Monroeville officials hired an assistant manager who will work alongside municipal manager Alex Graziani.
Council hired Makayla Zonfilli-Lang, who was introduced as its February voting meeting.
Zonfilli-Lang has a master’s degree from Penn State, graduate and paralegal certification from Duquesne University and an undergraduate degree in political science.
She is a former borough manager for North York in eastern Pennsylvania, as well as a former administrative assistant in Lanesborough, Mass.
“We had 55 candidates, a great field to choose from,” Graziani said. “We ran our candidates through two interviews and other assessments, and I think we’ve got the best here.”
Graziani added that the municipality is also seeking to fill a position in its communications department, and it also seeking a parks and recreation director and a construction inspector.
“We want to have a strong capital improvement program and will require someone well-versed in construction inspection,” Graziani said. “If someone has had a career in construction, but their back or knees won’t let them do that work anymore, this could be a great position for them.”
Employment information and applications are available at Monroeville.pa.us.
State of the municipality
Mayor Nick Gresock, who is entering the final year of his second term, gave the annual state-of-the-municipality address at the meeting.
Monroeville had a busy 2024, with Gresock and others scrambling early on to find a way to keep the Monroeville Convention Center from becoming a Hobby Lobby, ultimately offering to purchase the building and lease it to municipal promoters Visit Monroeville.
“This ensures the convention center will remain a vital hub for years to come while contributing significantly to our economy,” Gresock said.
In addition, recent months brought the announcement that the town’s commercial centerpiece, the Monroeville Mall, would be acquired by Walmart, with plans to redevelop the property into a retail-driven mixed-use project.
“This is a historic opportunity and we’re not exactly sure what that looks like yet,” Graziani said. “Our team, including security, police and the communications department, will be meeting with new ownership at the mall a lot over the next year. We’re hoping that it’s a collaborative community development.”
Gresock said he hopes capital improvement will be one of the main things staff focuses on in 2025.
“Our last capital improvement program ran from 2014-2018,” he said. “Staff is currently reviewing the needs of our facilities and amenities. We’re looking at making improvements to our municipal and public works buildings, our library, our senior citizen center, our parks and our courts, which are all aging.”
Early plans for an overhaul at the Monroeville Public Library were put on hold in 2024, as library officials met with Graziani and others to discuss it as part of a larger overall capital improvement plan.
