Plum honors Rustic Ridge resident for heroism, elevates interim manager

Plum has honored a man for his heroism in the aftermath of the Rustic Ridge explosion, while also taking a step to help the borough’s government move forward from the August catastrophe that left six dead.

Greg Renko, president of the Rustic Ridge homeowners association, received a proclamation honoring him for his bravery and selflessness during and since the Aug. 12 tragedy.

Also, David Soboslay, previously the borough’s assistant manager, was been elevated to manager, replacing Michael Thomas, who was one of the six killed in the blast.

Soboslay and Renko both live in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood where the explosion destroyed three homes and heavily damaged at least 10 others.

“He has done a lot, not only on the day of the tragedy but in the days after, for the residents of Rustic Ridge,” Soboslay said of Renko. “The resolution and the presentation were well-deserved.”

The explosion originated at the home of Paul and Heather Oravitz. According to the proclamation, Renko, 41, found and pulled Paul Oravitz out of the burning rubble, giving him a chance to survive and his children an opportunity to see him and say goodbye.

Paul Oravitz died four days after the explosion, on Aug. 16.

Renko continued searching more homes for people who might be hurt or trapped, the proclamation said. He found Thomas’ wife, Jackie, in her burning home next to the Oravitz home and got her to safety before her house collapsed.

An Allegheny County homicide detective, Renko said he took six to eight weeks off work to focus on his community. The proclamation, prepared by Mayor Harry Schlegel and presented by council President Paul Dern in Schlegel’s absence, recognized Renko for placing his own life on hold to ensure the safety and well-being of Rustic Ridge’s nearly 800 residents.

Renko and his wife, Ashley, have three children: Kayden, 9, Blake, 5, and Avery, 4. A Monroeville native, he has been a Plum resident for 13 years.

While Renko knew the honor was coming, he was not prepared for the contingent of friends, family and neighbors who came to celebrate him.

“I don’t have the words,” Renko said after receiving the proclamation. “For what these families have gone through and for them to recognize some of our actions, it’s truly humbling. It really means a lot to me.”

The explosion was an unexpected gut check, Renko said.

“Out of that, this community has really come together,” he said. “We were very close. We’re extremely close now. We’re 800 people of a family now.

“Through the holidays, people went door to door just to say hi to each other and wish people merry Christmas. I’ve seen a lot of great come out of a lot of people through this.”

New manager

Soboslay had been serving as interim manager since shortly after Thomas’ death.

“This is probably not the way you want to become manager, with the tragedy that we had this past summer, but I’m up for the challenge and look forward to working with the residents,” he said.

He had been with the borough as assistant manager for about nine years. Heather Oravitz, the borough’s director of community development, reported to him while he reported to Michael Thomas.

“Mike … never stopped. He was always working for the community, working for the people,” Soboslay said. “If that’s what I can do, we have to remember that’s why we’re here.”

As assistant manager, Soboslay’s annual salary was $135,000. It increased to $142,000 when he became interim manager. Under his three-year employment agreement as manager, his salary was set at $156,000.

Heather Oravitz’s position has not been filled. Funding for a replacement was included in the borough’s 2024 budget, Soboslay said.