Jennifer Olzinger

Jennifer Olzinger, known to friends and colleagues as Jenn, was the City of Pittsburgh's chief procurement officer, a post she held for eleven years within the city's Office of Management and Budget. She died on September 18, 2026, at the age of 51. Her death was announced by Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor, who wrote that he was saddened to share the news of her passing.

Olzinger spent her career in public and institutional procurement, work that involved overseeing how the city bought goods and services and awarded contracts, a function that touches nearly every part of municipal government even though it rarely draws public attention. Before becoming chief procurement officer around 2015, she worked in procurement operations roles, including a stint managing procurement operations for the Education Management Corporation beginning in 2008. She held professional certifications as a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and an NIGP Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP), and she was active in professional bodies including the Pennsylvania Public Purchasing Association and the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing.

She was a graduate of Blackhawk High School and went on to Robert Morris University, where she was a member of the Delta Zeta sorority. Family and friends remembered her warmly as an enthusiastic karaoke singer, affectionately called the Queen of Karaoke, and as someone devoted to animals.

Olzinger lived in the Brookline neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Her obituary, published by Beinhauer Family Services in McMurray, Pennsylvania, thanked the staff of Montefiore Hospital's 12 South unit in Pittsburgh for the care shown to her and her family in her final days, though no specific cause of death has been made public by her family or by the city.

Her death drew tributes from city officials who worked alongside her, with Mayor O'Connor's public statement reflecting the affection colleagues held for her after more than a decade of service to Pittsburgh's government. Reaction from residents and fellow public servants on social media echoed that sentiment, with many describing her as approachable, hardworking and generous with her time to colleagues navigating the city's contracting processes.

Olzinger was predeceased by her mother, Grace (Whiting) Olzinger, and is survived by her father, William Olzinger, along with an aunt and uncle, extended family, and a young woman she considered a loved niece. Her obituary does not list a spouse, partner or children. Funeral services were arranged through Beinhauer Family Services in McMurray, Pennsylvania, with visitation and a funeral service held there in the days following her death.

For those who knew her mainly through her civic role, Olzinger's death is a reminder of the behind the scenes work that keeps a city government running: the contracts, vendor relationships and procurement policy that rarely make headlines but that residents rely on every day. For those closer to her personally, she will be remembered less for her title than for her warmth, her sense of humor and her love of karaoke and animals.