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Riverlife CEO Vivien Li Stepping Down After More Than 2 Years With The Organization

courtesy of Vivien Li

Riverlife president and CEO Vivien Li will leave the organization after two-and-a-half years at its helm.

The organization said in a release Friday morning that Li is leaving to spend more time with her family. She tendered her resignation this week, with Friday being her last day.

Pete Mendez, owner of Mendez Consulting, will take over as interim director in Li’s absence.

In a statement, Li said she enjoyed her time with the organization, but needed to prioritize family members in ill health.

“Recently, several family and close friends outside of Pittsburgh have become seriously ill, which has forced me to rethink my priorities, including the balance between work and personal needs,” Li said. “I am reluctant to leave Pittsburgh but know that this is the right decision for me.”

Li worked on proposing new zoning regulations for the city’s 35 miles of waterfront, which aims to streamline land use classifications, condensing more than a dozen to five.

In order to encourage sustainability, the preservation of river views and the creation of active spaces, the regulations would put restrictions on things such as surface parking, building height, building length and proximity to the river, among others. A bonus system would allow developers to win exceptions to those restrictions by providing public benefits such as waterfront access, riverfront trails or public art.

The legislation is currently in the hands of City Council, which has yet to vote on it.