Advertising launches Monday for Luzerne County’s top manager position

The advertising campaign seeking Luzerne County’s next top manager launches Monday, with a new website and postings on several online job sites.

“We’re hoping for a strong response from the campaign,” said Chris Hackett, chair of the county’s volunteer citizen Manager Search Committee.

The committee set up the website — luzernecountymanager.com — to familiarize job seekers with the county’s cultural, recreational, sports, dining, shopping and entertainment offerings and present information on the cost of living, housing/real estate market, library system and education and health care options.

It also is a portal for applicants to learn about the county manager position and electronically submit a resume.

“There is some really good content that shows the area in a really positive and constructive light. I think it looks good,” Hackett said of the site.

The job posting notes the manager is executive of the 12th largest county in the state and that the county is two hours west of New York City and two hours north of Philadelphia.

Established in 1786, the county operates under a strong manager home rule form of government in which the manager controls day-to-day business operations and manages the delivery of county services, programs and initiatives, it says.

”Opportunities to refine the organization and operation of county government and to continue to define the position of county manager abound,” it says.

The county employs approximately 1,600 full-time employees and 150 part-time and seasonal workers and has a $157.8 million general fund operating budget and growing population, it says. The posting highlights the county’s A- credit rating from Standard & Poor’s as evidence of the county’s “position of strong financial stability.”

A bachelor’s degree in public administration, finance, business administration or a closely related field is required for the position along with at least five years of management experience in a similar or larger organization. A master’s degree and county management credentials are desired but not required, it says.

The position pays up to $185,000, with a “robust” benefit package, it says.

Resumes are due Jan. 24 and must be submitted electronically to the Luzerne County Manager Search Committee at Search@LuzerneCountyManager.com.

Hackett said all submissions will simultaneously go to the seven search committee members and not be part of the county’s email system.

The independent, council-appointed search committee must screen applicants and recommend the candidates it believes are the most qualified to council for its consideration. Home rule charter drafters chose this approach to make the selection more impartial and less vulnerable to political intervention.

“The process is going to be extraordinarily objective,” Hackett said of the committee’s work. “We are citizens engaged in this committee. Nobody has an agenda. We will fairly and completely evaluate any candidates that come before us.”

In addition to Hackett, the committee members are: Sherri Homanko, Walter S. Mitchell Jr., Rick Morelli, Brian D. O’Donnell, Patrick Patte and Alec Ryncavage.

Advertising reach

LinkedIn, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and GovtJobs.com are among those selected to advertise the position. GovtJobs also will be sending notice of the county manager opening through its email list of 52,000, Hackett said.

“We hope the timing is good. In a new year, people sometimes consider new opportunities,” Hackett said.

The search committee is set to meet in closed-door executive session Jan. 12 to review the initial submissions and determine if an increase in advertising is warranted due to the response, he said.

“We’re going to assess and recalibrate if necessary. We’re optimistic with the reach we have through the ad campaign that we will ID pretty good candidates,” Hackett said.

The committee already has received one resume before the advertising launch based on media coverage about the opening, he said.

Under its timeline, the committee wants to present at least three qualified applicants to council around April 8.

Before making recommendations, the committee plans to perform initial phone screening interviews and select applicants who will be interviewed in-person.

At least seven of 11 council votes are required to hire the manager.

Last time

The manager position is open because C. David Pedri resigned in July. Romilda Crocamo, the county’s chief solicitor, has been serving as acting county manager since then.

The prior search committee activated before Pedri was hired in May 2016 had received 14 applications.

Six were rated qualified based on their resumes and other paperwork submitted, but one of those was disqualified based on a majority determination of a charter conflict. Committee members said at the time they interviewed all five.

At council’s directive, the committee submitted three finalists. Council ended up interviewing only two of the three because one withdrew, and Pedri was selected.