Neil McDevitt, Sworn In Monday As North Wales Mayor, Makes History As First Deaf PA Mayor

NORTH WALES, PA — Neil McDevitt, a Democrat who won election this past November as the new mayor of North Wales Borough, was sworn into office Monday evening, the occasion representing what is believed to be the first time Pennsylvania voters have ever chosen a deaf mayor.

McDevitt posted to his Facebook page that Monday's borough reorganization meeting also marked the first time, "to my knowledge, that a jurisdiction's reorganization meeting was called to order in ASL," he said, referring to American Sign Language.

When McDevitt won election back in November, he posted on social media that his election also represents the first time in America, not just Pennsylvania, that a "Deaf person using American Sign Language has been directly elected as Mayor in their community.

"I hope my little moment in North Wales inspires many more to become involved in their communities in this way," he wrote in a social media post at the time.

The website North Penn Now reported this week that McDevitt is actually the second deaf mayor to hold office in the U.S., with Amanda Folendorf appointed mayor of the city of Angels Camp in California back in 2018.

The distinction, however, may be that McDevitt was elected while Foldorf's selection was done through a city council appointment.

McDevitt told North Penn Now that while his election is historically significant, his being deaf also isn't the be all, and end all focus of his upcoming governance.

"My experiences will give me unique insights and unique approaches to solving these issues, but it's not something that becomes central to my objectives and/or approaches," he was quoted as saying in North Penn Now.