Tim Smith

Founder & CEO

Center of Life

A life-long Pittsburgh resident, Center of Life CEO Tim Smith is affectionately known as “PT” (short for Pastor Tim). Though Center of Life was founded in an official capacity in 2001, his roots in Hazelwood run deep, and he has worked and volunteered in the community since the 1980s. His passion for connecting with kids and families led him to create Center of Life as a nonprofit and community empowerment organization founded on his personal philosophies, which guide the organization’s direction and impact to this day. 

PT’s philosophy of economics, environment, and empowerment includes giving people the tools they need to not only succeed, but to lead economic revitalization in Hazelwood and similar communities in the face of generational and economic discrimination; providing every person with a sense of belonging, significance, and security; and connecting an individual’s inherent natural talent with meaningful opportunity and education.