Community Champion: Guy Costa

By Jim Rogal

THE PITTSBURGH REGION IS MORE DIVERSE THAN EVER, AND SQUIRREL HILL IS A MICROCOSM OF THAT DIVERSITY—ASIANS, INDIANS, PEOPLE WITH ALL MANNER OF RELIGIONS, BELIEFS, AND BACKGROUNDS. The rise of Pittsburgh in pursuits such as health care, education, computer science, robotics, and more has drawn people to this area from all over the world.

Then there are people like Guy Costa, 67, born and raised here, went to college here, got married here, raised a son here, made his career here, and retired here. Costa was born in Larimer, but his family moved to Squirrel Hill in 1968. And over those decades, Guy Costa has left his mark—still is, actually—on the county, on the city, and on Squirrel Hill.

But unlike his higher-profile relatives (father Jay Sr., brother Jay Jr., cousin Paul, cousin Dom) who chose a life in politics, Costa chose a life in government, and there’s a big difference. He has worked for the city, then the county, then back to the city, then back to the county, then finally back to the city again in a wide range of government jobs “for the betterment of people,” he said. “It feels good to be involved. I like people. I care about people. And it feels good to help.”

Ready for Costa’s Pittsburgh journey? Here we go.

He attended Linden Elementary School, Taylor Allderdice High School, and Duquesne University. After two years as a substitute teacher, he went to work in the Pittsburgh Public Works Department, then took a similar job in the County Public Works Department. The late Pittsburgh mayor and county executive Pete Flaherty then recruited him to lead the county’s Public Development Department.

“The steel mills were going down,” said Costa, “so there was a lot of work to be done. I stayed there for four years.”

When Tom Murphy was elected mayor of Pittsburgh, he brought Costa back to the city to run the Pittsburgh Parking Authority, then the General Services Department, then Public Works. Costa then went back to the county as a special projects manager. When Bill Peduto ran for mayor, he recruited Costa to be his campaign manager, then to serve as his Chief Operations Officer after winning the election.

Costa retired from public service in 2019 after more than 40 years of work in the trenches of local government. Costa was in the middle of the county’s governmental transition to a single County Executive, and he worked for four consecutive mayors: Murphy, Bob O’Connor, Luke Ravenstahl, and Peduto.

“I enjoyed working for government,” he said. “It gave me a chance to help people.”

People who, according to Costa, make Pittsburgh a rare kind of place to live. “There’s a bonding that goes on here,” he said, “no doubt. There are about 90 neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, and they’re pretty much all family oriented. All faiths, all nationalities, many staying here through generations. People who aren’t from here still think of Pittsburgh as ‘yuk’—until they come here.”

And even those who leave retain a connection to the city. “There are Pittsburgh bars, Steelers bars, all over the United States,” Costa said. “Wherever you are, you can find one.”

So, what has retirement looked like? “I spent the first two years taking care of my mom before she passed,” Costa said. “Now I stay involved in this community.” Costa serves on the board of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition and the Vintage Grand Prix.

“I walk through Squirrel Hill almost every day, and I see things where something’s got to be done, so I do it,” he said. Costa tells the story of walking past an abandoned car parked on his street. If anybody knows how to take care of something like that, it’s Guy Costa. So, he did.

“Squirrel Hill is a very special neighborhood,” he said. “We have all the amenities. Neighbors socialize here. There are block parties all over.”

“We’re so diverse,” Costa added. “We’re one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Western Pennsylvania. It feels good just to be involved here.”

Spend some time with him, and you’ll see that Costa’s “feel-good” approach to life is catching.

“You’ve got to try to enjoy every day,” he said. “Every day is preparation for the next day. Appreciate it.”