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WILKES-BARRE — A former insurance executive will replace departing city Administrator Ted Wampole.
Mayor Tony George on Monday said he appointed Rick Gazenski to the job that pays $75,000 a year. Gazenski served on the mayor’s transition team in 2016.
A message left with George was not returned.
In a press release the mayor said he chose Gazenski, vice president of J.W. Hoban & Associates from 1994 to 2015, because of his successful business background “from which he has honed his negotiation, employee management, business growth and fiscal responsibility skills.”
The mayor said Gazenski and his business partner Robert Hoban built a 100-year-old business into a multi-million insurance company. “While many businesses chose to leave the city, we stayed. This decision demonstrated that success that can be achieved through dedication and commitment to our neighbors and our city,” Gazenski said in the release.
Gazenski retired in 2015, but kept his license as a producer and consultant. He serves on the city’s insurance committee that reviews proposals to ensure proper coverage. He also sits on the city’s planning commission and as a board member of the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority. He will leave those positions in order to work full-time as city administrator.
For the next two weeks Gazenski will train with Wampole whose last day is Dec. 7. Wampole, a former insurance agent who joined the George administration in 2016, is leaving to become the new executive director of the Luzerne County Convention and Tourism Bureau starting on Dec. 10.
Gazenski has been active in his profession and community and held a number of positions:
• Previous state-certified Instructor for Insurance Licensing & Continuing Education.
• Past president of NEEA Erie Insurance Association.
• Past president of South Wilkes-Barre Rotary.
• Past member of the Wilkes-Barre Redistricting Committee.
• Chairman of the 6th District Democratic Committee
• Organizer and member of the District A Fund, a volunteer organization created to improve municipal and community facilities and the safety and security of residents.