Get to Know–Neil DiBiase
Neil DiBiase is the chief strategy officer for United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. He leads the organization’s strategic initiatives in this role and collaborates with key stakeholders to drive community impact. After completing his undergraduate studies at Tufts University in Boston, earning a Bachelor of Arts in history, Neil spent eight years as a foreign service officer in the U.S. State Department. During his tenure, Neil served at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, assisting with relief efforts following the 2010 earthquake, and in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as the lead U.S. economic and commercial officer.
Neil relocated to Pittsburgh in 2017 with his husband, Chris, and began working at the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, coordinating corporate engagement and fundraising efforts of more than $26 million annually. Neil serves on the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgh native, Neil is thrilled to be back in his hometown and lives in Franklin Park with his husband, Chris, their children and the family dog, Sophie. Neil was recently named a 2024 C-Suite Award Winner by the Pittsburgh Business Times.
How do you define your leadership style?
I strive to be an inclusive and collaborative leader who seeks a diversity of viewpoints to incorporate into the decision-making process. I am under no illusion that I am the smartest person in the room—many others have deeper knowledge or experience than I do, and incorporating those perspectives is critical to reaching the best decision and outcome.
Whose shoulders do you stand on?
My maternal grandfather, Jay Weiner, instilled in me the recognition that with great success comes great responsibility. While he achieved success in business, I know that he was most proud of the work he did to support his community—Jewish and otherwise—in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He taught me a great deal about what it means to be a leader in the community and the role that each of us can, and should, play to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to live a stable and dignified life.
What is the most significant risk you have taken and what was the outcome?
I joined the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer immediately after graduating from college and my first assignment was to work in Port-au-Prince, Haiti immediately after the devastating 2010 earthquake. As someone who had lived a relatively sheltered life until that point, the thought of spending two years in a disaster zone, without any nearby friends or family, was intimidating. That experience, though, was one of the defining experiences of my life and taught me a great deal about myself and the incredible, sometimes incomprehensible, ability of humans to rebuild their lives despite the most challenging circumstances.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
I am fortunate to have the ability to sit in the room with some incredible individuals—through my role at United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and as a board member at the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh—who continue to impart their knowledge about what it means to be a true leader.
What book are you currently reading?
With two kids under five, I don’t have as much time to read as I would like. I joined a book club to try and hold myself a bit more accountable, and we are currently reading Beautyland, by Marie-Helene Bertino.