Previously a city councilman who worked as a fifth-grade teacher in the McKeesport Area School District, Michael Cherepko was elected in 2011 to serve McKeesport's near 20,000 residents as mayor. He accepted his oath of office on January 3, 2012, and renewed it for a second term in 2016.

The Cherepko administration is focused on community involvement, fully reinforcing the mayor's motto of "Working Together for a Better McKeesport." These words have been put into action by city residents, public officials, community groups and business owners, who have recognized them as more than a slogan - rather, an invitation to take part in moving McKeesport forward.

The mayor welcomes every opportunity to thank all of McKeesport's stakeholders for their involvement and investment in the community.

Mayor Cherepko lives in McKeesport's Fawcett Plan neighborhood, the same area where he was raised, with his wife Nicole and their children Madeline and Jake.