The Recreation Centers of Sun City West welcomes Stephen Erno as its new General Manager, effective Sept. 3.
The Rec Centers Governing Board hired Erno after conducting a nation-wide search. Erno comes to the Association from Wickenburg, where he was the Town Manager. There, he was responsible for managing a $76 million budget covering a wide variety of public services including police, fire, development services, finance, parks and recreation, library, and additional municipal services. He guided the Town Council through work sessions to develop and adopt a multi-year strategic plan, something that is high on the list for the RCSCW Governing Board in the next year.
From 2016 to 2022, Erno was the Neighborhood Services Manager for the city of Chandler. In that role, he oversaw a multi-level staff of 17 employees and was responsible for developing and administering the division’s $1.9 million budget. He formulated long-range plans, master plans, and other strategic documents used in the city’s decision making.
While at Chandler, Erno took on additional interim roles, including Acting Director of the Neighborhood Resources Department and the Community Services Department.
From 2011 to 2016, he was Code Compliance Manager for the city of Avondale.
Erno has a Master of Public Administration Degree from the University of Arizona, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration from Ottawa University. He is a member of the International City/County Management Association; the Arizona City/County Management Association, Arizona Parks and Recreation Association; and the International Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, among other organizations.
Interim General Manager Ken Olson, who was hired in April to fill the position temporarily during the search for a permanent general manager, will serve through Aug. 16.
Great news👏👏👏
Welcome to Sun City West
Exciting news !
Good luck, perhaps you will stay a while
With his work background he appears to have some experience. However, his work history is questionable. 2 years Wickenburg, 6 years chandler and 5 years in Avondale seems like he makes moves allot or had problems like the last guy. We all know how that worked out.
Agree. Moved to many times. What reasons did he give for bouncing around.
Capable management with positive direction and control is paramount to any organization.
And thank you, Ken Olson, for ably filling in.
Great! Seems to have all the right credentials!
He should be able to hit the ground running!
Is he going to become a SCW Resident?
So apparently he was Town Manager for less than 2 years, which this announcement doesn’t clarify. I’m wondering WHY was he looking to make a job change so soon especially since it was a giant step up from his previous job.
We know where this is going, don’t we?
Welcome and know you have the support of the staff and residents to continue making SCW a “premier retirement community”, You may want to consider taking the Torch class in October. It is a great way to learn about SCW and the workings of the Rec Center.
Good for SCW! Will he live in the community???
Congrats Sun Cuty West!!! You have landed a STELLER, hard working guy. He will answer to any call you set before him.
Another “nationwide search,” undoubtedly costly, too–only to come up with another local player, with more or less similar credentials as the last one had, and a similar pattern of job hopping. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Is it asking too much to have a genuine business person as our CEO, someone who understands a balance sheet and income statement, with a documented, provable, history of reducing costs in an organization, instead of someone who only knows how to increase revenue by increasing property taxes?
I agree. We need to be vigilant and make sure he doesn’t expand our budget and the people that report to him. Government people manage with no regard to efficiency and bottom line results. We need to inspect what we expect.
I don’t think there is any interest in saving money. Their answer to financial issues seems to be to increase the members dues.
I watch the governing board meetings and some committee meetings and I do not think the General Manager prepares the budget nor is in charge of deciding where funds are spent. Please tell me if I am correct!
Wonderful news in that the members did not have to pay for an International Search
That’s likely not true, Hugh. I know for a fact SCW contracted with the same headhunter we contracted with the last time, and it’s highly likely we had to pay them something even if we found the candidate on our own. I do not know how this candidate’s name was arrived at.
My sarcastic remark was intentional, as I said International Search.
Great news. Hopefully the ‘drama’ will wind down now. Thank you to Ken Olson for his service. Looking forward to seeing the development of the strategic plan to guide the board on future expenditures.