Mayor of the Year

Brandon "Brandy" Schimp
Mayor of the Borough of Kane

Mayor Brandy Schimp is a life-long resident of Kane Borough in McKean County. What she experienced early in her life was an extraordinary sense of community spirit that left an indelible mark upon her. In her own words, "Growing up in Kane, I knew there was something special and I always knew this was where I wanted to be. Where I wanted to raise a family. And where I hoped to be able to give back someday."

Giving back long before becoming Mayor, Brandy Schimp became a Big Sister for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of McKean County, serving for 10 years. This was just the beginning of a rich life of public service. Recognizing his wife’s ability as an exceptional leader, Brandy’s husband initiated a successful write-in campaign for her to become the Mayor of Kane Borough in 2017.

As the sole elected executive of Kane Borough, Mayor Schimp quickly realized the potential for promoting the public good through the Office of Mayor. Her efforts in her seven years as mayor have become known as the “Kane Renaissance.” Since Mayor Schimp’s first election, over 40 new businesses have opened and remained viable in Kane Borough. The main street in Kane Borough is not only alive, it is a vibrant and busy retail district.

Kane Borough Council President, Tom Kase, gave three reasons for his nomination of Mayor Schimp as "Mayor of the Year." The first is that "she inspires a sense of community and community involvement across people of all ages." As an example, Mayor Schimp is a founder and board member of Kane Area Children’s Museum. To support the Museum, Mayor Schimp got the Museum recognized as an official partner of the Pittsburgh Marathon’s Run for a Reason and started the "Kids of Steel" program. She has been a long-time supporter of KARE for Kane which matches volunteers to revitalization projects across the community. In collaboration with the Kane Area Elementary PTO, a fully reimagined Christmas store shopping experience replaced low-quality plastic products with locally-sourced items created by artisans from across the Pennsylvania Wilds.

The second reason is that Mayor Schimp is an advocate for law enforcement and strives to connect them with the community. In 2024, she worked with the Kane Area School District and the Kane Police Department to reestablish the DARE program and add a school resource officer. Also in 2024, Mayor Schimp organized a memorial service in recognition of the 25th anniversary of a Kane police officer killed in the line of duty. Other initiatives include: "National Night Out", "Coffee with a Cop" and "Pizza with the Police" at the Kane Area Community Center.

The third reason is that "Mayor Schimp works to ensure that people, businesses and communities know they matter." Her advocacy with federal, state and local officials on behalf of members of the Kane community is legendary. She is generous with her time, serving on numerous advisory boards. She serves as a board member for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Campus, Northwest Savings Bank, and West Penn Energy Fund. She is President of the Kane Elementary PTO and Vice President of the Association of Mayors of Boroughs of Pennsylvania. Finally, she is a Paul Harris Fellow for the Rotary Club of Kane.

For her many accomplishments and the exemplary manner in which she has held the Office of Mayor, the PSMA calls upon all mayors to recognize and congratulate Mayor Brandy Schimp as our 2024 "Mayor of the Year."