August R. Carlino is the president and chief executive officer of the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation, based in Homestead, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Carlino was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He moved to Washington, D.C. after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with dual majors in political science and rhetoric and communications, with minor concentrations in history and mathematics. In Washington, he worked as a Legislative Director to Pittsburgh’s former Congressman William J. Coyne. Later, he became a lobbyist for the law firm of Jones Day, where he led several government relations initiatives for the firm’s clients in the fields of taxation, banking, environment, urban affairs, and foreign affairs.
Mr. Carlino is associated with several professional organizations within and outside the field of heritage development. In 1991, he helped organize the Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Association and served as president of the group from 1994 to 2000. He has also helped organize the Alliance of National Heritage Areas in 1997 and served as chairperson of this national organization from 2000 to 2006. From 2006 to 2016, he served as the chair of the Advocacy Committee for ANHA, and also chaired the committee that worked with the National Park Service to develop the current evaluation model and system that assesses the effectiveness of individual National Heritage Areas. Mr. Carlino was a member of the Partnership Committee of the National Park Service Advisory Board from 2003 to 2010. In 1999, he was named to the Board of Advisors of the National Trust on Historic Preservation. He continues to serve as one of Pennsylvania’s representatives and served for ten years (2003 –2012) on its Executive Committee. In Pittsburgh, he served on the boards of community and nonprofit organizations, including the Advancement Board for Central Catholic High School, serving as chairperson for nine years, and the school’s Strategic Planning Committee. He is currently a board member of Venture Outdoors. Additionally, he is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh.
In 1998, Mr. Carlino was invited by President Bill Clinton to appear with the President at a White House ceremony to deliver the keynote speech on the importance of America’s rivers in community revitalization and economic development. In 2002, President George W. Bush named him to serve on a select presidential committee of the U.S. Department of Interior overseeing the future role of the National Park Service working with partners and community organizations on culture, history, and heritage.
Carlino has been a guest lecturer at several universities, including Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie-Mellon University, Duquesne University, and the University of Chicago, where he has led discussions on heritage conservation, political advocacy, sustainable development, community revitalization, and brownfield redevelopment. In 2000, Mr. Carlino was awarded the Sen. H. John Heinz Award for Distinguished Community Service. Additionally, under his leadership, Rivers of Steel has received several awards and recognitions within Pennsylvania and nationally. In 1997, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge named him to serve on the Pennsylvania Greenways Commission, and in 2010 Governor Ed Rendell inducted him into the Pennsylvania Heritage Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was named by Smart Business Magazine as one of Pittsburgh’s Top 50 Business Leaders. The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, as part of its 75th Anniversary commemoration, named Carlino as one of Pittsburgh’s most transformative leaders.
Contact Augie
Augie can often be reached by calling 412.464.4020 ext. 263 or by emailing arcarlino@riversofsteel.com.
