Press Release:
The Cheltenham Township Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce the selection of Jonathan Altshul as the next Cheltenham Township Manager. The formal appointment will take place at the legislative meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 7:30 PM, which will be held at Curtis Hall, 1250 Church Rd, Wyncote, as well as on Zoom. Residents are welcome to attend.
The search was facilitated by Nicole Beckett, Associate Director for Public Service at the Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government at Lafayette College. The process was shaped by community input gathered at a public meeting in March and by conversations with Township staff and commissioners, which together defined what Cheltenham was seeking in its next leader. The recruitment effort resulted in 14 applications from qualified professionals. A competitive group of candidates advanced through three rounds of interviews and a written exercise before the Board reached its decision. This thorough process was designed to identify a leader with both management experience and a genuine appreciation for what makes Cheltenham distinct.
Jonathan Altshul currently serves as Town Manager of Newington, Connecticut, where he leads a municipality of approximately 180 employees and a $46 million budget, overseeing all town departments, managing multiple collective bargaining agreements, and serving as chief executive responsible for both day-to-day operations and long-term planning. His background prepared him well for the scope and complexity of Cheltenham Township—a diverse, high-capacity community with nearly 300 employees, a $68 million budget, and a long tradition of strong public service.
Prior to Newington, he served as Township Manager of Westtown Township from 2020 to 2024, securing $12.6 million in competitive Commonwealth grants and leading the $6 million Oakbourne Park Master Plan. Before that, he served as Director of Finance and Assistant Township Manager at East Goshen Township from 2012 to 2020, where he secured the Township’s first-ever AAA bond rating and managed two rounds of debt financing totaling $11 million. His earlier career spans the U.S. Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C. and Arlington County, Virginia, where he built a strong foundation in public finance and government operations. He also served as an Adjunct Professor in the Master of Public Administration program at West Chester University.
Throughout this process, Mr. Altshul has demonstrated a deep commitment to the communities he serves. He describes himself as a caretaker for the communities in which he works, a responsibility he carries into every decision. With strong roots in the Delaware Valley and southeastern Pennsylvania, he is looking forward to returning to Pennsylvania.
“I am excited to serve the entire Cheltenham Township community—its residents, its neighborhoods, its businesses, its Board of Commissioners, and the dedicated team at the Township,” said Altshul. “Having spent the majority of the past 17 years living in the Delaware Valley, I’ve always admired the Township for its rich history, diverse and tight-knit population, charming architecture, and vibrant business community. I look forward to building connections across the community to ensure that Cheltenham remains on a sustainable path and continues to be one of the premier municipalities in greater Philadelphia in which to live, work, and play.”
The Board of Commissioners is confident in the process that led to this appointment and appreciates the input received from all those who shaped it. We believe this is an exciting moment for Cheltenham, and that Jonathan Altshul is the right person to lead the organization forward, and we look forward to welcoming him as both its next Township Manager and its newest neighbor.
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Photo: Town Manager | Newington, CT