NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TO NEWS/CITY DESK EDITOR
CONTACT: Debbie Bitting, Pennsylvania Municipal League, 717-236-9469, ext. *223, dbitting@pml.org
Harrisburg, PA (December 21, 2021) – Executive Director Rick Schuettler is retiring after 20 years of dedicated and outstanding service to the Pennsylvania Municipal League, effective December 31 of this year. Rick was hired as deputy executive director in 2001 and has been serving as executive director since 2013.
Accomplishments under Rick’s leadership include passage of the American Rescue Plan Act at the federal level which provided significant funding to assist members with their pandemic recovery; passage of Act 50 Small Wireless Facilities Deployment, widely recognized as municipal friendly legislation; implementing the first-ever annual Municipal Leadership Summit with our partners at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners; achieving the highest membership in League history; and executing major renovations to League headquarters in downtown Harrisburg.
“I have learned so much from Rick during his tenure as executive director and am grateful for his numerous contributions to The League,” said League President Mayor Danene Sorace, City of Lancaster.
As part of his role as League executive director, Rick has served as managing director for the Association for Pennsylvania Municipal Management (APMM) and executive director for the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners (PSATC), both League secretariats.
Rick served on the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities for 2020-2021, where he was relied upon for his wise council and vast municipal experience.
He also served as a member of the NLC Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors since 2013, helping guide the Board as chairman from October 2016 to December 2017. He was widely praised for helping to lead the Board through an important leadership transition.
As both The League’s deputy and executive director, Rick offered his steady hand of leadership for the PennPRIME and U∙COMP Trusts, as well as various municipal programs including labor advisory services, energy procurement and community branding.
Rick’s exceptional service to local government began in 1996 as the first city administrator for the City of Pottsville from 1992-1996; executive director of the Housing Authority in Pottsville from 1996-1998 and city administrator from 1998-2001.
As a tribute and to honor Rick for his distinguished leadership to The League and his commitment to good government, The League’s Center for Municipal Development, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity, was renamed The Richard J. Schuettler Center for Municipal Government. The Center assists local elected and appointed officials in obtaining the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to meet the challenges of their office and to provide a forum from which urban policy issues can be debated, formulated, and communicated through such means as training, research papers, and educational publications.
“I am humbled by the renaming of the Center and for all of the kind words offered,” said Schuettler. “The honor, privilege and pleasure of serving The League membership has been all mine.”
Rick, with Board approval, named League Deputy Executive Director John Brenner as the incoming executive director, effective January 1, 2022.
The League Board, members and staff thank Rick, congratulate him and wish him all the best in retirement!
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About The Pennsylvania Municipal League
The mission of the Pennsylvania Municipal League is to strengthen, empower and advocate for effective local government. The League is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1900 as an advocate for Pennsylvania’s 3rd class cities. Today, The League represents Pennsylvania cities, boroughs, townships, home rule communities and towns that all share their municipal policy interests. The Board of Directors oversees the administration of a wide array of municipal services including legislative advocacy, publications, education/training, consulting-based programs, and group insurance trusts. For more information, please visit PML.org. Join the conversation at twitter.com/PAMunicipalLeag and facebook.com/PaMunicipalLeague, #StrengthThroughEngagement.