Emporium Borough manager search underway
By Alex Davis News Assistant

Emporium Borough Council members moved swiftly to fill the borough manager vacancy on an interim basis.

After going behind closed doors at its Monday meeting, Council without comment appointed one of its own, Don "Stretch" Reed, as interim borough manager, succeeding Rob Aversa.

To accept the job, Reed resigned his seat on the council, which he has held for nine years.

"We're going to make sure business runs as normal," Reed told Endeavor News. "Our main objective is to make it a smooth transition."

In addition to serving on Council, Reed has been involved with the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce and the Cameron County Industrial Development Authority. He is secretary/treasurer of Quality Compacted Metals in Emporium.

It's uncertain how long Reed will serve as interim manager. He is also seeking a seat on the Cameron County Board of Commissioners.

Council will advertise for a successor and, presumably, interview finalists before choosing a full-time successor.

Council voted 6-1 on April 30 to remove Aversa. Although no public explanation was offered, at least some members were disturbed about steps Aversa had taken to bring to Emporium an advanced life support (ALS) service from Ridgway.

The action met with opposition from Cameron County Ambulance Service Inc. and the Emporium Volunteer Fire Department. The ambulance service has stepped up its own plan to operate an ALS service locally and anticipates having a mobile intensive care unit in place by July.

Meanwhile, Aversa said he plans to remain active in the community.

"Thank you to the Emporium business owners, friends, and everyone else for the support they continue to provide to me during this perplexing time," the former manager said.