Eugene O’Sullivan was raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, one of nine children. His family was of modest means and lived among middle- and working-class neighbors. His parents and extended family members were Democrats.
Gene majored in accounting and minored in economics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a state university that provided a quality education at an affordable price. After graduation and six months of training in the Army National Guard, he entered public accounting and became a CPA.
He later moved into a corporate tax position with Joy Manufacturing Company, then a Fortune 500 company. He remained with Joy for 17 years, including through a leveraged buyout, and became Chief Financial Officer. He later served as CFO of two other manufacturing companies, one privately held and one owned by a Japanese parent company.
Gene currently serves on the board of the Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation, which owns and operates WESA-FM and WYEP-FM in Pittsburgh. WESA is an NPR news station, and WYEP supports adult alternative and live music in the Pittsburgh area. He also served for seven years on the board of Reading Ready Pittsburgh, a nonprofit that promotes books and reading for very young children, with a focus on families in need.
Gene credits his business and nonprofit experience with reinforcing the importance of pragmatism, collaboration, financial discipline, civic responsibility, and continuous process improvement.
Gene describes his own political journey as follows:
I registered as a Republican while in college and remained one for many years. During Donald Trump’s first term, however, I concluded that I could no longer have my name associated with the Republican Party. I am now an Independent.
I still favor conservative economic principles, limited government, law and order, and a free press. I also support programs that provide upward mobility through education and training. I believe work provides a basic foundation for satisfaction, responsibility, and self-improvement.
I am concerned that the shift toward increasingly partisan politics in the United States has led to behavior that threatens our democracy. Gerrymandering and other factors have produced too many safe seats and too few incentives for bipartisan problem-solving. I am not optimistic that we can easily return to bipartisanship, but I believe it is important to support institutions and candidates that take democratic governance seriously.