Mar 27, 2026 By Brad Hundt 3 min read

The sound and the fury that roars out of Washington, D.C., on a daily basis may attract the lion’s share of attention, but local government and its more mundane duties have a more direct impact on people’s daily lives.

That was the verdict from Washington County municipal officials who gathered at the Chartiers Township Community Center Thursday morning for a discussion of the challenges and opportunities they and their communities face. Dubbed the Municipal Leaders Breakfast, the annual talk was sponsored by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

Infrastructure, for example, “has more importance on day-to-day life than anything on the federal or state level,” according to Joe Manning, Charleroi’s borough manager. “The infrastructure in this country is 100 years old and it’s crumbling around us.”

He was joined in the discussion by Alyssa Curry-Broderick, East Washington’s office administrator; Jodi Noble, the manager of Chartiers Township; and Kyle P. Thauvette, Peters Township’s assistant manager. The discussion was moderated by Eric Chandler, the president of Canonsburg’s borough council.

“There’s not a job in the world where you can have this much impact on your local community,” Noble said.

Aside from infrastructure, they agreed that some of the other challenges and opportunities municipal leaders confront include the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and the data centers that are needed to fuel it, economic development and the spotlight that celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary later this year will shine on their communities.

All the panelists admitted that they, like many other people, are in the process of learning more about artificial intelligence. Noble explained, “We’re trying to learn as much about data centers as we can.” Thauvette added, “We’re in the learning phase, and finding out what works and what doesn’t.”

Manning acknowledged that Charleroi has encountered its share of problems over the last 18 months or so, thanks to national attention it received because of its Haitian community, the loss of the Corelle Brands glass plant in the borough that resulted in the loss of 300 jobs, and the additional closing of a nearby food processing plant. But Manning said one word to describe the Mon Valley borough is “resilient.”

“We’re suffering through post-industrialization and how to deal with that economically,” Manning said. “It’s a constant challenge.”

He recalled growing up in Washington and the loss of its steel mills and glass plants, but the upside now is that there are other companies now willing to take up residence in structures like the facility that had been used by Corelle Brands.

“Manufacturing is coming back,” Manning said. “It is possible to bring manufacturing back.”

Despite the many difficulties that come with leading municipalities, the chance to help residents continues to be a motivator, according to Thauvette.

“At the end of every single day, you’ve made an impact on somebody’s life,” he pointed out.