Our Story

The CivicCards Story Catherine conceived the idea of CivicCards by combining her love of sports and her growing career in local government. Catherine, a Pirates fan for as long as she can remember, enjoyed collecting and trading cards with her brothers and friends. As an adult, she knew civic awareness was important, but she also realized first-hand that local politics could be quite confusing, even for insiders! She believed citizens should be able to connect to their local officials in a more personal way; get to know who they are, what they do - and at least place a face to a name! Thinking of her childhood, Catherine thought, why not feature elected officials on trading cards? It's a fun way to navigate the complexities of local government. It drives down information to a manageable level. And, it's an engaging bridge between constituents and officials. Her friends and colleagues loved the idea. In February, 2005, Rifat formed CivicCards to implement Catherine's dream. Rifat and Catherine envision CivicCards as a touchpoint to help make local politics understandable, to stimulate conversation, and to inspire connectedness. Trading cards are a unique American icon, and CivicCards hopes to continue that tradition in celebrating Pittsburgh's local civic leaders and institutions.