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Middletown honors retiring township manager Stephanie Tioli Kools after 13 years
Summary
The Board of Supervisors recognized Township Manager Stephanie Tioli Kools at her final meeting May 12 with citations, a slideshow and multiple testimonials from colleagues, county and state representatives.
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Township Manager Stephanie Tioli Kools, who announced her retirement after 13 years with Middletown Township, was honored by the Board of Supervisors and colleagues at the May 12 meeting with a slideshow, citations and multiple tributes from municipal managers, county and congressional representatives and residents.
Speakers praised Kools for mentorship, institutional knowledge and leadership across township departments. Rick Mellor, executive director of the Delaware Valley Trust, said Kools served on the trust’s board for 17 years and helped manage workers’ compensation decisions that, he said, saved taxpayers money. Multiple municipal managers who called Kools a mentor described her as a steadying presence who aided new managers and built professional development programs.
State and federal representatives sent citations and a U.S. flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in recognition of Kools’s 13 years of local government service; representatives’ offices delivered the honors through staff at the meeting. The board presented plaques and a symbolic “Tioli Kools Way” marker as tokens of appreciation.
Kools addressed the board and audience, thanking staff, elected officials and the community. “I am so humbled by all of these words,” she said. “I leave with a lot of pride of what we have all accomplished together, and I really have confidence that the future of the township is going to be incredibly bright.”
Why it matters: The township manager is the board‑appointed chief executive of the municipality and oversees public safety, public works, finance, parks and other services. Kools’s departure marks a leadership change at the top of township administration; the board named Assistant Township Manager Nicholas Valla interim township manager at the same meeting.
What’s next: The board appointed Nicholas Valla as interim township manager, and staff will support a transition. The board and township staff said they expect to remain in contact with Kools and noted she will be available informally as colleagues in the municipal management community continue joint programs and training.
