Olga George, a native Virgin Islander and graduate of St. Croix Central High School was appointed as press secretary for the city of Pittsburgh by Mayor Ed Gainey on May 24. In that role she will serve as the mayor’s primary spokesperson and media liaison.
George was born and raised on St. Croix. After high school, she went on to study journalism and communications at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Growing up, there were few African American role models in the journalism world, but one of George’s inspirations was Peter Jennings, an ABC news anchor she watched growing up.
However, she did say many of her teachers in the Virgin Islands inspired her to work hard and influenced her to pursue a career in journalism. Ms. Robinson, her sixth-grade teacher at Lew Muckle Elementary School, saw her potential and held her accountable, she said.
“Teachers who keep pushing you and tell you to do better and not allow you to slide are the ones who help the most,” George said.
After graduating college, George worked for an NBC-affiliated station called WPXI, a job she said she was very fortunate to get because of the competitive nature of the journalism field at the time. She was also employed in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public relations department alongside her schooling, which she said was a helpful and informative experience. Before being appointed as press secretary, she worked at KDA, a CBS TV Station, for 28 1/2 years. In her career, she’s produced 3 Emmy award-winning documentaries.
George explained how being a press secretary is different from her previous jobs in journalism. Her current position requires her to be more involved in her community than in her previous jobs. She is motivated to serve the people and deliver the news in a way that they can understand, she said.
“I’m all about giving back and working with the people where I live and this is a new step for me in the right direction,” she said.
George also discussed the contrast between her life in the Virgin Islands and her life in Pittsburgh, the main difference being the climate. However, she did describe the difficulties of being a woman of color working in a government position in the states. George explained the importance of being conscious of her actions because everything she does represents the mayor and the city of Pittsburgh. As a Black woman in the Virgin Islands, she always felt encouraged and uplifted by her community. In Pittsburgh, she feels as though there is no room for mistakes, and the pressure to perform is not only for herself but for the many Black women who may come after her.
“You have to be sort of perfect whereas others are given more leeway to make mistakes. I’m not talking about my coworkers, more so the public eye. There’s a hidden thought process where if a Black woman fails, they won’t hire anymore,” George said.
When asked what advice she has to offer young people in the Virgin Islands who aspire to have a career in this field, she explained how this type of work is not for the faint of heart. When she graduated from Point Park University in 1988, there was a desire and respect for journalists, but as decades passed, they are now looked at with more disregard. She explained how there is a need to be comfortable in both the background and the foreground because her career requires being in the spotlight a lot of the time.
“If it’s your passion, follow it,” she said.
Since the moment she was appointed, George has been very busy with work. Over Memorial Day weekend, she accompanied the mayor to four different events. She has been sending out press releases and is currently writing talking points for the Deputy Chief of Staff. She said she looks forward to being able to serve the people in her community.
