Bob and Lisa Pompeani are Pittsburgh enthusiasts – they have spent their lives in and around the “City of Bridges,” never straying far from the opportunities that the city has to offer. The Pompeanis are heavily involved in the Pittsburgh community, whether it be through sports, charity work, or their careers. In fact, Bob has been a defining aspect of the Pittsburgh community since 1982.

 

Sports are an integral part of Pittsburgh. Whether it be the Steelers, Pirates, or Penguins, “yinzers” take sports seriously and have pride for their teams. Bob is a sports anchor for KDKA-TV News at Six and KDKA-TV News at Eleven where he has been employed for 39 years. During his time studying at Point Park University, he landed an internship at KDKA, and the rest is history. “We have a thriving sports community,” Bob says of Pittsburgh. As someone who has been in the industry for decades, Bob surely knows all about the importance of sports to the Pittsburgh community.

 

Bob isn’t the only person in his family with the talent of broadcasting. Lisa has also been involved in the field, having studied Broadcasting and Public Relations at Duquesne University. Chelsea and Celina, the couple’s daughters, are both also involved in broadcasting. Chelsea has worked as a news reporter in both Erie, PA, and Rochester, PA, and Celina works as the Penguin’s arena host for all the home games and on KDKA’s show Pittsburgh Today Live that airs every morning from 9 to 10.

 

The Pompeani family value quality time with one another and never allow their busy schedules to ruin their family tradition: Sunday dinners. Every Sunday they gather to enjoy a home-cooked meal, specifically pasta dinners, at Lisa’s mother’s house. When the family is not dining at home, they love to grab a bite to eat in Lawrenceville. “There’s some great eateries there!” Bob exclaims. They also recommend taking a trip out to Cranberry, Wexford, or Washington, Pennsylvania, to explore all those areas have to offer.  

 

The City of Pittsburgh has given so much to the Pomeani family, and they believe that it is their responsibility to give back by volunteering their time toward charity work. “Pittsburgh is a place where you can come and raise a family. It’s a big-city mentality with a small-city population... No matter where you go, people make you feel at home here,” Bob fondly says of his hometown. Bob often volunteers his time at Partners for Quality, a nonprofit organization that provides administrative management services to a family of subsidiary agencies in Western Pennsylvania. Their agencies support more than 5,000 local individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges.

 

Bob is also involved with the Glimmer of Hope Foundation, the Leading Hearts Association, the American Heart Association, and the Mario Lemieux Foundation. Mario Lemieux is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1984 to 2006, assuming ownership in 1999. “Mario is someone who I’ve always admired,” Bob says. “I’ve gotten to know him pretty personally. He and his wife, Natalie, have done amazing work for cancer research.”

Celina and Chelsea both spend time working with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to provide the means to cure cystic fibrosis and ensure that those living with CF live long and productive lives. Celina recommends volunteering at Children’s Hospital to interact with the kids. “I would go up to Austin’s Playroom on the sixth floor, or I would float around to each room. I would go and see if the kids wanted any toys, I’d read to them and I’d hold some of the babies.”  

 

The Pomeani family lives their life by a phrase that Bob’s father often said: “‘It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”