Oakmont taps Penn Township public works director as new borough manager

Oakmont officials hired former Penn Township Public Works Director Scot Fodi as their new borough manager.

Council made it official via 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. Brown and Mrs. Jensen held, having longstanding roles in the community.”

The late Adeline Brown served as Oakmont’s secretary beginning in 1947 at 18 years old and was appointed in 1966 to the borough manager.

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.

Brown, 91, died April 5 with her family by her side.

Lisa Cooper Jensen called it a career in November after serving the borough for more than three decades.

Oakmont hired Jensen Aug. 26, 1986, to work part-time in the office. 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 have applied and a dozen were interviewed since the original announcement of the manager search last year. The borough manager’s salary is listed in this year’s budget at $108,000.

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 said to 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 four month’s prior.

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

Fodi has a masters degree in human resources management/personal administration from Robert Morris University and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Penn State University.

The newly hired manager said he’s confident he’ll be able to do great things with Oakmont officials.

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