Two Luzerne County interim division heads appointed

Luzerne County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo appointed two new interim division heads Monday because the employees previously filling in had reached the 90-day maximum permitted under the county’s home rule charter.

Children and Youth attorney Harry Skene will serve as acting chief solicitor, and GIS/Mapping Director Daniel Reese will be the interim administrative services division head, Crocamo said.

“I thank them for agreeing to serve the county in these critical divisions and wish them great success,” Crocamo said in a Monday afternoon email to council.

According to prior published reports, Skene has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Adelphi University, a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Toledo College of Law and a master’s degree in law from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

His past work experience included positions as president of Legal Research & Consulting in Pittston from 1994 to 2008, as economic justice coordinator at the United Neighborhood Centers in Scranton from 2005 to 2007 and as quality and regulatory compliance manager for Geisinger Health System in Danville from 2007 to 2009. He also had worked as solicitor under past county controller Steve Flood.

Skene receives $57,881 in his position as an attorney for the county’s Children and Youth agency and will be paid $96,444 during the temporary assignment.

County assistant solicitor Shannon Crake Lapsansky previously served as interim chief solicitor.

The chief solicitor is head of the county law division, which includes the conflict counsel department.

An interim law office overseer is needed because Crocamo temporarily stepped away from the chief solicitor position when council appointed her acting manager July 7, the day after prior manager C. David Pedri’s resignation took effect.

Reese has a bachelor’s degree in geography from Penn State University and a master’s degree in geographic and cartographic sciences from George Mason University.

He started his county employment in October 2016 as a senior GIS analyst and was promoted to GIS/Mapping director in 2017. Reese previously held a position as a senior transportation planner, with a GIS emphasis, for a regional planning commission in Virginia, he said.

Reese received $63,858 as GIS/Mapping director and will be paid $91,000 as interim division head.

County Human Resources Director Angela Gavlick previously served as interim administrative services division head.

One of eight top county division head positions, the head of administrative services oversees elections, human resources, purchasing/acquisition, information technology, GIS/mapping, licensing/permits, records, grant writing, community development and tourism.

The administrative division head position is vacant because David Parsnik resigned last September.

Crocamo has said she would leave division head appointments up to the next permanent manager.

Council must confirm the manager’s nominee for permanent division head appointments, the charter says.

The operational services division head position also is open because Edmund O’Neill resigned in January. County 911 Executive Director Fred Rosencrans was appointed interim head of that division when O’Neill’s departure took effect Jan. 14.

The operational services head oversees engineering, roads and bridges, planning and zoning, 911, emergency management, buildings and grounds, the boiler plant and solid waste management.