County hires chief clerk

Socie

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County commissioners have hired a chief clerk/county administrator to succeed the one they fired in early July.

Sherry Socie of Altoona, a strategic planner and grant writer for the Blair County Planning Commission, was hired Tuesday to fill the county’s top administrative post, effective Sept. 3. Her starting salary will be $74,000 annually.

“With (Socie’s) training, education and background, along with her planning commission work involving the county’s municipalities, we were very pleased when she said yes to the job,” Commissioner Dave Kessling said Tuesday.

Kessling and Commissioner Amy Webster voted to hire Socie during Tuesday’s meeting, where fellow Commissioner Laura Burke was absent. But both commissioners said Burke also favored the hiring.

“(Socie) was our top candidate,” Webster said. “We had tossed around some different names and considered others, but she was the one we wanted.”

While Socie’s resume shows no experience as a chief clerk or county administrator, it shows 24 years of work history with a variety of business administration, accounting, budgeting, fiscal management, sales, bid solicitation and grant-writing tasks.

In addition to an associate degree in business administration from Penn State Altoona, Socie has completed state and federal emergency management and local mitigation training.

Kessling said it was Socie’s resume that prompted him to consider her for the chief clerk/county administrator task. He also said her familiarity with the county’s municipal leaders should be beneficial to her work in the commissioners’ office.

Socie said she’s looking forward to her new job and making more connections with county offices and their employees. Her work with the county planning commission has involved working with some county offices in addition to the county’s 25 municipalities.

“I’m looking forward to the change … and I think I’ll be able to help the commissioners with moving some projects forward,” she said.

Webster said Socie’s grant-writing experience should also be beneficial.

“That was really important to us, because she has been helpful to (the county) with some projects during the last couple of years,” Webster said.

The commissioners’ 2-to-1 decision in early July to fire Chief Clerk/County Administrator Nicole Hemminger left their office without its most experienced employee. Hemminger had worked 7.5 years for the county, initially as an assistant chief clerk, then became clerk/county administrator in January 2020.

Kessling and Webster, who cast the votes to fire Hemminger, spoke of wanting to create a new culture in county government and the desire to take a more active role in the daily decision-making process. Burke cast the “no” vote and spoke of Hemminger’s experience and liability knowledge as protection for the county and its taxpayers. At that time, Hemminger was making $77,423 annually.

Prior to hiring Socie, the commissioners never advertised the chief clerk/county administrator post nor did it include the job description on its website listing of vacant county jobs. It also has not yet posted the assistant chief clerk position that became available almost three weeks later when Alison Senkevich submitted a resignation that was effective July 19.

Kessling said commissioners have had some discussions about restructuring the office personnel, along with changing job duties and descriptions, in addition to cross-training.

Until Socie is hired, Finance Director Lindsay Dempsie is expected to continue as the county’s acting chief clerk.

Kessling said Webster is currently filling in as the county’s Right-to-Know officer. Hemminger had handled that responsibility, with Senkevich’s assistance.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.