FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 27, 2006

CONTACT:
Mark Lynch
A.L. Brourman Associates, Inc.
412-716-0519
mlynch@brourman.com

PITTSBURGH VOYAGER ADDS NEW TALENT TO MANAGEMENT TEAM

Pittsburgh Native Peter J. Niederberger Hired as Director of Strategic Projects

PITTSBURGH, PA – Pittsburgh Voyager, the Pittsburgh-based not-for-profit environmental education organization that operates a fleet of floating classrooms on the region's rivers, announced today that Peter J. Niederberger has been hired as director of strategic projects.

Niederberger, who most recently was manager of environmental management services for the environmental health and safety department at Michael Baker Corporation, brings outstanding professional experience and a strong educational background to his new responsibilities, said Pittsburgh Voyager executive director Karl A. Thomas.

"We are extremely pleased that Peter has joined us," said Thomas. "He has dedicated his career to environmental issues and brings an outstanding background to his new responsibilities."

As director of strategic projects, Niederberger will have a range of responsibilities. One of his first roles is to oversee the completion of Pittsburgh Voyager's new $3 million flagship vessel, currently under construction in Florida. The vessel nearly triples the capacity of any one of Voyager's current boats and has leading edge "green" design features, as well as science and communications technology in support of the organization's extensive hands-on, experiential environmental education programs. The boat is being funded as part of a $6 million fundraising campaign. The Heinz Endowments provided lead funding for the boat.

Pittsburgh Voyager also offers public programming, including a variety of educational cruises for all ages, summer camps for children in elementary through middle school, and public and corporate charters for events, meetings, and other special functions.

Niederberger will also support Pittsburgh Voyager's strategic planning process, begun earlier this year.

"I am excited about this opportunity," said Niederberger. "I have a strong interest in linking public social issues with environmental improvements. The boat's sustainable design and Pittsburgh Voyager's mission tie both of these areas together.

"It's wonderful to be a part of the organization at this time," added Niederberger. "This boat coming at this time is like a gift. It represents a unique way of demonstrating what it means to be sustainable, not just in terms of how the boat actually operates, but also how the principles of sustainability can be applied to all areas of the organization. That's what intrigues me. I hope to see Pittsburgh Voyager become known as the leading environmental organization, not only through the new boat but also in terms of the overall functioning of the organization," he added.

Niederberger explained that his interest in public policy issues and the environment came about, in part, because of his involvement in developing a sustainability plan for a city in Russia. "It was very polluted," he said, "and we had to take a systems approach to the problem. It wasn't just an environmental problem, or a problem with local government. The two were linked very closely."

Niederberger also worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, now called the Department of Environmental Protection. He has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, a master's in public policy and management, and is a doctoral candidate in development studies and public policy. Niederberger is married and lives with his wife, Irina, and their children Andrei and Edwin.

About RiverQuest

RiverQuest, formerly Pittsburgh Voyager, is a not-for-profit science and environmental
educational organization providing river-based educational programs for students and teachers, as well as public programs and charters. RiverQuest's mission is to improve science, mathematics and environmental education; generate excitement about learning to inspire academic excellence; and hone critical thinking skills by providing opportunities for students to put classroom theory into practice. RiverQuest also provides a range of public programs, including interpretive cruises and private charters for businesses, organizations, and the public.

Since launching its programming in 1995 RiverQuest has served more than 55,000 middle and high school students through its experiential river-based learning programs. These students represent 200 schools from 65 school districts in 11 counties in western Pennsylvania. Along with students, more than 2,500 teachers and college students, and 15,000 members of the general public have participated in RiverQuest programs.

For more information call 412-231-2712 or visit RiverQuest's website at www.RiverQuest.org.