The South Fayette Township Board of Commissioners on April 11 appointed Dr. La Verne P. Diggs as Interim Township Manager of South Fayette Township, effective April 27.
Dr. Diggs has served as the township’s part-time Human Resources Director and Special Projects Director since 2014. She had retired in 2010 from a full-time career as a government executive.
She will serve full-time in the role of Interim Township Manager until a permanent replacement is found for Ryan Eggleston, who is departing for the position of City Manager in Morehead City, North Carolina, after six years with South Fayette.
“Dr. Diggs has been an outstanding resource for South Fayette Township, and we are confident that she is well qualified to steady the ship during the transition,” said Ray Pitetti, president of the township commissioners. “We appreciate her professional assistance as the township conducts a search for the next manager.”
A South Fayette Township resident who had attended Sturgeon School and South Fayette High School, Dr. Diggs holds a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University in California, a master’s degree in Human Resources and Organization and a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration.
In 2010, she retired from a position as Executive Director of Human Resources in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has served as Assistant City Manager in Norfolk, Virginia, and in other executive leadership positions in Arizona and California related to human resources, employee relations and operations. She also has held various university-level teaching positions.
At South Fayette Township, she has implemented plans and policies related to areas such as employment and hiring, emergency management and labor relations.
“I appreciate the opportunity to assist the community during this important transition and look forward to the next manager building upon the progress that the township has made,” Dr. Diggs said.
South Fayette Township has hired a professional consulting firm, GovHR USA, to recruit a replacement for the Township Manager. The search process is expected to take several months.