Gray area: Borough’s new assistant manager on the job

PALMER — Elizabeth Gray said she’s getting her feet under her; however, so far she’s liked what she sees in her new post at the Mat-Su Borough.

“There is a team of professionals here that would be hard to touch anywhere,” Gray said.

Gray came to the Borough two weeks ago to take over the assistant manager spot once held by Marion Romano. Romano left this summer after more than three years on the job, saying her path spiritually seemed to lead somewhere besides the Borough.

Gray’s first day at the Borough was Oct. 22. She hails from Oklahoma where she worked as director of operations for the city of Shawnee.

Gray’s duties in Shawnee included overseeing the parks and cemetery budget, the fleet operations budget and managing the contract with the city’s solid waste contractor.

She also started a government cable-access television station with shows on code enforcement and other functions of local government.

But, compared, to Shawnee – 35,000 people living in 16 square miles – the Borough, with its West Virginia size and its 80,000 people, is a different animal indeed. In more ways than one.

“Right now Shawnee’s weather is probably about 72 degrees, balmy, fall foliage changing,” Gray said Tuesday.

But adjusting to the weather, she said, hasn’t been an issue.

“I’m loving it,” she said.

And, when she came to interviews, the Valley’s other charms impressed her as well; “the people and the beauty here were just phenomenal,” she said.

Her husband, who enjoys fishing and hunting, is very excited at the chance to live in Alaska.

So far, Gray said, she’s spent most of her time learning the ropes. There aren’t any projects in particular she’d like to tackle. Though there’s one heading down the pike – hiring a new human resources head.

The assistant manager oversees two departments directly – Human Resources and Animal Care and Regulation.

On the human resources side, the department has been without a head since Patrick Julian left May 2, 1 having spent seven and a half months on the job after replacing Patricia Von Ah who resigned.

The search for a new human resources manager, Gray said, is nearing its final stages. Applications have been collected.

On the animal care end, a new chief, Bob Haskell, is due in the Borough Nov. 17 from his job as head of public safety in the City of Whittier.

Gray said she’s looking forward to meeting him.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.