MARY W. MURRIN | PHOTO COURTESY OF WQED

The first new leader in 35 years of the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation — a nonprofit that promotes industrial preservation and heritage tourism in the eight-county region — will take the helm March 1.

The board has appointed Mary W. Murrin as the next president and CEO to replace August R. Carlino, who joined a coalition in 1990 to lead the creation of the organization and the historical district in 1996. He will be retiring at the end of March, allowing for an overlap in leadership to ease transition.

Murrin has spent the last 11 years working for Chevron U.S.A. in social investment, corporate affairs and digital strategy communications, most recently from Houston. She has a long history in business development in Pittsburgh, starting with Westinghouse Electric and emerging technology ventures that had evolved from Carnegie Mellon University. Later, in the early 2000s, she was active in the New Idea Factory put forth by former Allegheny County Executive Jim Roddey and went on to serve as vice president for corporate communications and grant programs with Carnegie Learning / Apollo Education Group.

“Mary brings a wealth of experience in corporate affairs, strategic planning, and fostering impactful public-private partnerships, making her an outstanding choice to lead Rivers of Steel into its next chapter,” Dick Wallace, board chair for Rivers of Steel, said in a statement. “Her proven success in leveraging social investments and her passion for connecting communities to their heritage align perfectly with our mission.”

Wallace praised Carlino’s “visionary leadership [that] transformed Rivers of Steel into a cornerstone of cultural preservation and economic development both nationally and internationally.”

Rivers of Steel manages the federally designated Pittsburgh Industrial District, which includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. This is done in partnership with the National Park Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

It promotes historical tours, programs and other activities at the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Swissvale, the Pump House in Munhall, Explorer Riverboat, the Bost Building in Homestead (Visitor’s Center for the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area) and W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop at Rices Landing in Greene County.