Oakmont hires former Penn Township public works director as borough manager

Oakmont Council hired former Penn Township Public Works Director Scot Fodi as the new borough manager.

Council made it official in a unanimous vote at a special meeting Monday night.

“I love municipal work,” Fodi said after the meeting. “I look for any opportunity to get back into a manager’s position. Oakmont is a wonderful community. I just hope to continue the legacy that Mrs. (Adeline) Brown and Mrs. (Lisa Cooper) Jensen held, having longstanding roles in the community.”

Brown, who died April 5 at 91, served as Oakmont’s secretary beginning in 1947 when she was 18 years old and became borough manager in 1966. She was one of only a handful of women to serve in such a job in the entire country at that time, but stayed in the position for 40 years.

Jensen called it a career in November after serving the borough for more than three decades. Hired as a part-time office worker in 1986, she became full-time and assistant to the manager in 2006.

She also had a stint as the delinquent borough tax collector before being named interim borough manager in April 2012 when Bruce Jamison resigned. Council formally promoted Jensen to borough manager July 2012.

More than 70 people applied and a dozen were interviewed since Oakmont began its search for a manager last year. Council set aside $108,000 for the manager’s salary in this year’s budget.

The hiring committee consisted of council Vice President Patricia Friday, Councilwoman Carrie DelRosso and Councilman George Coulter.

“We are eager to get started to work with him,” Friday said.

Other council members also welcomed the new manager aboard and thanked their soon-to-be departing interim manager.

Fodi, 49, of Murrysville, replaces interim administrator Harry Dilmore, a retired Avalon manager. He served the borough for several months and plans to stick around a bit to help with the transition.

“Oakmont’s been a good experience,” Dilmore told council. “I’ve known Scot a long time. You’re in good hands.”

Dilmore and Fodi are both members of the Association of Professional Municipal Managers.

Fodi, a 1988 North Catholic High School graduate, was Penn Township’s public works director from September 2014 to this month. He also worked as Middlesex’s manager from February 2005 until September 2014 and as that township’s public works director for four months before that.

He also served as Pine Township’s code enforcement officer from September 1992 to October 2004.

Fodi has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Penn State University and a master’s in human resources management/personal administration from Robert Morris University. The newly hired manager said he’s confident he’ll be able to work well with Oakmont Council.

“It’s their ship,” Fodi said. “I’m just the driver. They tell us which way the ship goes.”