Bradford City Mayor Tom Riel was elected to the position of at-large director for the Pennsylvania Municipal League during the association’s annual business meeting held in conjunction with the PML 118th Annual Summit at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie from Oct. 5 through 7.

Riel was one of many other municipal elected and appointed officials from across the state that attended the event to connect and network with colleagues, discuss issues facing the Commonwealth’s municipalities, share resources and best practices and elect officers and members of the PML board of directors for the coming year.

Riel will be a part of the board of directors which oversees the administration of a wide array of municipal services.

As an at-large director, Riel has responsibilities that extend to the entire state, but he is adamant that it doesn’t distract from his duties as mayor of Bradford. Instead, the position assists him in getting the needs of Bradford met by the state.

“The position is statewide,” Riel said, “which helps take the concerns of Bradford and of other local governments to bring them to the forefront.”

Although Riel was officially elected this month to the board, he was elected to fill a vacant position on the board earlier in the year by the mayor of Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto.

“In fact, I’ve been associated with the league for a few years,” Riel said, “but only recently as a board member.”

Riel added he has worked with many organizations that help extend the reach of Bradford and other local governments. One example is the Coalition for Sustainable Communities of Pennsylvania, which Riel says is an organization that “recognizes that the health of a municipality is a direct reflection of the health and vitality of the business community.”

To Riel, being elected to the Pennsylvania Municipal League is simply another avenue to make sure local legislative initiatives are pushed forward.