Apr 20, 2018 3 min read

With South Fayette Township manager Ryan Eggleston leaving for his new job in Morehead City, N.C., later this month, the commissioners approved the appointment of his interim replacement at their meeting last week.

The board unanimously appointed La Verne Diggs, who is currently the township’s part-time human resources director and special projects director, as interim township manager.

“I’m delighted that she’s willing to serve,” Eggleston said. “She’s a great choice by the board. She is a professional and is going to do a great job.”

Diggs will begin her new role April 27 at a rate of $55 per hour. She said after the April 11 meeting she is not interested in serving as Eggleston’s permanent replacement.

Diggs enters the interim position with a full slate of experience as a government executive. After growing up in South Fayette and attending Sturgeon School and South Fayette High School, she worked in municipal government in Norfolk, Va., and Scottsdale, Ariz., along with several towns in California.

“I’ve been in public service my whole career,” she said. “My breadth of experience will help me as I transition into the interim township manager role.”

In Norfolk, Diggs served as the assistant city manager, while in Scottsdale, she served as the executive director of human resources, which she retired from in 2010. Diggs, who earned her doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University, also spent time teaching in higher education.

“Diggs has been an outstanding resource for South Fayette Township, and we are confident that she is well qualified to steady the ship during the transition,” board President Ray Pitetti said in a township press release. “We appreciate her professional assistance as the township conducts a search for the next manager.”

Diggs has since worked in part-time roles at South Fayette in emergency management, labor relations and employment.

“Public service is my life, and it’s nice to work at a place like South Fayette,” Diggs said.

When Eggleston announced his retirement in late February, the township hired a professional consulting firm, GovHR, to search for his replacement. Community Development Director Andrea Iglar said the process is expected to take several months and the firm is still preparing the advertisement for the position.

“Hopefully that process is moving well and sometime this summer the permanent replacement will be in,” Eggleston said.

At the end of Eggleston’s last meeting at South Fayette, he read a prepared statement thanking the board, the staff and the community.

“It’s been a true privilege to work for this great community for almost six years,” he said. “We’ve made a lot of progress, and it’s been a wonderful place to come home.”