Donora to begin interviewing borough manager candidates

By JEFF STITT
[email protected]
Donora’s interim administrator Warren Cecconi informed council at Thursday night’s workshop meeting he would like to begin the first round of interviews on Tuesday or Wednesday to fill the borough manager position.
Without taking a vote, council agreed to begin the interview process.
Council members Cindy Brice, John Conger, Ed Parquette and council President Janie Ackerman unanimously voted June 13 to accept the resignation of borough administrator John Bedner. Later in that meeting, council voted to advertise that resumes were being accepted for the position.
Bedner, who submitted his letter of resignation June 4, was administrator for a little more than two years. He previously resigned in March 2018 and then changed his mind within the same week, rescinding his resignation.
At the time, Ackerman called for a public vote for council to accept Bedner’s request to return to work.
Conger said, at the time, he and another councilman went to Bedner’s house after the resignation letter was received to talk to him about returning. Conger said Bedner had a change of heart.
A Carroll Township accountant, Bedner was hired in April 2017. He filled a position left vacant by Dennis Fisher’s retirement from the post in January 2017.
Cecconi has been serving as interim borough administrator since Bedner’s resignation, but he isn’t new to the position. Cecconi was first appointed as an interim borough administrator when Dennis Fisher retired in early 2017, and then walked away from the position when Bedner took over.
At Thursday’s meeting, Cecconi said he and some of the council members will be interviewing eight different candidates over a two-day period. He said each candidate will have a 20-minute interview. Those who appear to be the “best prospects” will be called back for second and third rounds of interviews.

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