Luzerne County advertising three top division head openings

Luzerne County’s administration is publicly advertising three top vacant division head positions so applicants will be available to incoming Manager Randy Robertson shortly after his arrival next week, said county Acting Manager Brian Swetz.

Eight division heads are required under the county’s home rule government structure that took effect in 2012.

The vacant administrative services division head position was posted online Monday, and Swetz said the other two division head openings — law and operational services — likely will be posted Tuesday.

Applicants will have two weeks from the posting date to submit resumes. Positions are advertised in the human resources department “career opportunities” section at luzernecounty.org.

Prior acting manager Romilda Crocamo had opted to leave division head appointments up to the new manager. Council must confirm the manager’s division head nominees for the hirings to take effect, the charter says.

Swetz said it is prudent to advertise the positions now so Robertson has available options, although he emphasized it will be solely up to Robertson to determine how he wants to proceed. Robertson could select one of the applicants as his nominee for the permanent position or re-advertise.

Robertson has said he will be starting as county manager on Monday, June 13.

Administrative services

The head of administrative services oversees eight departments: elections, human resources, purchasing/acquisition, information technology, GIS/mapping, licensing/permits, community development and tourism. The division head also is responsible for the county’s grant writing.

This position is vacant because David Parsnik resigned last September.

It is advertised at $90,000 annually.

County GIS/Mapping Director Daniel Reese has been serving as interim administrative services division head since April 8.

Interim division head appointments are limited to 90 days under the charter, which means someone else would have to be appointed after July 6.

County Human Resources Director Angela Gavlick served as the temporary division overseer before Reese and could not be appointed interim again this year because the 90-day limit also applies to individual employees each calendar year.

The minimum qualifications for the permanent division head position, according to the posting: education equivalent to a bachelor’s degree program with major course work in human resources and public/business administration; six years of public administration experience that has included significant involvement with personnel, budget, accounting and/or public information functions; three years of supervisory experience; or any equivalent combination of acceptable training and experience.

Resumes are due June 20.

Operational services

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

Edmund O’Neill resigned as the operational services division head in January.

County Engineer Lawrence Plesh has been serving as interim division head since 911 Executive Director Fred Rosencrans’s appointment to the temporary post expired April 14.

Law division

This division head also serves as chief solicitor and oversees the county’s law office and conflict counsel department.

Crocamo had 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. Her recent resignation to accept other employment vacated the division head position.

County Children and Youth attorney Harry Skene has been serving as acting chief solicitor since April 4. County assistant solicitor Shannon Crake Lapsansky previously served as interim chief solicitor.

Swetz is the county’s budget/finance division head. The four remaining division heads: Steven Greenwald, chief public defender; Lynn Hill, human services; Joan Hoggarth, judicial services and records; and Mark Rockovich, correctional services.