We all know the story of Dorothy from Kansas who ventured through Oz with her ruby slippers, only to realize that what she sought was in her own back yard. Now another Dorothy has appeared in Pittsburgh with her own ruby slippers determined to convince Pittsburghers of the same thing.

	Bill Wade, Post-Gazette Dorothy L. Lengyel, the new president of the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, sometimes uses building blocks when visualizing development. Click photo for larger image.

Dorothy Lengyel will be introduced today as the new president of the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development after a search of almost a year. That Lengyel has lived and worked in Seattle, the proverbial emerald Oz, set her apart from the 70 other applicants, said Cathy Niederberger of PNC Bank, who serves on the partnership's board. Dorothy "recognizes the value of looking for new ways to do things," Niederberger said.

Lengyel's work in Seattle earned her national acclaim for her projects as the executive director of HomeSight. She encouraged community revitalization by promoting home ownership through innovative tactics. "She can bring that other way of thinking here," Niederberger said.

"I look at Pittsburgh as an incredible opportunity," said Lengyel. "I want to be a part of the new generation of Pittsburgh."

Lengyel chose to return to Pittsburgh because of the opportunities she sees. From Seattle, a city whose revitalization efforts brought in a booming young population and the traffic and overcrowding problems that came with it, Lengyel is ready to turn to Pittsburgh with the lessons she has learned from Seattle's achievements and downsides. "If all that could happen there over 25 years," she asked, "why can't it happen here?"

Lengyel has a number of strategies to set Pittsburgh on this path. Noting the key role that the private sector plays in community redevelopment, she hopes to expand this collaboration.

The Partnership raises and allocates money for community development corporations. "A CDC's role is to kickstart a neighborhood," she said. Yet Lengyel also hopes to sustain the role of CDCs in neighborhoods by ensuring that they have the funding and business strategies to thrive.

Lengyel admits that she faces challenges in revitalizing a city that has declared itself financially distressed. As residents and businesses grumble about moving away in light of the latest increse in parking taxes, she said, "We need to keep people engaged."

Lengyel grew up in Homestead and attended Penn State University. When she received a job offer in Seattle in 1978, she moved to the West Coast and stayed there, revitalizing the area neighborhood by neighborhood.

But after being away for so long, she sees with fresh eyes the opportunities that exist here. To Lengyel, the real estate climate is full of opportunity, and the diverse neighborhoods are what makes her feel she belongs. "The glass to me is 3/4 full."

For Lengyel, who really does have ruby slippers, the biggest challenge just might be convincing Pittsburghers that there is no place like home.