PETER URSCHELER > Mayor
Phoenixville, PA
From: Phoenixville, PA | St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Work: Mayor of Phoenixville, PA.
Hobbies: Cooking and skiing.
Recent book: Unmarketing: Stop Marketing - Start Engaging, by Scott Stratten.
Favorite food from Switzerland: Vol-au-Vent and St. Gallen Bratwurst.
Favorite spots in Switzerland: Wildpark Peter & Paul in St. Gallen, and Geneva.
What is your background?
I grew up in Tavares, FL, and attended Tavares High School. I studied Marketing and Management Information Systems and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Stetson University in Florida. In 2006, I was recruited by SEI Financial in Oaks, PA. For many years I commuted from Pennsylvania to the United Kingdom working on a large account for a client based in London. Later, I was promoted to Director of Communication, and I worked to oversee external and internal communications for 300 million dollars line of business. In 2014, my mother became ill. I decided to leave SEI Financial to take care of my parents.
What is your typical day as mayor?
Before COVID-19 I use to attend a lot of public events. As Mayor, I oversee a thirty-one-person police force that serves over 17,500 residents. I work to champion several causes including affordable housing, increased services for senior citizens, public transportation, reducing the educational attainment gap for economically disadvantaged families, total equality protections, and environmental sustainability.
Now with COVID-19, all public events have been canceled. I work closely with the Office of Emergency Management and with nonprofits within my community to coordinate the Phoenixville response efforts. We give out about 8000 meals per week in the community, and we make sure that everyone has the resources they need; food, lodging, or utility assistance.
What do you like about being a Mayor?
I enjoy working with the extraordinary people in my community every day. I am excited to talk about local issues; interact and support the business owners as well as the general community.
As a young Mayor, I am particularly interested in education and youth. Visiting local schools is always a highlight in my career. I’m determined to do my best to serve everyone in town, working with those who live, work, and play here; while promoting an inclusive community for all.
Mayor Peter Urscheler in session.
What are the top three issues you are currently facing?
My first issue is physical and mental health, a global problem. It is important to make sure that everyone benefits from overall health. I’m here to find solutions and to make sure that everyone can have assistance and/or access to professional treatments.
The second issue is affordable housing. Phoenixville became a very desirable place to live causing the housing prices to increase. It has become vastly more difficult for people to afford housing in Phoenixville and throughout Chester County.
The third issue is the economic challenges faced by restaurants, breweries, and distilleries. COVID-19 has taken a toll on those businesses.
You were named one of the nation’s ten outstanding young Americans in June 2019. How has this most prestigious recognition changed your life and/or your work?
It was such an honor to have been nominated and received the award for Civic Service. This annual award seeks to recognize the accomplishments of ten young people who are truly outstanding in the areas of business or entrepreneurial accomplishment, political achievement, humanitarian, or voluntary leadership. Previous award recipients have included Arthur Ashe, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, and more. I would like to thank my incredible team and community. They deserved the award. It is rather for them than for me! I feel honored to have represented them, my incredible parents, as well as all the professors and educators I had throughout my life. They all inspire me and I’m grateful.
What has surprised you most working with your community?
Resilience! Phoenixville was a very industrial city in the past. The steel mills started to disappear in late 1970. The openness, the drive, and the energy of this time are still here today. The residents and citizens of Phoenixville want to see everyone thrive, and as we grow we want to do it responsively.
How does your Swiss culture impact you and contribute to your work?
I always go back to what my parents taught me. How can you impact people and your community? If you want to do something do it right or don’t do it at all. Efficiency and high-quality services are other lessons I learned from my father and while I was on vacation in Switzerland. Another important topic is communication. I was always impressed by how Switzerland stays connected to its community in Switzerland and abroad. As a mayor, these are values that help me every day to serve the residents and citizens of Phoenixville.
Left to right: Peter Urscheler's Father Emil, Tranquillo Barnetta (Swiss Professional Footballer) & Peter Urscheler at the Consulate of Switzerland in Philadelphia.
Your Mother Norma, worked with world-renowned medical pioneers, and your Father Emil, began his career as a Professional Soccer Player with FC St. Gallen, and later specialized in Victorian furniture. What have they taught you?
They were both adventurous spirits and warm people. My father left Switzerland in the late 40s and my mother left the Philippines in the late 60s. My father was a professional soccer player for FC St. Gallen. He left Switzerland to Italy, took the boat from Italy to South Africa,, and later Australia. My mother left the Philippines to the United States, then Holland and later Australia, where they met. From Australia, they came to the United States. What they gave me is an understanding and openness to all kinds of people, culture, and an appreciation for worldly connections.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
It is a hard question to answer during a pandemic. I do not think I would have been able to answer that question five years ago. I believe that it is important to do what you love in life. I love what I’m doing right now. I love to help people, solve problems, and find the right solution to bring the community together. Here is another Swiss trait, neutrality. I am a peacemaker when solving problems. My love for the community has brought me to this position. I don’t know where I will be in 5 years, but as long as I love what I’m doing and able to serve the community I will be eternally happy.
What are your best memories of Switzerland?
I was very lucky to travel a lot as a child. We would spend some summer vacations in the Philippines, and others in Switzerland. While in Switzerland, we would visit families in Basel, St. Gallen, and Geneva. I had so many wonderful memories camping outside Geneva with my parents and my uncle. The best memory was my last family trip to Geneva. We celebrated and watched the fireworks on lake Geneva in New Year’s Eve. Everyone was outside to welcome in the New Year, cheering and kissing. My winter vacations in Switzerland were great fun. My parents would help me carry my skies up the mountain and then enjoy the fresh air and scenery at the mountain top restaurant. I would spend my day skiing and enjoying the beautiful Swiss mountains and then meet them at the top of the mountain for lunch and we’d all go down the mountain together for dinner.
Urscheler family on vacation in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Before we end this interview, I would like to share with your readers, my last memory with my father.
My father celebrated his 90th birthday in November 2017, the month I was elected Mayor. Two months later I was sworn-in and during the celebration, he held the Bible as I took the oath of office. After the celebration, we went home laughing and sharing memories of my mother. He told me how proud he was and that mother, whom we lost in 2014, would be too. With gratitude, I conveyed how lucky I was to have their love and support all my life. He went to bed and that night he peacefully passed away. Now I’m fortunate to be carrying on the extraordinary legacy of both my parents!
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To find out more about Peter Urscheler, please visit:
Visit virtual Office of the Mayor
Email | purscheler@phoenixville.org