Luzerne County division head retiring

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Joan Hoggarth is retiring as Luzerne County’s judicial services and records division head, county Manager Romilda Crocamo announced Monday.

This division head oversees the deeds, wills, sheriff, coroner and civil/criminal court records departments in addition to the county records storage facility in Hanover Township.

A Hanover Township resident, Hoggarth has the longest tenure of the eight division heads.

She was hired as division head in May 2013, which was a little over a year after the January 2012 implementation of the home rule government structure.

As a division head, Hoggarth worked to consolidate and streamline offices in her division and reduce a criminal court record processing backlog, according to prior reports.

Hoggarth’s retirement letter said she has always been a team player and will miss many employees. Correcting accounting failures in all of the former row offices she oversaw was her proudest achievement, it said.

“In my 22 years of employment with Luzerne County, I have always strived for the most cost efficient ways to operate offices, while working with numerous vendors to create free, online access to hundreds of thousands of records,” Hoggarth wrote.

Hoggarth said she has worked with “some stellar employees” and “many wonderful supervisors.”

“I am proud of my accomplishments with Luzerne County and the fact that my annual evaluations have recognized those accomplishments and my dedication to the taxpayers of Luzerne County,” she wrote.

Hoggarth started her county employment in 2002, first as an account executive in the controller’s office under past controller Steve Flood and then as senior accounts manager and deputy recorder of deeds. She also served as interim judicial services and records division head from September 2012 until her appointment to the position.

Prior to her county employment, Hoggarth worked as a branch manager and teller supervisor at PNC Bank from 1983 to 2001.

Hoggarth received $96,862 annually in the division head position.

Her retirement will take effect May 20.

In an email to council announcing the personnel matter, Crocamo wished Hoggarth success in her future endeavors and thanked her for her county service. She said she will announce the appointment of an acting division head in coming days.

County council must confirm the manager’s nominees for non-interim division head hirings to take effect.

Crocamo has filled four division head vacancies since her hiring as county manager a year ago this month.

Most recently, in April, council confirmed James Rose as administrative services division head at $98,000 annually.

That position was open because prior administrative services division head Jennifer Pecora was confirmed as the new operational services division head in February, at $98,800 annually. She replaced Greg Kurtz, who resigned as operational services head in December.

Also in February, council confirmed the hiring of Joseph Yeager as the new chief public defender at $105,000. He replaced Steven Greenwald, who was terminated in October.

Last November, council confirmed Mary Roselle as budget/finance division head at $115,000. Prior division head Brian Swetz left the position in August to accept a position in Wilkes-Barre City government.

The remaining division heads, along with their current compensation, according to county reports: James Wilbur, correctional services, $96,862; Lynn Hill, human services, $103,797; and Harry Skene, chief county solicitor, $100,890.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.