He was known as one of the best municipal managers in the area.

Thirteen years ago, Steve Gabriel managed a local municipality near RETTEW’s Lancaster, PA headquarters.

Mark Lauriello, RETTEW President and CEO, knew of Steve’s reputation as one of the most well-respected managers in the area.

Then one day, he heard one of our Civil/Municipal leaders had recruited Steve.

And RETTEW’s Community Planning group was born.

Steve led the way in developing RETTEW’s service offering, mentoring staff, and ultimately providing leadership to communities all over the region – from complex zoning issues to comprehensive planning, securing grant funding, and overseeing capital improvement projects through completion.

His gentle guidance, sage advice, and easygoing manner endears Steve to all who know him. He could just as easily answer hundreds of questions from disgruntled community members at a municipal meeting as he could explain the major components of a community development block grant to an uninitiated team member .

After more than a decade consulting with communities throughout Central Pennsylvania and beyond, Steve recently realized his retirement dream: To live in a house by the shore. In the early summer, he and his wife found a place they could make their own, and quickly began to wrap up their work and home life locally.

Today, you might find him sitting on the porch with a book in hand, or walking down the beach in the early morning.

After many years of improving the communities all around him, and coaching the many employees at RETTEW who were privileged to work with him, we’re glad to see him enjoying life by the sea. Congratulations, Steve, you deserve it!