Wrangell has begun its search for a new borough manager.
On Friday, the assembly accepted the resignation of Lisa Von Bargen from the post, effective Oct. 29.
“It is with sadness I submit my letter of resignation as borough manager for this amazing community. The strain of the past year and a half has helped me realize I need to take a pause and focus on the needs of my family and myself,” Von Bargen wrote in her resignation letter, dated Sept. 28.
She has been on the job since July 2017, moving to Wrangell from Valdez, where she was community and economic development director.
The assembly sought input from every department head to look over the borough manager job description before posting the notice for applicants. It approved the job description on Friday, going through the lines one by one with input from sole respondent Amber al-Haddad, capital facilities director, until all members agreed it was ready for approval.
The borough clerk posted the job Monday. There is no deadline to apply; the posting says the job “will be open until filled.”
The job notice does not list a salary, which the borough clerk said will be based on a candidate’s experience.
Preference will be given to candidates who hold a degree from an accredited four-year college or university, with a master’s degree in public administration or business administration. A combination of related education and/or municipal experience may be considered.
For a complete job description, contact the clerk’s office at 907-874-2381, email clerk@wrangell.com, or visit http://www.wrangell.com/jobs on the borough website.
Mayor Steve Prysunka said he will want job candidates to visit the town for several days to experience the nature of the work.
In the meantime, Prysunka has requested that Borough Clerk Kim Lane send him and Vice Mayor Patty Gilbert some names for consideration as possible interim borough managers. The mayor said the assembly wants to review a possible list this week.
Meanwhile, Prysunka has asked Finance Director Mason Villarma to work with Von Bargen on understanding any current employee-related issues, and requested that Lane and Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore split up the remaining borough issues or projects.
Ideally, Prysunka said, an interim manager should be brought on while Von Bargen is still employed to ensure continuity on any loose ends, and minimize the potential that Lane or Rushmore would need to become acting borough managers. “They already have full-time jobs,” he said.
Von Bargen informed the assembly she had begun a transition handbook, compiling a list of critical issues, “major and minor things that are very nuanced,” information that needs to be passed along.
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