Year in Review: New faces take leadership roles

There were various personnel changes in the Times News coverage area in 2017.

School leaders

On Jan. 4, former Weatherly Superintendent/elementary principal Thomas McLaughlin became human resources director in the Palmerton Area School District.

On March 2, the district tapped Teresa Young as its new superintendent.

Young has worked in the Harmony Area School District for 19 years before making the decision to move to three and a-half-hours east to Weatherly.

She had worked in the Harmony district’s administration for 13 years, with her experience including elementary, middle and high school principal, federal programs coordinator, Keystones to Opportunity Project Director, special education coordinator, transportation director, curriculum coordinator and district grant writer.

Two weeks later, Northern Lehigh began to make changes. District Superintendent Michael Michaels announced his intention to retire on March 14.

At a special meeting July 22, Northern Lehigh School Board hired Jack Corby as the district’s acting superintendent.

Northern Lehigh School Board on Oct. 9 appointed Matthew J. Link as the district’s new superintendent, for a term beginning on Jan. 1, 2018, and ending on June 30, 2021. Link will start at a salary of $147,000.

Also at that time, the board accepted the retirement resignation of Assistant Superintendent Karen Nicholas, effective Feb. 12, 2018. Nicholas will retire after 18 years of service with the district.

At a special meeting Nov. 20, the school board appointed Dr. Tania Stoker as new assistant to the superintendent. Stoker was appointed at a prorated annual salary of $120,000.

Fire and police

In January, Rush Township welcomed Joseph E. Lipsett as police chief. A retired state police officer and former Schuylkill County Coroner, Lipsett has also been employed by the Schuylkill County district attorney’s office and domestic relations office.

On May 5, Towamensing Township’s board of supervisors swore in Robert O’ Donnell as its new fire chief after it approved the resignation of then fire chief Jeremy Haydt.

Haydt had resigned through a letter dated April 17, stating that the decision was effective immediately.

Thomas Beltz, one of Carbon County’s longest-serving chiefs of police, retired from that position in Franklin Township effective April 1.

Beltz had been a member of the Franklin Township Police Department for over 30 years.

The supervisors named officer Jason Doll to serve as acting chief of police, and named him chief on Nov. 28.

Elected officials

The landscape is changing for elected officials at the beginning of 2018.

A few changes include:

On Dec. 31, longtime Carbon Register of Wills Judy Moon will retire after nearly four decades. She will be replaced by Jean Papay, who worked as an aide to state Rep. Doyle Heffley.

Tamaqua Mayor Christian Morrison decided not to run for re-election. Young Nathan Gerace will step into the position.

At age 19, he is slated to the youngest mayor the borough ever had.

Monroe County Treasurer Claudette Segear is retiring after 20 years in that office.

Theresa Johnson will take over her duties.