Luzerne County hires new deputy warden

John Robshaw has been promoted to Luzerne County deputy warden at $34.62 per hour, according to the county’s new monthly personnel report.

Robshaw was hired as a prison lieutenant in June 2018 and advanced to a prison captain at the end of 2019, according to the human resources department.

He also previously held county government positions as an Emergency Management Agency planner, 911 executive director, security director and appointed sheriff, prior published reports show.

Previous deputy warden Sam Hyder resigned in November 2021 after nearly five years as second-in-command.

Workers hired

Six employees were hired in county government in February, the report said.

The workers, along with their positions and hourly compensation: Bernadette Ferran, court reporter, $25.99; Michael Howe, court information technology specialist, $22.42; Geoffrey Naugle, Children and Youth social service aide, $14.34; Nina Ruggiero, sheriff deputy, $15.69; Peter Charles Triolo, IT help desk technician, $20; and Bunyamin Fuat Yildiz, Children and Youth clerk typist, $13.32.

Transfers

In addition to Robshaw, 12 workers transferred to new positions through the internal merit process, the report says.

The impacted employees, along with their hourly compensation, according to the report: Genesis Arias, deputy sheriff sergeant, $17.27; Emily Cook, elections operations specialist, $20.51; Mandy Leandri, district attorney clerk 5, $24.66; Nathan Litsch, Aging Agency care manager, $19.76; Andrew Mesaris, IT network systems administrator, $25.64; Bobbi Ann Mertis, court administration clerk, $17.58; Sherry Middleton, district attorney fiscal clerk, $20.06; Dina Shaw, sheriff administrative assistant, $17.49; David Skoronski, interim IT director, $44.10; Sarah Walker, public defender investigator, $16.52; Thomas Wall, prison captain, $31.73; and Mary Loretta Yurgaitis, district attorney clerk 3, $18.07.

Departures

Jean Spindler, an Aging Agency senior center operator, retired in February.

Another 13 workers resigned last month: Children and Youth caseworker 2s Samantha Bilardi and Andy Chelcher; prison bookkeeper Cathy Davies; assistant conflict counsel Mary Deady; IT network administrator Robert Dunn; prison corrections officers John Gablick and Matthew Shutt; deputy sheriffs Eric Gale and Bradley Potoeskie; deputy election director Eryn Harvey; court IT specialist Joshua Oliveri; assistant district attorney Jillian Sosnoski; and Mental Health/Development Services program specialist Judy Welch.

Terminations

Seven terminations were listed in the report: deputy sheriffs David Arce and Darren Jones; 911 telecommunicators Angeline Falcon, Michele-Lee Parris-King and Tyisha Wilson; controller senior auditor Wendy Saxe; and Mental Health/Developmental Services caseworker 2 Raymond Keiper.

Council meetings

Council will hold a special meeting at noon Monday to vote on a $585,000 transfer to fund a legal settlement it approved last year related to a West Pittston property. Council must make a decision before Tuesday to avoid the plaintiff’s expected filing of a motion to enforce the settlement agreement.

The meeting is at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for remote attendance posted under council’s public meetings online link at luzernecounty.org.

Council will publicly interview the three top county manager finalists starting at 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the courthouse, with instructions for remote attendance posted under the same link.

Finalist Randy Robertson will be interviewed Monday night, followed by Romilda Crocamo on Tuesday and David W. Johnston on Wednesday.

Council will hold an executive session March 21 to discuss the interviews and is slated to vote on the hiring at its next regular meeting the following evening.