‘One of the greatest honors.’ Ferguson Township manager to resign after 9 years with township
The resignation of Ferguson Township’s longtime manager was accepted by the board of supervisors during their meeting on Monday.
David Pribulka has worked for the township for nine years and in his resignation letter said it was “one of the greatest honors of my life.” His resignation is effective Feb. 28. In an email to the Centre Daily Times, Pribulka said it is a “career and family move,” as he accepted a new position as township manager of Susquehanna Township in Dauphin County starting March 1.
In his resignation letter, which can be read in the Jan. 3 meeting agenda packet, he said resigning was a difficult decision for him and his family. He told the CDT he’s “excited to take the next step in my career as a municipal manager but will miss Ferguson Township deeply.”
“I am proud to leave this community in a strong, progressive place and in a stable financial position while delivering some of the most outstanding public services of any municipality in the Commonwealth,” he wrote in his resignation letter.
During Monday’s meeting, Pribulka thanked the current and past supervisors, those he worked with on authorities, boards and commissions, the staff and leadership team, and the residents.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation to the current board of supervisors as well as those in the past, some of whom are no longer with us, for allowing me this honor. During my tenure, I’ve seen a lot of people come and go in many capacities with different agendas, different ideologies, different political backgrounds, but everybody without exception has served Ferguson Township because they want to see it thrive. And as a manager, that’s all I could have ever hoped for,” Pribulka said.
The supervisors thanked Pribulka for his service. Supervisor Lisa Strickland said it was difficult, but that they were happy for him.
In his letter, he encouraged the board to “stay the course” and not to let distractions get in their way as they continue on.
“I urge the Board of Supervisors and future elected and appointed officials to stay the course that we have set during my tenure. It can be too easy to become distracted and disenchanted by the vocal opponents of progress who fear the change needed to maintain a prosperous and thriving community,” he wrote.
With his resignation, the supervisors also accepted a contract from govHR, a public management consulting firm that specializes in local government and other public-sector entities, to conduct a search for the next Ferguson Township manager.
The recruitment proposal included in the agenda states it will have six phases over 14 weeks, including the position assessment, position announcement and recruitment brochure, advertising, candidate recruitment and outreach, candidate evaluation and screening, presenting recommended candidates, the interview process and background screening, and the appointment of the candidate. The price proposal listed a total of $22,500 in three payments.
