The past year saw a handful of leadership transitions in Palmerton.

Back in April, Rodger Danielson, the former borough manager who had held the position for nearly 30 years, retired.

“It’s been a pleasure being here,” he said last spring. “You have your good days and bad days, but Palmerton has a lot more good days.”

Danielson said he and his wife, Diane, relocated back to northwest Pennsylvania.

“That’s where my wife and I both grew up,” he said. “We do look forward to that as a new adventure, much as coming to Palmerton was a new adventure.”

Danielson’s retirement led to the appointment of Donna McGarry — who was serving as treasurer and assistant secretary at the time — as manager, the culmination of McGarry’s more than 30 years as a borough employee.

After taking up the mantle, McGarry inherited a town with concerns of lead in its soil and ongoing issues with a development project off Route 248.

But Palmerton also experienced growth in 2019, including the opening of Fast Fit Cafe on Delaware Avenue and the new business’s purchase of the historic Palmerton Hotel.

“I love this town,” McGarry said at a September speaking event.

McGarry continues to monitor lead and air quality concerns and said the borough “would love to have” a connection to the D&L Trail.

When Danielson retired, his wife, Diane Danielson, also stepped down from her position of director at the Palmerton Area Library, a role she occupied since 2006. Over her more than decadelong tenure, Diane led the library into the digital age, computerizing its catalog system.

When Diane left, a Palmerton Library employee, Christine DeSousa, took over as director.