Matthew Tuerk was elected Mayor of Allentown in 2021. He was born in East Stroudsburg and traveled and lived around the world before moving to Allentown in 2004 with his wife, Karen, to return to his eastern Pennsylvania roots. He worked for the Allentown Economic Development Corporation, where he helped establish the Urban Manufacturing Alliance and developed resources at the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center. He co-founded the Lehigh Valley’s first co-working space.

In 2013, he joined the staff of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, where he served as Director of Research and Innovation, Vice President of Administration, and Vice President of Economic Development. He led the Economic Development group at LVEDC in attracting billions of dollars in economic growth in the Lehigh Valley and creating thousands of jobs for its residents.

In his spare time, Mayor Tuerk is a runner. He began running marathons in 2013 and has completed the distance 18 times, including New York, Boston, and Chicago. He is a graduate of the College of Charleston with a degree in International Business, and earned his MBA at the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.