Verona's new borough secretary formally introduced at council workshop

Verona officials have tapped a former physics teacher and solutions analyst as their new borough secretary.

Christine DeRunk of Shaler was formally introduced as the administrative head at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

She was selected out of 12 candidates earlier this year to replace former borough manager and finance director Jerry Kenna, who resigned last year.

“I’m really lucky to be working with such a supportive council and a great community,” DeRunk said. “There’s a lot of assistance getting on board and just learning not just the logistics of where things are located, but generally what’s going on in the borough. I’m very fortunate.”

DeRunk taught physics at various schools from 2000 to 2015, including a five-year stint at Horace Mann School in Riverdale, N.Y. She also served as a grant writer and science department chair for Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh before becoming an administrative intern for Upper St. Clair.

Her other jobs included a solutions analyst for Business Forward and as the housing and community development specialist for Mullin & Lonergan Associates.

DeRunk earned a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University as well as a master’s in peace education from Antioch University McGregor and bachelor’s in physics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

DeRunk said she wants to be involved in the borough’s future, help it get more grant funding and prioritize capital improvements among other projects.

“I’m very eager to work with council on doing some of the strategic planning and the comprehensive planning and those short-term, medium-term, long-term planning documents,” DeRunk said.

Council vice president Dave Matlin said the candidates were narrowed down to five for interviews and ended up with two finalists.

He said DeRunk’s preparedness and professionalism separated her from the pack.

“She did her homework,” Matlin said. “She came prepared. She didn’t hesitate or have any trouble with our questions. She answered all of our questions to really great satisfaction, and she brings a really good mix of experience and qualifications.”

DeRunk’s starting salary is $70,000.

Susan G. Hockenberry Coaching and Consulting was hired to assist with the borough manager/secretary search. Hockenberry was the executive director of the Quaker Valley Council of Governments and launched her own consulting practice in 2019.

Council on Tuesday also accepted a proposal to keep her on as a coach and consultant to assist DeRunk and other borough officials through Sept. 1, 2022.

The proposal indicates she will work via Zoom 16 hours per month at a cost of $13,400 for the year.