Apr 19, 2016 2 min read

A Greene County man was selected Tuesday to serve as the next president of Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.

Shirl Barnhart, who is chairman of Morgan Township Board of Supervisors, was elected to serve a one-year term as president of the statewide association during its 94th annual Educational Conference and Trade Show in Hershey this week.

Since joining the PSATS Executive Board in 2002, Barnhart climbed the leadership ladder to its highest position.

Shirl, 59, was selected to serve as first vice president in 2014 after spending time as the second vice president beginning in 2012. He also has served as the secretary-treasurer and previously worked as an assistant to that role.

“It’s an honor to serve,” Barnhart said in a phone interview during a break at the conference just hours after his election. “I love what they do and believe what they do. I hope to energize the membership and get them more involved.”

The association is a lobbying organization that works with the state legislature to address issues facing the nearly 1,500 second-class townships, the vast majority of municipalities in Pennsylvania. The conference in Hershey attracted 4,000 attendees.

Barnhart said it is the first time a township official from Greene County led the association since the mid-1950s.

“It’s been a long time,” he said.

His promotions in recent years put him in line for the presidency, so the election to the highest post was “kind of expected, but you always wonder,” Barnhart said.

“It’s been a really rewarding experience,” Barnhart said. “I really enjoy representing the townships. We’re staying busy.”

The president is a member of the association’s executive board with full voting rights. The board manages the state association’s affairs and is made up of five officers and seven Executive Committee members, along with the most recent past president. The board meets frequently throughout the year to conduct business and plan new projects to benefit member townships.