Eric Milliron
In a goal to make the Pittsburgh area one of the nation’s best places to live, Eric Milliron continues to look for ways to allow for Mt. Lebanon to thrive. From the known events Milliron organizes throughout the uptown district to improving the walking community as a whole, his understanding of urban, transportation and community planning has only allowed for further growth.
We sat down with him to talk about not only his role in the bustling municipality, but what motivated him to improve communities as a whole and inspired him to take a job in Mt. Lebanon in 2008.
As the economic development officer in Mt. Lebanon, what are your responsibilities on a day-to-day basis?
I am in the middle of a partnership of the business owners, the Mt. Lebanon Partnership along with residents and volunteers that help us do what we have to do. For a community to thrive successfully, there has to be points of contact, a nucleus as to where people go to as a resource – that’s how I think of myself. I’m in the middle of a lot of these initiatives and try to do the best I can to commandeer information and resources. I’m a point of contact for folks looking to create a business in Mt. Lebanon and a concierge after they get into Mt. Lebanon. I try to help them get established, find resources for them and actualizing some of the plans into our community. Most people think of me as the event guy for things happening in the uptown, but that’s just a piece of it. I can’t do this alone. This is no one-man-band operation.
How did you come into the role you have now in Mt. Lebanon?
It was eight years ago, when I was working for the North Side Leadership Conference as their economic development officer, I was interested in doing something different. After my wife told me there was a job posting in Mt. Lebanon, it really felt like a good fit for me because it was a blending and matching of my skill sets. Mt. Lebanon has a long track record of strong municipal leadership and the business districts are strong by catering to a demographic.
How did Mt. Lebanon meet the needs not only of you, but your 8-year-old daughter, Sylvie, and wife Shelley?
At the time we were living in the city, which I’ve lived in since being here in the late ’90s since coming to Pittsburgh. We wanted to be in a community that still had the amenities of urban living. Combining that with the school district and a very attractive housing stock with a sense of community was appealing. After I had been here for a number of years and the folks that I worked with thought I was worth keeping around, we decided to move. Mt. Lebanon really was our only option, not because I work here, but because of everything about it. It was a no brainer when we moved here three years ago. Mt. Lebanon has a great soul. We can’t imagine living anywhere else.
How beneficial and unique is it to live in a walking community?
The walkability factor of Mt. Lebanon is huge. There are not many communities that have such strength through connectivity from residential to commercial areas. You have this phenomenal inventory of beautiful homes with landscaping. There is good design met with good planning met with robust commercial districts and vibrant residential communities. I walk my dog every morning and on the weekends and it’s always interesting to see what people are doing with their gardens and what businesses are doing with their storefront.
How has traveling and living in other places throughout the country affected your passion and understanding of your current position?
My coming of age was in Seattle. I was there at a time through the early and mid-’90s when it really furthered developed my philosophy for business districts and urban planning. Seattle, back in that time, was working on an emphasis on walkability and cycling as transportation. It showed me that neighborhood centers are places of community gathering. I experienced that as a young person in a time when I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. A downtown needs to have a sense of community to it, places that are special to the people that go there. People don’t just go to these business districts to buy stuff, and that really meant a lot to me. I grew up in the country, and if we needed anything we went to the mall. I had no connection when I went into buy something at the Gap except that I wanted a pair of jeans. When I moved to Seattle and saw and met small business owners, my whole world view changed.
Is there a rewarding feeling to see the work you do flourish into something that becomes a staple in the community?
I’m a part of this community. I just don’t work here but I live here. When you’re lucky enough to be able to have the position that I have, do what I do, in the community that I live in, I get a tremendous sense of pride in what this community does. I’m one piece of a much bigger tapestry. Certainly when you see a business thrive that you had something to do with and they smile at you and shake your hand, that makes you feel good. I walk early in the morning before most people are probably awake and I see the business district from dawn until dusk. To know that I have the opportunity to be a player in this community and in these business districts is something I’m humbled by. The business owners are taking the risk and hanging it all out there. Anything I can do to try and help with that, I’m honored to do. n