Trina DeMarco Preffer
Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, Director, Corporate Communications & Community Partnerships
enphospitality.com

Trina DeMarco Preffer has reason to smile — she’s the director of corporate communications and community partnerships for one of Pittsburgh’s most enduring concepts, the Eat’n Park Hospitality Group.

“I came to this organization in 2005 because I was interested in working on an iconic consumer brand as a communications professional,” she says. “I stayed because of the organization’s relentless commitment to innovation, its enduring core values and because it was an exciting opportunity for me to contribute meaningfully to the growth and scaling of a legacy brand for the future.”

Family owned since 1949 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group recently celebrated 75 years of hospitality; its collection of brands includes Eat’n Park Restaurants, Hello Bistro, The Porch, Parkhurst Dining and SmileyCookie.com. The group’s nearly 10,000 team members work in more than a dozen states — and DeMarco Preffer makes it her mission to connect all of them to the company’s culture and purpose.

“I strive to communicate to team members, guests and our community in ways that are genuine to Eat’n Park Hospitality Group and inclusive of our core values, our purpose (which is to ‘Create a Smile’), our legacy and our voice,” she says. “Our team members are our greatest asset, as evidenced by the tremendous work they do in our restaurants and client sites every day, especially in support of our Caring for Kids campaign, and I believe in leading in ways that prioritize their development, engagement and well-being.”

A South Hills resident who grew up in the Mon Valley, DeMarco Preffer, who is a mom to two school-age children, says growing Caring for Kids is one of her career highlights. The campaign began in Pittsburgh in 1979 to support UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh; today it supports more than 20 children’s hospitals across the company’s operating region.

“To date, Caring for Kids has raised more than $12 million to support our youngest neighbors who are in need of medical care,” DeMarco Preffer says. “Caring for Kids is powered by our incredible team members, and I am most proud of my colleagues’ commitment to keeping the campaign going year after year, even through 2020, which was a devastating time for our industry. We kept our eye on the big picture and approached the campaign with a long-lens view, and it paid off.”

DeMarco Preffer’s commitment to community extends beyond Eat’n Park Hospitality Group’s fundraising efforts. A volunteer at her kids’ schools, her family’s church and SHIM (South Hills Interfaith Movement), DeMarco Preffer is an executive committee board member for Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, as well as a member of the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council, the Children’s Trust at UPMC Children’s Hospital and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Impact Cabinet.

For 15 years, Pittsburgh Magazine has spotlighted exceptional businesswomen within our pages and at quarterly networking events. Join us for a vibrant conversation with our four inspiring honorees and a keynote speaker at our Women & Business Awards.

Our next in-person event:

When: Thursday, February 13 from 5:30-8 p.m.
Where: Alloy 26 in Nova Place
Ticket Price: $40, with $20 benefitting UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation

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