[5] "Roddey grew to become a champion speedster in track and field, a dedicated Marine, a close associate of Ted Turner’s, a business success in his own right, an intrepid racer of sailboats, and a wit, humorist and raconteur without peer in Pittsburgh," according to Pittsburgh Quarterly.
In 1998, Roddey was appointed by the commissioners to manage a successful campaign (also initiated by the county commissioners) to replace that system (via a referendum) to a new system composed of a single Chief Executive and a 15-member County Council.
During his term, Roddey implemented a property reassessment begun by the former commissioners to reverse the county's financial situation.
He drew plaudits for a relatively diminished showing for incumbent Democrat Luke Ravenstahl in the 2007 and 2009 Pittsburgh mayoral elections[11] and Tom Corbett's victory in Allegheny County in the 2010 gubernatorial election, but was criticized for a 2012 speech in which he claimed to have jokingly attempted to yield a handicapped parking space to a man because he, "...saw that Obama sticker and thought [he was] mentally retarded.
"[12] He retired from his position as Party Chair in 2016, having presided over a period of financial stabilization and tripling membership growth for the organization.