Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer, A nationwide search to find a replacement for Lawrence Township Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun ended in the township’s back yard with the appointment of Lawrence Township Municipal Court Judge Kevin Nerwinski to the top job., Lawrence Township Council voted unanimously to appoint Nerwinski to the top administrative post Tuesday night. Nerwinski, who will earn $164,000, will take over as municipal manager on May 1. Nerwinski resigned as Municipal Court judge at the meeting., Nerwinski grew up in Lawrence Township and graduated from Notre Dame High School and Rider University. He earned his law degree from Temple University’s law school., Nerwinski practiced law with the Lawrence Township-based law firm of Nerwinski, Dember and Fox. He served as the municipal attorney for Township Council from 2002 to 2011, when he was appointed Municipal Court judge., The Tuesday night meeting also marked Krawczun’s last Township Council meeting as the municipal manager. He is retiring April 30 after 12 years in the job. He succeeded former Municipal Manager William Guhl, who retired in 2005. Krawczun began work in Lawrence Township in 1994 as the chief financial officer., Mayor David Maffei and Township Council praised Krawczun for his service and for his commitment to the township. They presented him with a plaque, a plate and a commemorative Lenox cup with the Lawrence Township municipal seal., Councilman Michael Powers said there are a few votes that he has made that he regretted, but casting the vote to appoint Krawczun as the municipal manager is not one of them. Powers said it was one of the best votes that he ever made, and that Township Council will miss Krawczun., Krawczun thanked Township Council, and also said that he could not have handled the job without help from the township staff. It was a privilege to serve as municipal manager for Lawrence Township, he said., In making a motion to approve the resolution appointing Nerwinski as the municipal manager, Powers said that while Township Council had launched a nationwide search for Krawczun’s successor, it took one telephone interview with Nerwinski for it to become clear that “we did not have to look (any) farther” than Lawrence Township., Nerwinski acknowledged that he has some “big shoes to fill,” and he pledged to work diligently to fill them. He promised to give it his “best effort” to perform as municipal manager., After the meeting, Mayor Maffei said 28 applicants had applied to fill the municipal manager’s position. Township Council winnowed the list down to eight candidates, and then settled on three finalists., While each Township Council member had his or her own reasons for choosing Nerwinski, Mayor Maffei said he said he believed that the person who took the job should have had some experience with Lawrence Township municipal government., The mayor noted that Nerwinski served as the municipal attorney and advised Township Council on legal matters under former Municipal Manager William Guhl and with Krawczun., Mayor Maffei said it was also important to him that the municipal manager should be familiar with Lawrence Township. Nerwinski is well known, well liked and highly respected in Lawrence, he said.
