Weatherly Borough Manager Harold Pudliner humbly accepted the praise and thanks from state lawmakers, county commissioners and his own borough mayor on his retirement Monday night.

Pudliner, who began his nearly three-decade tenure with the borough in 1997, will be retiring Dec. 31.

Pudliner was surprised with several honors in the form of resolutions and citations from state, county and local officials during his last borough council meeting.

“You have a borough manager that’s been here for 30 years, a phenomenal man,” Carbon County commissioners Chairman Mike Sofranko said. “When you hear about a guy who got $11 million in funding to a borough this size over his tenure, when you hear what he did with recreation, and all that he’s accomplished, you know he’s one of the good ones.”

Sofranko hinted that Pudliner’s work isn’t completely done, as he will be helping the county with “a couple things,” before turning the floor over to Commissioner Wayne Nothstein.

Nothstein pointed out that he and Pudliner have known each other for nearly 30 years, beginning when Nothstein started with emergency management and then as commissioner.

“I got to tell you, of all the borough managers as far as grant writing and getting funds, he is number one in the county,” Nothstein said before reading a lengthy resolution listing Pudliner’s many accomplishments.

Pudliner, an Air Force veteran who studied architecture and electronics, brought 25 years of business experience to the borough when he became borough manager and treasurer 28 years ago.

He served as zoning officer and code enforcement officer, founded and directed the Weatherly Events Committee, Weatherly Ambulance Board; chaired the Audubon Auto Tour, vice chaired the Tourist Promotion Board before it transitioned to the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau; serves on the county Redevelopment Authority and Planning Commission as well as the Northeast Pennsylvania Alliance board.

The Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce honored him with 2019 Borough Manager of the Year, and the same year he was inducted into the Weatherly Hillclimb Hall of Fame.

In 2023, Pudliner received the Seven Hats Award from American Municipal Inc., which recognizes utility managers from smaller communities whose management scope extends beyond the scope of those in larger systems.

He received American Public Power Association’s Larry Hobert Seven Hats Award, a national leadership award, in 2024.

Pudliner obtained $11 million in grants to fund improvements to Eurana Park, creating a Downtown Park, improved roads and updated the water system, constructed the Hillclimb Pavilion, purchased borough vehicles and equipment, and remediated Brownfield of the former Tung Sol and steel plant properties.

Grant funding secured by Pudliner also constructed the American Legion building, the Weatherly Borough Building, which houses the police department and magisterial court offices, and the Weatherly Trail connecting the borough to the Lehigh Gorge State Park.

Pudliner was also recently featured in Land & People Magazine article, “Fish Tales Come True,” regarding the return of fish to a stream in Weatherly due to improved water quality that will help bolster recreation along its trail to the gorge.

Nothstein thanked him for all of his service to country and community and wished him the best on his retirement.

“Thank you very much,” Pudliner said. “I am really honored, but I couldn’t do this work alone. I have a wonderful staff and the people of the town that volunteered for the committees and everything else, they made it happen.

“I just showed them the way. It’s really the people of the town and my staff that helped. I’m deeply humbled.”

Pudliner started to return to his seat, when he was told there were more accolades and congratulations.

State Rep. Doyle Heffley pointed out that community projects, such as the new borough building and Hillclimb events, take time, leadership and commitment to the community.

“Those things just don’t happen,” Heffley said. “You have always been that foundation, that core, to make those things happen for the Borough of Weatherly.”

“Weatherly is a beautiful town. I took a little bit of time and drove around looking at the lights and you can see your impact,” he told Pudliner presenting him with a citation from the state House of Representatives. “Thank you for your service to your community.”

Pudliner thanked him for the support over the years, and Heffley reminded him that they have one more project to complete, which state Sen. David Argall also mentioned, the C.M. Schwab School.

Argall also presented Pudliner with an honor from the Senate, and told him that he will be invited to the ribbon cutting on the Schwab School, which has been on track to be converted into housing.

“I know what it means to you. I know what it means to council. I know what it means to the people of this community,” Argall said. “When we finally get that multimillion dollar project, you’ll be there celebrating with us.”

Weatherly Mayor Norman Richie also presented Pudliner with a proclamation, recognizing his dedicated service to the borough, and congratulated him on this retirement.

“There’s a lot of platitudes and everything, but a person can’t do this alone,” Pudliner said. “It takes the people behind you. People helping me get these projects done.

“I have to salute my borough councils that I have worked with, and again my staff, and the people of Weatherly that help make us achieve what we did achieve,” he said.

“I am very humbly grateful for this.”