New Trafford manager focuses on tackling blight
Trafford’s new manager, who has been on the job since late April, says she wants to focus on code enforcement and blight in the borough.
Jaime Peticca, 43, of Greensburg, took over for Ashley Stack, who left the post in early April to take a job as assistant manager at North Strabane Township in Washington County. Stack had worked as Trafford’s manager for about four years.
“I saw a great opportunity. Trafford is a great little town,” Peticca said of seeking the position.
“She checked off all of the boxes that we were looking for,” said Kris Cardiff, council president, noting Peticca has the professional experience and education.
Peticca came into the position with government experience as the borough secretary and zoning officer in South Greensburg for 3½ years before serving in Trafford. The borough secretary is the top administrator for South Greensburg.
She also has experience in management of a nonprofit, serving as a recruitment specialist and membership manager for the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania.
Peticca has a bachelor’s degree in political management and economy from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and a master’s degree with a focus on management from Seton Hill University in Greensburg.
To increase interest in the borough manager’s position from a wider range of candidates, Trafford council decided to raise the annual salary for the borough manager from the $31,000 that had been allocated for the position in the 2022 budget, to $65,000. The salary is split between the general fund and the sewage fund, Cardiff said.
“We wanted to make it more attractive, so we decided to go higher up in salary,” Cardiff said.
The borough wants to improve the community by working on the problem of blighted properties, Cardiff said.
“We want to attack it from all angles,” Peticca said of using code enforcement to deal with the blighted properties.
To put more focus on addressing blight in the borough, Trafford hired Andrea McCord as a full-time code enforcement officer. McCord had experience working in code enforcement in Penn Hills, Cardiff said.
“We’re looking to take it to the next level,” Peticca said.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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