The new year brought a new mayor for the Borough of Coraopolis. Michael Dixon succeeded Shawn Reed on January 1st. Join us for 10 questions as we get to know Mayor Dixon…
Dixon’s term went into effect January 1, 2022.
Q: How did you feel when it became clear that you were going to be the next Mayor of Coraopolis?
A: I remember, it was after midnight on election night, and it felt oddly surprising. I went into it extremely humble and came out of it even more humble because of the response from the voters. I was shocked. I never thought in a million years that I could just ‘be me’ and have something like that happen. It is an honor.
Q: You are a month into your term; what do you enjoy so far about the role?
A: Right now, I’m just focused on listening and learning. I’m surrounded by a team of experts who have been doing this a long time and they have a lot of knowledge to transfer to me. I’ve been apologetic to Ray [McCutcheon, Borough Manager] because I’m asking him a lot of questions [laughs]. I don’t know - but I want to know because I care.
Q: What made you choose Coraopolis?
A: I’m from a tiny town in Washington County called Southview; just past McDonald and Hickory, PA. It’s basically farm country. It was an old coal mine, right on the Montour Trail, which used to be the railroad.
The first reason my wife Heather and I chose to live in Coraopolis is because of its convenient location. We got married in 2013 and decided it was time to move in 2015. Coraopolis brought us a lot closer to work, as we were both working in Wexford at the time. We were first-time homebuyers and Coraopolis ticked off all the boxes: a convenient location and we found a great deal on a quiet street with nice neighbors. In fact, when we pulled in to look at our house on Stratford Avenue a woman was walking her dog and told us “You need to buy this house right now, it's the best street in town.” We were sold!
Q: Why did you decide to run for Mayor?
A: The mayorship wasn’t an original consideration in the beginning for me. I had made some serious life changes in 2019 - mainly taking control of my health after having weight loss surgery. Prior to that, I would not have physically been able to do it. It changed my life; my outlook and what was important. Working for the man for so many years, I never really felt like my heart was in something that mattered. Now I do.
Being involved in my community in the simplest way is how it started. I wanted to give back and a friend mentioned that there might be an open council seat in Ward 4. I started looking into how I could become involved, and I attended my first Coraopolis NAACP branch meeting. That meeting just so happened to be where Mayor Shawn Reed announced he would not be seeking a second term. I had a week to get all of my signatures, but I know I made the right decision. It was all very serendipitous.
Q: What Borough projects are you most excited about in the coming year(s)?
A: Definitely Riverfront Park. Ray McCutcheon has done an incredible amount of work to make sure we are ready to go. I’m amazed at what we'll be able to accomplish in phases 1 and 2 when we break ground later this year. It’s that type of greenspace that will pay dividends for years to come and will draw people into our town.
The second thing is the Allegheny Health Network sports complex. It’s a little bit chaotic right now, but once it's complete it's really going to draw some attention to this area - even just people traveling in from other communities and seeing all the improvements that are being made in town. It’s going to shine a light on Cory that we haven’t had in at least the last twenty years.
Pictured above with Dana Watkins, Mayor Dixon signed his first proclamation on February 9, 2022 to celebrate Black History Month in Coraopolis.
Q: What do you wish more people knew about Coraopolis?
A: The strength of this community is so amazing and so wonderful, but so quiet. I didn’t really feel that until this past summer. All I had to do was say, “Hi, I’m Mike” and that’s all it took - I was literally wrapped in all the communal joy that this town has to offer. It’s been really overwhelming and positive. I want the whole world to know that we have this wonderful little community of strong women and minority-owned businesses that are just flourishing. It gives me such pride to know that I've been the person that was chosen to represent this community to the rest of Pennsylvania.
It’s a big responsibility and I feel obligated to say, “come and look at what we are doing.” This is proof that small business and small communities can be strong and be united and still grow without the influence of big business. I want to do everything I can to help that continue and grow even more.
Q: What advice do you have for people who want to get involved in the community?
A: The best advice I can give is just to reach out, call me directly and I will find a way for you to get involved. We need that engagement more than ever. I think one of our biggest hurdles is communication. Still haven’t quite figured that out but we’re working on it. The Borough is doing so much. More people need to know about it and how they can get involved.
Q: What is your day job, outside of being Mayor?
A: I’m a Lead Software Engineer for Aderant, which is a legal software company based in Atlanta. I’ve worked in the software industry since about 2012 and prior to that I worked in both healthcare and IT. My wife Heather is a program analyst for Connective Rx, connecting people with benefits and savings programs. We both work from home, which is nice.
Q: Tell me more about your background and education:
A: Originally, I was going to be commissioned into the Army as an Officer. I was unable to complete the course because of medical issues. I was crushed but it turned out to be better because I ended up doing what I was supposed to be doing. I finished my bachelor’s degree in 2003 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Several years later, I was hired by Cigna Group Insurance. They have a great tuition program that allowed me to go to Pittsburgh Technical College for computer networking and programming courses. I then went on to complete a Master of Science in Internet Information Systems from Robert Morris University in 2012.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
We do a lot of walking and hiking with our dogs. In fact, in October 2020, I set a goal for myself to commemorate my weight-loss journey of walking out of my house in Coraopolis back home to Southview via the Montour Trail. Heather and some close friends walked with me. It was 22 miles and took 12 hours - we started at 6 am and ended at 6:30 pm - it was a personal milestone for me.
I like to cook and Heather loves to bake - if you ever need a cake she’d be all in. We also like crafting and traveling. At the end of a busy work week I like to play strategy video games - my go-to is Civilization.
Q: What are some of your favorite spots to frequent in the Coraopolis Business District?
A: Absolutely #1 is Cobblehaus – I became an amateur brewer during the pandemic so I’m really into micro brewing. Heather and I just joined the VFW 402 as social members, and we go there from time to time to play BINGO.
I’m also really excited about the Honduran café that’s opening soon. I do think Coraopolis has a shortage of sit-down restaurants, though, and would love to see more move into town.
Do you have a question that wasn’t answered above? Mayor Dixon wants to hear from you.
Contact him at: Mayor@CoraopolisPa.com