Since becoming executive director of the Bloomfield Development Corporation in 2009, Karla Owens has secured the organization’s 501(c)(3) status, prepared by-laws, raised over $100.000 in grant funds, implemented Liberty Avenue streetscape improvements, and assisted with restructuring the Baum/Centre Initiative. Additional priorities for Owens include participating in the West Penn Community Partnership, collaborating with East End Partners and Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development on new funding opportunities, and convening developers and stakeholders to build a new senior living center. Owens has previously served as Mainstreet Manager for the Bloomfield Business Association and as an adjunct faculty member with Robert Morris University’s School of Business.