He inherited a city 36 years in distress. Now he’s Pennsylvania’s Mayor of the Year.

Dwan Walker, the first Black mayor of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been named the state’s 2026 Mayor of the Year — honored for pulling the steel town out of 36 years of financially distressed status through job training, new businesses and corporate partnerships. Walker, a lifelong resident, took office in a city many had written off; a $3.3 million revitalization grant helped turn the tide. The award, chosen by his fellow mayors, says the obituary was premature.