Zelienople manager Don Pepe retires after 17 years
ZELIENOPLE — Borough manager Don Pepe retired this week after serving the community for just over 17 years.
“I loved working here — it is a great place to work and a great place to live,” Pepe said. “It was just time to pass the torch to the younger folk.”
After approving Pepe’s retirement Monday night, the council promoted assistant manager Andrew Spencer to borough manager. Pepe started with the borough in December 2005.
“Andrew’s been with me for 13 years, and he’s one of the most capable young managers I’ve ever met,” Pepe said. “I’m very comfortable with him taking my place.”
The council also approved Cindy Edwards as assistant borough manager. Edwards previously acted as the borough’s assistant to the manager.
“Cindy used to work for the police department — I stole her,” Pepe said, laughing. “She is just an amazing asset.”
In Pepe’s time, the borough has taken on a variety of demanding projects. The one he takes the most pride in, though, is the revitalization of Zelienople’s main street corridor.
“It just brought a whole new main street life that we didn’t have before,” he said. “Businesses came back; young people started investing in the borough.”
He is quick to emphasize, however, that the project’s success and the borough’s success are a group effort.
“There was the Business Association, the council, the staff — my job was just to orchestrate that,” he said. “Managers are orchestra leaders. We’re here to get everything together and sounding good.”
With the borough in good hands, Pepe says he has big plans moving forward.
“The first couple of weeks I plan on doing absolutely nothing,” he said with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll sleep.”
After a well-deserved rest, the former borough manager will continue putting his talent to good use with the Divine Grace Parish.
“I’m a deacon,” he said. “The pastor has asked me to come on board and manage the operational and organizational functions of the parish.”
Divine Grace Parish formed in 2022. It merges three parishes in Cranberry Township, Ellwood City and Zelienople.
“It’s the largest diocese in the Pittsburgh region,” Pepe said. “I’ll handle paving, repairs, infrastructure — all the stuff people don’t usually have a handle on — and I’ll still stay on as a minister.”
Pepe’s position with the parish did not influence his decision to retire. At 70 years old, he simply explained that the time was right.
“It’s a bittersweet decision on my part,” he said. “Everything now is kind of where I wanted it to be. You have to leave when it’s your time to leave.”
