In February, Luzerne County government hired twenty-four new employees, according to the latest monthly personnel report.
The report stated that more than half of the new employees, which is 14, are 911 operators who earn $19.23 per hour. Their names are Thomas Michael Belawicz, Brooklyn Blank, Nakimeea Braxton, Deborah DeJesus, Kaitlyn Elgin, Amber Goerner, Solangee Khoury, James O’Rourke III, Geoffry Robbins, Laura Schuckers, Ashley Sedelnick, Savannah Smyth, Destiny Spare, and Michael Steele.
The remaining new employees and their positions with hourly pay are: Elssy DeJesus, clerk in the district attorney’s office, earning $15.39; Deborah Dragon and Mary Grenevich, prothonotary clerks 3, with a pay of $15.98; Sydney Emershaw and Quintela Gibson-Jones, caseworker 1s at Children and Youth, earning $20.60; Linda Dominick, a part-time human resources clerk with a pay of $15; Sera McManus, clerk/typist at Children and Youth, earning $14.79; Petrell Brown, a social services aide at Children and Youth, earning $16.91; Robert Manzella, planning/zoning transportation planner, with a pay of $24.87; and Nicholas Vough, director of project management, earning $37.32.
Rehires
The report also mentioned the rehiring of four previous employees, listing their positions and hourly pay: Samantha Durning, 911 telecommunicator, earning $19.23; Amy Groner, Aging Agency care manager, with a pay of $20.87; Elizabeth Telencio, human resources generalist, earning $21.54; and Gerry Scott, assistant district attorney, with a pay of $36.09.
Departures
Two employees retired in the past month: prison corrections officer Steven Coslett and part-time assistant public defender Richard Shiptoski.
The report indicated that nine employees resigned in February, including part-time assistant public defender James Barr; tax collector Joann Blaine; public defender clerk 3 Mara Epp; Children and Youth caseworker 2 Arielle Jones; Aging Agency senior center operator Mary Jones; Aging Agency care manager supervisor Kandie Keiner; prison minimal offenders unit lieutenant Kaitlyn Romiski; deputy sheriff Emekie Thomas; and human services program director Adam Wiernusz.
The report listed three departures as involuntary: prison corrections officer Matthew Wrubel; prison desk sergeant Philip Bonczewski III; and Children and Youth caseworker supervisor Joanne Meshanski.
Election Board
The county election board will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday (March 20) in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Instructions for remote attendance are available under council’s authorities/boards/commissions online meeting link at luzernecounty.org.
Strategic Initiatives
County council’s Strategic Initiatives Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday (March 21) in the courthouse.
Remote attendance instructions can be found under council’s online meetings link at luzernecounty.org.
Formed in 2012 at the beginning of the home rule government, this committee focuses on broad, long-term changes and goals within county government’s jurisdiction.
This marks the first committee meeting of 2024.
The new committee chair is Councilman Harry Haas, with Councilwoman Joanna Bryn Smith serving as vice chair. Council members Kevin Lescavage and Brittany Stephenson also sit on the committee.
The committee will review and make changes to the long-term goals set by the council in March 2017 and the county website's mission and goals statement, as listed in Thursday’s agenda.
Town hall
The second town hall meeting hosted by County Manager Romilda Crocamo will take place at 5 p.m. on May 6 at the Hazleton One Community Center, located at 225 E. Fourth St., Hazleton.
New job opportunities
Former county Engineer Lawrence Plesh, who left the county government at the end of 2023 due to a restructuring of the engineering department, has started a new job in his field.
He has taken on the role of assistant bridge engineer for inspection in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 5-0, which includes Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties.
