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Greene Legislature hires County Administrator, from Michigan

Nov 18, 2010 6:44 pm
The ever-busy Ariel Zangla-Girard of the Kingston Daily Freemanreported from Wednesday's county legislature meeting in Catskill that Greene County has finally hired a new administrator who  says he will be involved in the community and economic development, with a focus on bringing jobs to the county.

The Greene County Legislature on Wednesday unanimously approved hiring of Shaun S. Groden, 53, as the new administrator, succeeding Dan Frank, who has served as interim administrator since January 2008, when Douglas Brewer retired. Groden’s three-year term as administrator begins Jan. 17, 2011, and he will be paid $132,000 per year.

Groden currently is the county administrator and controller of St. Clair County, Mich. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from SUNY Brockport and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Prior to becoming county administrator in St. Clair County, Groden was the owner of HSHI Inc, a privately held hospitality corporation in Rochester. His resume also lists work in economic development.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Groden said he and his wife, Catherine, had a list of attributes they were searching for when they decided to move. He said Greene County had a “quality of place” and was an area that afforded his wife, an accountant and controller, the opportunity to find independent employment.

“We absolutely love the area,” Groden said of Greene County.

Groden said he and his wife, who have three adult children, are looking for a home in the county and that they hope to move as soon as possible.

County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh, R-Coxsackie, said Groden was the unanimous choice of the 13 legislators who sat in on the final round of in-person interviews with the final three candidates for the administrator’s job.

“We’re excited,” Speenburgh said. “We’re optimistic he’s going to be a very good fit for Greene County.”