Cate Irvin is the Senior Director of Economic Development at the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, where she leads retail recruitment, market analysis, business development, and storefront activation strategies for Downtown Pittsburgh. Her professional background spans transportation policy, placemaking, economic development, and academic research. Cate recently chaired the International Downtown Association’s Top Issues Council on Retail, helping shape national conversations around storefront vacancy and downtown retail recovery. She is a graduate of IDA’s Emerging Leader Fellowship, holds a Master of Public Health, and is ABD in Urban Sociology at Tulane University, where her research focuses on adaptive governance, temporary urbanism, and downtown revitalization.