The saying goes “Out with the old, in with the new,” but when it came to finding the next Evesham Township manager, it was out with the old, in with the older.
At the Aug. 5 meeting of the Evesham Township Council, council approved a resolution hiring former township manager Tom Czerniecki as the next township manager effective Sept 1.
Czerniecki, who previously held the position of township manager from mid 2007 through the early months of 2012, will be taking over for current township manager William Cromie, who will be retiring at the end of this year.
Cromie took over as interim and eventually permanent manager for Evesham in early 2012 when Czerniecki became township manager for Eastampton Township, where Czerniecki is a resident and had previously served as township manager from 1999–2004.
Mayor Randy Brown said he believes Czerniecki’s previous work in Evesham is why the township is at its current high level of quality.
“I believe he’s one of the main reasons and main cogs as to which and why we’re so good,” Brown said. “I’m proud to say Tom Czerniecki is a friend of mine, and more importantly he’s going to come back to be township manager, and there aren’t many guys that can replace my man Bill Cromie, and Tom and Bill are both outstanding managers.”
In 2010, during Czerniecki’s previous tenure as Evesham Township manager, he received the Outstanding Manager Award from the New Jersey Municipal Management Association.
Czerniecki said he originally left the position in Evesham based on what he thought was best for his family at the time, but now he believes what is best for them has changed, and when looking for the next phase in his career, it lined up with Evesham needing a new manager.
“I love the town,” Czerniecki said. “I really enjoy working with the professionals and the staff in that township, and the chance to come back was very difficult to turn down.”
Brown said Czerniecki readily accepted the position, and he believes Czerniecki wanted to come back to Evesham because the large size of the town and the opportunities it would afford him.
“What we can provide to him is 33 square miles and a very big canvas to work with here,” Brown said. “In Easthampton, I believe they’re down to what are they, five square miles, and only two miles are actually developable.”
According to Czerniecki, he continued monitoring all that Evesham had been doing since he left, and he was happy to rejoin its workforce.
“They continue be very out on the leading edge of innovation in local government, and I enjoyed being a part of that and it seems to be continuing,” Czerniecki said.
One of the prerequisites for Czerniecki to come back to Evesham is for Czerniecki to move to Evesham within about a year of taking the position, which Brown said he hopes to have happen with all those who hold the position in the future.
“I really want to make it for all future managers, because the salaries at which we pay these guys, now that I’ve done this, and I hope that council is after me, it really should be that way,” Brown said. “It really should.”
Czerniecki said his family is looking forward to the move.
“In terms of our kids’ ages, it’s a good time for that to happen,” Czerniecki said. “The town has great amenities, and I wouldn’t hesitate for one second to relocate there.”
