Coplay Mayor Bill Leiner Jr. is no stranger to the borough and service to the community.

During his interview by Coplay Borough Council June 2, Leiner detailed more than 30 years serving in various elected positions.

His public service first started in the early 1990s as a member of the Coplay Health Board. He was named secretary of that board, ultimately becoming the borough’s deputy health officer.

In 1995, Leiner was elected to Coplay Borough Council. He assumed the role of mayor two years later, retaining the seat in 2001 and 2005 elections.

Leiner moved to county government in 2007, winning a seat as an at-large commissioner for Lehigh County.

In 2011, he returned to Coplay Borough Council.

Leiner then earned a seat on the Whitehall-Coplay School Board in 2015, serving as a director for five years. He resigned from that role to battle a cancer diagnosis and take time to recuperate.

In 2022, he set his sights on serving as a Lehigh County judge of elections, retaining that post for four years.

Leiner’s present appointment in borough government makes him the longest-serving Democratic mayor in Coplay’s history.

He said he plans to work with the current police chief and council to improve the police department by returning to community policing to better serve residents.

Leiner is a retired Bethlehem steelworker with 27 years of employment. There, he acted as a United Steelworkers of America local union leader.

He is a registered nurse and American Nurses Credentialing Center board-certified RN specializing in mental health/psychiatry. He is currently employed by New Vitae Wellness & Recovery as a community outreach liaison/nurse consultant.

Leiner is also an independent contractor for Lehigh Valley Press, covering community and municipal events.

He and his wife, Cynthia, will celebrate 32 years of marriage this September. He has six adult children and 10 grandchildren. The family, Leiner added, has a treasured dog named Benny.