South Strabane hires new township manager
South Strabane supervisors have hired a new township manager.
Jeff Ziegler, former assistant township manager in Moon Township, Allegheny County, was hired at Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting at a salary of $105,000.
Ziegler started in the role last week, succeeding previous manager Brandon Stanick. Stanick, who was earning $117,084 a year, left at the end of July to take a similar position in Findlay Township, Allegheny County.
Ziegler currently lives in Beaver with his wife and twin daughters. Prior to his 13-year stint in Moon, he spent seven years as the manager of Antis Township, Blair County.
“I found out about the job here because one of my jobs in Moon was to recruit people, hire people. So I’m always looking at the job boards,” Ziegler said. “I saw this one in South Strabane … I had been at Moon for 13 years. It was a little longer than I intended to be there.”
In these early weeks, Ziegler hopes to become familiar with South Strabane’s residents and what their concerns are.
“One of the things I want to definitely do is get to know the people more and focus on customer service. I’m a big believer in transparency,” Ziegler said.
Bracken Burns, chairman of the board of supervisors, said Ziegler “brings to the table exactly what we were looking for.”
He pointed to Ziegler’s two-plus decades of experience as a selling point for the township.
“His training is also very much related to where we are. He’s got a background in human resources, finance and public administration,” Burns said. “That training, coupled with his considerable experience, that’s what we were looking for.”
Ziegler said his experience with other municipalities has prepared him for the task ahead.
“I’ve been in government a while. I’ve seen quite a bit of stuff. I’ve seen probably most everything. I bring a lot of experience to deal with those kinds of issues as they come up. I have the attitude that ‘no’ is too easy of an answer … If somebody comes up with an idea, a project they want to do, we’re going to look at it and see if we can make it happen,” Ziegler said.
While the supervisors searched for a new manager, Jordan Cramer filled in as interim township manager. Cramer, who is chief of South Strabane Fire and Emergency Services, will act as Ziegler’s assistant through the end of September to help with the transition.
Burns said the township looked at about 10 candidates for the job, but that Ziegler stood out through the process.
“We’re looking for stability. You get that from someone who is mature, experienced and knowledgeable. You don’t want choppy waters. You want smooth sailing,” Burns said. “There are problems that come up every day. What you need is a manager who has seen those problems before, solved them before and knows how to get the job done.”