Blawnox Council adds new member to quickly fill vacancy

An Aspinwall businessman and Fox Chapel Area graduate was named the newest member of Blawnox Council.

Mark Lombardi recently was appointed as former Councilman John Simmons’ successor.

Simmons resigned, effective Feb. 29, because he and his wife, Ellie, moved to his hometown of O’Hara.

Simmons, 72, was appointed to council in March 2017 to fill an unexpired term. He was reelected in 2019 and last year.

The 1970 Fox Chapel Area High School graduate grew up in O’Hara. He served with the Blawnox Volunteer Fire Company for about 30 years.

Lombardi, 37, will serve for two years and will have to run for what will become a two-year seat next November.

The 2004 Fox Chapel Area graduate grew up in O’Hara and moved to Blawnox about a dozen years ago.

“I always felt like I live in this town, and I don’t do anything,” Lombardi said. “I have this young family, and I do a lot in Aspinwall.”

He and his brother, Nick, own Casa Del Sole, a pizza shop in Aspinwall.

The shop had been in the borough since 1979. The Lombardi family bought it in 2003.

Mark Lombardi took it over in 2008 shortly after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

The Pitt baseball player said Nick became a partner a few years later. The company often donates food to Aspinwall events.

Mark Lombardi also works in sales for Italian Specialty Products of Pennsylvania, a Jeannette-based food brokerage company, and is a board member of the Pittsburgh chapter of Lucchesi Nel Mondo, an organization dedicated to promoting the culture, cuisine, lifestyle and history of the city of Lucca and the Tuscan region of Italy.

Appointment made

Blawnox Council wasted little time welcoming its newest member.

The appointment was made in a 4-0 vote March 13 shortly after council voted to accept Simmons’ resignation.

Council President Debbie Laskey and Meghan Kennedy were absent.

Council had 30 days from the time it accepted the resignation to appoint someone before residents could have petitioned an Allegheny County Court judge to select a new member.

Borough Manager Kathy Ulanowicz said the vacancy was not posted, and only two letters of interest were received.

“Mark attended a council meeting and dropped off a letter of interest for when a council seat was vacant,” Ulanowicz said via email. “Residents can drop off letters of interest for council positions at any time at the borough office.”

Elected leaders said they felt confident in choosing Lombardi and did not need additional time or resumes.

“I’m happy with him,” Councilwoman Katie Specht-Coban said. “He’s a very nice guy, family-oriented (and) really interested in making Blawnox a great town. … We had to strike while the iron was hot. The position was available and he got it.”

Lombardi was sworn in by Mayor Anthony Gross, who said he knew the newly appointed leader for many years.

“He’s a nice kid, a good kid, a business owner,” Gross said. “He’s young. I just think we need new blood.”

Lombardi explained what he saw while attending council meetings and what he thinks of the new opportunity.

“All I see is these people up there talking about trying to have a community,” he said. “My focus is for the kids. I’m just trying to chip in. It’s not like I have any (political) experience or anything. I want to help out the community. I think this is a good opportunity.”

Lombardi has two children, an 8-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter.

One of his first contributions since joining council was donating pizzas to Blawnox’s Easter Egg hunt March 24.