Posted by: Noel Jones
Does anyone really know what's going on the with the hiring process for the new manager of the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership? Apparently not--not even the interviewing panel or those in charge of the nebulous process. Originally 60 applications were submitted, and a hiring committee comprised of CACLV members, City officials and a couple of West Ward residents narrowed the applicants down to four top candidates, whom they interviewed, understanding that they would be selecting the new manager, and that that manager would start work the week before Gary Bertsch left, so that there could be some overlap in which the former manager could show the ropes to the new manager. Sounds logical, right? But somehow, after the panel gave their recommendation to CACLV, somehow Mayor Panto and State Representative Bob Freeman were brought in to a new round of interviewing of the final two candidates, and in the meantime, Gary Bertsch retired and moved with his wife to Florida.
The WWNP office has been leaderless (and I can only assume, overwhelmed, with the extra work load) for almost three weeks, and in yesterday's Express Times, Ed Sieger reports that the position might be vacant for a few weeks more:
Express Times Article by Ed Sieger on WWNP Manager Position
The article states:
"CACLV's preference is that the new manager, like Bertsch, lives in West Ward. Panto believes it would prove beneficial for a neighborhood resident to head the community-based program, although it's not absolutely necessary."
About a month ago, I sent CACLV the results of our blog poll at the bottom of this home page on what West Ward residents feel are the top four most important qualities in a new manager for the partnership office (scroll to the bottom of this page to see). Coming in third on the list was "Familiarity with West Ward and its residents."
I originally understood that only West Ward residents would be considered. Then I was told that a candidate from elsewhere could be chosen, but they would have to move to the West Ward immediately. Now we're hearing that being a resident might not be necessary. What concerns me about all this is:
- If CACLV does prefer a West Ward resident, and qualified residents have already applied (they have), then why the need for another round of application and interviews? It would seem that "casting a wider net" means casting a net outside of the neighborhood, as any qualified residents with interest have already applied.
- If we've already had trouble with hiring someone from the outside (Igho Herbert, who headed the WWNP's Urban Ecology Program) and all of the time and resources it took to relocate the candidate and his family and familiarize him with the neighborhood, only for that position to "not work out" months later (residents have never been given a more specific explanation than this), then what would make the WWNP want to do it again?
Still, there are some residents that I have spoken to who feel that fresh blood may be good for the partnership, so that a new manager comes without any preconceived notions as to a stigma related to the neighborhood and its residents, and might have less political and personal baggage in the way of making the fresh start that the WWNP needs. But to find blood that fresh, they would have to look out of state.
What do you think? Post your comments here!
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3 comments:
Maybe I am confused - recently I also heard the selection committee had their choice down to two (or four) candidates depending who you spoke with. From a pool of approximately sixty applicants shows there is concern for this position.
Obviously to narrow it down to only a few they must have been QUALIFIED and the committee must have been confident that one would become their new Manager. How is it that now the committee sees the need to re-advertise?
Were both (or all) of these candidates suddenly unsuitable?
This not only puts our West Ward without a leadership position for an extended period of time..BUT opens up the idea that someone has a "candidate" they want selected, but that "candidate" has either not applied or maybe does not live in the area. Especially when it is noted in the posting that "somehow Mayor Panto and State Representative Bob Freeman were brought in to a new round of interviewing of the final two candidates".
The Easton area has seen so much croneyism in the past that this re-advertisement just adds that unwanted stigma to the West Ward Partnership, CACLV and the search for a new Manager.
From what I read the committee narrowed it down to two but neither candidate getting a mandate to be appointed. Therefore they want to re-advertise to see if there is a candidate that earns a mandate. That is understandable in my mind. At the company where I work this is a common practice to assure that the right person for the right job is selected. I would rather the committee errs on the side of caution than hire an individual that would cause harm to what is a great foundation for our neighborhood. I read in the article in the ET that Panto and Freeman were not comfortable making the decision for the committee and stated that both candidates were suitable. I agree with them. This position should be made without their influence although I appreciate their tremendous support for the programs and the West Ward.
Actually the committee DID select someone, then, the process got changed to include the Mayor and Bob Freeman. I'm not blaming this on them at all--I'm suspect they did not want to get involved and were talked into it. The question is, why?
This is a troubling trend in my mind, because a similar thing happened when Igho Herbert left--the position sat vacant for weeks on end and the momentum of the urban ecology program suffered for it. The neighborhood is looking to the WWNP for consistency, and not getting it.
I have to wonder if these positions aren't being left open because grant money is saved when not being spent on salaries...but if so, it is damaging to the reputation and momentum of the organization.
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