Jan. 9—Doreen Smeal of Leechburg received a unique gift on her 70th birthday.

A mayoral title.

She was sworn in Dec. 29 as the second female mayor of the borough she has called home her entire life.

“I live in my late grandfather’s house,” Smeal said Monday while stopping by the borough office to chat with police and talk about her mayoral plans for 2024. “It meant a lot because a lot of my friends and family were there. This is a new chapter in my life, for both my age and for taking on the role of mayor.”

“I’m real excited about it. This has been a goal of mine,” Smeal said. “I always want to learn more about how this town works.”

Smeal replaced former Mayor Tony Roppolo.

“This council and the solicitor are so open to helping me in any way,” she said.

Describing her mayoral leadership style as boots-on-the-ground, Smeal is eager to continue ongoing blight removal started by the late Mayor Wayne Dobos.

Smeal said part of her mayoral duties are attending all of the Leechburg Area School Board meetings.

“I have a good working relationship with the board, and I want everyone to know I want complete transparency between the school board and the borough,” she said. “It’s very important that the community know what’s going on if they can’t attend the school board meetings, and, hopefully, I can help them with that.

“I want everyone to know I am here to listen to everyone and about anything. An absolute open door policy.”

Filling all of the vacant storefronts along Market Street is a priority for Smeal.

“We have a few open storefronts, and I’m working more closely with other communities. We should all be working for a major goal. I believe we still have potential growth for Leechburg, and working closely with Gilpin and West Leechburg to make us an even better community is a major goal,” Smeal said.

Gilpin Supervisors Chairman Charles Stull said he has met with Smeal on several occasions to discuss collaborative efforts between the municipalities.

Stull congratulated Smeal on Monday on being the second female mayor to serve Leechburg.

“That is a huge accomplishment and something to be truly proud of,” Stull said.

Stull echoed Smeal’s goal of collaboration among the communities to move forward in the future.

“Gilpin Township and Leechburg Borough must work together toward a better future for our community. Leechburg is Gilpin’s business center, and Gilpin offers a rural atmosphere around the borough. We complement each other. And through strategic and collaborative planning and development, we can improve both communities for a better future,” Stull said.

Highlighting Leechburg as a rivertown tourist destination is important to Smeal.

“We had a lot of people enjoying our newly installed boat launch this past season,” she said.

The Rotary recently donated money to install several new bike racks along the riverfront for cyclists.

Having a state road — Route 66 — through town benefits the borough, Smeal said.

“We’re not being bypassed, and that’s a good thing,” she said.

Smeal previously served on council after retiring from a 39-year career working at PNC Bank and has been an active community volunteer for more than five years.

Smeal said she is learning more about serving as mayor through free courses offered by the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.

The position of mayor is unpaid, and Smeal’s term length is two years. One of her primary duties is overseeing the police department.

Smeal is also prioritizing the ongoing Rails to Trails project and securing final easements from property owners.

“We’re hoping we can start applying for grants next year,” she said. “I would love for it to be done by the time Leechburg’s 175th anniversary celebration comes around in 2025.”

Smeal follows in the footsteps of Leechburg’s first female mayor, Jane Favero, who broke a 151-year male mayoral run when she was elected in 2001.

To contact Smeal, email her at doreen.smeal@gmail.com.

Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joyce by email at jhanz@triblive.com or via Twitter .