Gary Koehler remembers being fascinated by project designs when he was growing up in Shaler.

He would watch as his father, Jack, a township volunteer planning commissioner, reviewed various documents and architectural drawings.

“As a little boy, 12 years old, he would bring home plans and put them on the dining room table,” Koehler said. “I would look at them and look at them with him. He would tell me what he saw with the development. Did it have good sight distance? Was it impacting a hillside and things of that nature?

“Based on that, I started understanding plans and looking at plans and would go on site visits and look at them in the field. That got me interested in planning and zoning, and I started understanding that at an early age.”

That fascination would drive the 1978 Shaler Area High School grad into a 40-year career in local government service.

Koehler, 64, of Pine, plans to retire in the coming weeks and spend more time with family, as well as some hunting and fishing.

His daughter, Kaelin, 17, is a student-athlete at Pine-Richland.

Koehler hopes to attend her games with his wife of 21 years, Lori.

“I’ll miss the people,” Koehler said about retiring. “It’s a great staff that I’m working with, relationships in general with residents and others.”

He served a total of about 23 years in Pine Township administration with stints as its zoning officer, assistant manager and manager prior to taking over for Bill Gordon as Fox Chapel’s borough manger in April 2008.

Koehler studied urban and regional planning, earning a degree from Penn State University in 1982.

He worked at an auto parts store on Route 8 and as a mechanic his senior year and throughout college.

Koehler said that automotive knowledge came in handy when dealing with municipal vehicle breakdowns and related repair projects.

Working at the shop also allowed him to purchase a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Formula and put money toward classes and supplies.

The car would prove useful when Koehler accepted a job as Pine Township’s zoning officer a year after graduating from college — dress code was something that concerned Koehler and he sold his Firebird to buy a selection of suits, shirts and ties.

“I just felt that was what I needed to dress for success,” Koehler said. “I was excited about my new career. I was excited that I got a job in my major. It wasn’t hard (to sell the car) because of the opportunities I had. It’s hard looking back (losing the sports car). It wasn’t hard then.”

A suit was his standard throughout his time at the township and through at least the first five years at Fox Chapel.

A more business casual look with a polo shirt and khakis has become the norm.

Operational changes

Technology has changed the means of doing business. Faxes that were once routine have become nonexistent.

Koehler said phone conversations and the U.S. mail were replaced with email chains.

“When started, I was on the phone all day,” Koehler said. “My ear would hurt at the end of the day.

“Now, my phone hardly ever rings. It’s all emails. That’s between employees internally and external employees. In Fox Chapel, email was just starting to get busy. Email was used for jokes. Now email is used as business correspondence — and you don’t really see many jokes.

“I’d get a big stack of mail on Monday and I’d go through it, and now I don’t get any mail. Everything is (digital), but it’s done 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

”I prefer phone calls if I really want to communicate with someone and talk to them and explain a little better than I can with an impersonal email, but it’s the way we are.”

New computers and databases have also made it easier for the borough manager to bring up roads and other layouts quickly compared to searching for printed maps.

Fox Chapel highlights

Koehler said that of all the borough’s accomplishments, he is most proud of the work done to connect and improve Fox Chapel parks.

People can walk a trail that connects from Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve along Dorseyville Road to O’Hara Township Community Park.

One of the missing pieces of the borough’s 345-acre park system was connected about five years ago with the acquisition of Hardie Valley Park land. The borough purchased the highly coveted 17-acre parcel in 2019.

It was made possible, in part, through a $442,500 state grant.

Koehler said state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, Fox Chapel Council, the mayor and borough administration worked as a team to get it done.

The third phase of its development, which includes stormwater management efforts, is paused until state Department of Environmental Protection permits are approved.

“The favorite things that always seem to matter the most are parks,” Koehler said. “Developing parks, obtaining park land, watching children play and enjoy the facilities.

“It’s always the favorite I’ve had throughout my career. I think it’s so special because of the impact it has on residents. I can fix a lot of potholes, but it doesn’t have the same impact as developing or redeveloping a park.”

Other accomplishments include upgrading all borough roads from tar-and-chip with ditches along the sides to asphalt with stormwater retention. Borough facilities also underwent stormwater upgrades during Koehler’s tenure.

“Council members care about Fox Chapel over themselves,” the manager said. “The administrative employees and public works see this in council, and also work toward those same goals. Employees care about what they do and continue to seek ways to improve.”

Mayor Alex Scott described Koehler as a utility man with experience in multiple fields.

“I would like to say that Gary is a problem solver, and that has been a real asset for Fox Chapel Borough,” Scott said via email. “He has been very good at coming up with practical solutions for anything that comes up.”

Councilman Bradley Harrison said Koehler leaves behind a legacy of steadfast leadership and community focus.

“His commitment to collaborative governance and resident services has been a cornerstone of the borough’s success,” Harrison said. “We wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement and thank him for his many years of outstanding public service.

”As a council, we’re excited to have the opportunity to work with the incoming manager, Julie Bastianini. She is a true student of local government, and our community is fortunate to have her on our team.”

New manager

Council unanimously approved Koehler’s replacement last month.

Julie Bastianini, Marshall Township’s manager, was selected out of 15 candidates.

The manager search was done by Dailey Operation Consulting LLC.

She is expected to start sometime in mid-July. Koehler declined to disclose her salary and TribLive filed a Right to Know request for it on June 12. An update will run in a future issue.

Koehler’s salary is about $200,000. He plans to assist in the transition and take some vacation time before his last official day on Aug. 12.

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