Kiski Township's 1st manager resigns

Kiski Township’s first township manager has resigned less than two years after taking the job.

Donna Piper tendered her resignation for the position and supervisors will hold a special meeting Jan. 29 to accept it.

Piper could not be reached for comment.

Supervisor Chuck Rodnicki said he is unsure whether the township will hire a replacement for Piper. It likely will be discussed at the meeting next week, he said.

Piper’s resignation comes at a hectic time, Rodnicki said. Kiski Township is operating with only four supervisors and is in the midst of a searching for a candidate to fill the fifth supervisor seat.

“We have a lot going on here,” said Rodnicki. “We have our hands full.”

Township supervisors hired Piper in September 2018. Before her hire, the township relied on supervisors and a secretary to conduct township business. But an increased workload and a range of responsibilities caused supervisors to create the new position of township manager. The supervisors felt they needed someone with deeper knowledge of securing grants, coordinating public works projects and dealing with staff, engineers, attorneys, government officials and the public.

At the time of her hire in 2018, Piper was paid $75,000.

Before working in Kiski Township, Piper was the secretary and treasurer in Harmar, where she also worked as manager for four years. She was a planner for Armstrong County and a consultant for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.