeriCorps.
First Published August 16, 2012 11:20 am
