July 14 deadline for Westmoreland Democrats to apply for commissioner vacancy
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Qualified Westmoreland County Democrats who are interested in filling a pending vacancy on the county’s board of commissioners have until 4 p.m. on July 14 to submit an application.
Westmoreland County’s 11 Common Pleas judges are scheduled to meet on July 17 in Courtroom 3 to hear oral presentations from selected applicants seeking to fill the seat that will be left open by the departure of Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher.
Thrasher, 37, has tendered her resignation and will leave office July 31 to begin her new appointed role as a commissioner on the Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
To qualify, applicants for the county appointment must be U.S. citizens and must have been registered in the county as a member of the Democratic Party on Nov. 5, 2019, President Judge Christopher A. Feliciani said. That’s the date when Thrasher, the lone Democrat on the county board, was last elected commissioner.
Applicants may deliver or mail a resume and letter of interest to the Office of the Court Administrator, Mezzanine 3, 2 North Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601. Applications also may be emailed to Courts@co.westmoreland.pa.us.
Letters of support or endorsement may be submitted with the application.
After reviewing the applications, the judges will decide whether to hear from some or all applicants. The court administrator will contact those selected for an oral presentation.
Questions about the application and appointment process should be directed to the court administrator at Courts@co.westmoreland.pa.us or by phoning 724-830-3037 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The appointment will expire on the first Monday of January 2024, when the three commissioners elected on Nov. 7 will take office.
Democrats in the spring primary nominated former Commissioner Ted Kopas and Scottdale resident Sydney Hovis to run for seats on the board of commissioners against incumbent Republicans Sean Kertes and Doug Chew.
Both Kopas and Hovis have said they will seek the appointment to serve out the remainder of Thrasher’s term. Thrasher has endorsed her chief of staff, Donald O’Brien, for the appointment.