RICHARD MCATEER is a major contributor to the revitalization of Easton, Pa.
A member and former chair of Easton Redevelopment Authority, McAteer helped facilitate public-private partnerships to rehabilitate foreclosed homes as affordable residences; to convert long-vacant commercial buildings into offices, shops, and restaurants; and to transform downtown Easton into a cultural destination and culinary hub. He was founder and a board member of Greater Easton Development Partnership, a public-private organization serving as a complement to the Easton Redevelopment Authority focused on community economic development.
McAteer was instrumental in launching Easton Ambassadors, a force that helps keep the downtown clean, safe, and hospitable. He and his wife, Mary Jane, are fellow recipients of the Community Caring Award. In collaboration with Lafayette’s president at the time, Arthur Rothkopf ’55, McAteer helped secure $3 million in state funds that paved the way for Lafayette’s Williams Arts Campus. He was the first recipient of Lafayette’s annual Daniel H. Weiss Award in recognition of his leadership in strengthening the town-gown relationship.
In partnership with Lafayette faculty, McAteer developed and expanded Karl Stirner Arts Trail, a sanctuary for walking, biking, and bird watching, along with a dog park and temporary and permanent sculpture installations, that runs along the Bushkill Creek, and a historic silk mill refurbished as a bustling village of residences, studios, and artisanal businesses.
McAteer also is a member of Lafayette’s Easton Community Partners Forum.