DTI was founded in 2007 by Dennis Troy, a 25-plus year veteran of the economic development industry.
The success of DTI and its principals includes work from both the public and private sectors. Dennis served as a director and deputy director of economic development for Allegheny County, where he was responsible for many high-profile projects.
His public-sector accomplishments include
The mixed-use development of a 300-acre site known as The Waterfront in Allegheny County’s Mon Valley.
The redevelopment of a 10-acre mixed-use site known as Brentwood Town Square.
Serving as the lead representative for Allegheny County during negotiations and financial packaging of projects involving new sports venues for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates.
Overseeing the staffing of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Convention Center Design Commission, which headed the design of the expanded David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Dennis continues to cultivate his network of professionals and public officials, locally and nationally. DTI is proud to have completed numerous projects throughout Pennsylvania that range from developing riverfront walking trails to management of large scale multi-use real estate development projects. For example, in May 2009, the Cork Factory Lofts project that Dennis represented since its groundbreaking was named the Best Redevelopment Project in the United States by the Urban Land Institute.
DTI’s more recent activities include serving as the owner’s representative for the construction of one of the nation’s first LEED Certified trucking and maintenance facilities for Pitt Ohio Express, grants administrator for a $15 million RACP award for the redevelopment of 55 acres in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, special project management of the Heinz II Lofts and special project management for the McCaffery Interests redevelopment of the Strip District Produce Terminal.
In addition to Dennis, the following DTI staff will work with your company:
Albert E. Payne “Chip”, Vice President - Partner
Chip has been a partner and the chief financial officer at DTI since inception. He has more than 30 years of accounting, business management and development experience working with diverse organizations, including public & private, profit & not-for-profit, educational, start-up and early stage companies. He has public accounting firm experience as a business enterprise and tax structuring consultant working with full stage audits, reviews and compilations, international, federal, state and local tax compilations and consolidations, construction development loan/cost certifications/reconciliations. He has extensive knowledge with investment policy and procedure development along with fiduciary trust management.
Some of his key duties at our firm are:
Maintaining positive client relationships and driving new business acquisitions.
Developing and implementing organizational goals, procedures, and policies.
Consulting and cooperating with other executives, board members, and employees.
Managing, monitoring, and reviewing business operations.
Identifying improvement gaps and implementing corrective measures.
Reviewing and overseeing all financial activities, performance, and documentation.
Overseeing all hiring activities and approving all contracts.
Shelley L. Cicchini, Director of Grant Administration
Shelley brings with her 15+ years of business and operational management. She began her career in retail with the fortune 500 May Company as an assistant buyer then department manager. Adding a degree in Interior Design to her BA from Washington and Jefferson College, she spent the next 6 years of her career with furniture manufacturer Haskell of Pittsburgh serving in various managerial positions including, Senior Sales Support Manager responsible for coordinating all internal operations involving customer service, manufacturing, credit, engineering, shipping and installation, Customer Service Manager and Project Manager for GSA contract work. Most recently, Shelley managed the business office of America’s Auto Auction, Pittsburgh, where aside from the daily office management, she specialized in restructuring and growing both the online selling process and the GSA remarketing business.
Lisa M. Scott, Administrative Assistant/Paralegal
Lisa brings with her 30+ years of administrative and legal experience working at various law firms in the Pittsburgh area. Lisa earned her Paralegal Certificate from Robert Morris University through their Legal Assistant/Paralegal program. She was the legal administrator for a large regional defense litigation law firm where she managed the Pittsburgh, PA, Erie, PA, Weirton, WV and Steubenville, OH offices of that firm. After that, Lisa was a paralegal with a commercial real estate firm where she negotiated and drafted agreements of sale, drafted closing documents and handled real estate closings in connection with foreclosed properties owned by a large Pittsburgh banking institution. Most recently, Lisa worked for a general practice law firm that specialized in recovering on hospital collection accounts.