Cranberry’s Santoro recognized with Governor’s Award
Cranberry Township Manager Dan Santoro was named one of 10 recipients of Pennsylvania’s 2026 Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence.
The awards are given to local government officials annually by Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. The winners were announced April 22, Local Government Day in the state.
“There’s lots of great municipal managers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Santoro said. “So I’m humbled by — and appreciative of — having won the award.”
Santoro stumbled into the world of local government by accident through a college class, which led him to switch his major to regional planning.
Now, with a 35-year career in the profession, Santoro has worked for Cranberry Township on and off since 1991, with 25 of his 35 years spent with the township.
Starting in the planning department, he was hired as the assistant manager in 2000, serving until 2006. After a decade-long stint in the private sector, he returned to the role in 2017. Santoro was appointed to his current position in January 2021.
As manager, Santoro said his job is to be a “day-to-day operation person” for the township and manage all the departments within the township government.
His days vary, from supervising a range of issues such as police and public safety matters to water line breaks or improvement projects.
Santoro said he relies on a team of 12 department heads. His job is to make sure the work being undertaken is consistent with what the board of supervisors wants.
He also recommends to the board different options to consider for any given agenda item under review.
Santoro said his job can be tough, but is also fun.
“I love what I do,” Santoro said. “When people ask me, ‘what exactly do you do?’ — what we do here is, we build the community.”
Santoro said that for someone in his shoes, Cranberry is a great community.
“You can see the results of your work manifest quickly,” he said.
As a second-class township, Santoro described Cranberry as a family-friendly location, which is welcoming to anyone regardless of age or income.
He added that the township government is intentional in how it goes about building connections in the community. He mentioned Cranberry Summer Nights, scheduled in July, as an example.
“This place isn’t just somewhere you live. It’s somewhere where you engage and feel fulfilled,” he said. “Everything we do is geared toward that.”
Santoro said he believes Cranberry has changed for the better, and continues to grow upward.
While growth can be a “double-edged sword” with the challenges that come with it, by and large, Santoro said that it is vital to create opportunities for longtime residents and newcomers.
“We want to be a place where everybody feels welcome,” said Santoro. “We want people to come here, plant roots, stay here and say, ‘Cranberry is my home.’”
