Northampton County Executive John Brown has begun reaching out to the workforce with brown bag lunches. He conducted a recent Town Hall in Bangor, something he plans to repeat in Bethlehem and Easton. But he has failed to connect with County Council, even though a majority of them are, like he, a Republican.

He was forced to withdraw his first choice for Chief Public Defender. He lost a battle over a $715,000 no-bid business consultant contract. He had to backtrack on a no-bid public relations deal. And now, by a stinging 6-3 vote, his first choice for director of administration has been rejected. County Council made that decision at its April 24 meeting.

Brown's current director of administration, Tom Harp, is a holdover from the John Stoffa administration. Harp submitted his letter of resignation last week, effective May 2. So Brown nominated Catherine E. Allen, the Bangor Borough Council president, with whom Brown worked closely when he was Bangor mayor.

He proposed hiring her at a $88,000 salary, which amounts to a $120,000 compensation package with fringe benefits. He had already hired Allen as a deputy director of administration.

But almost immediately, questions arose concerning Allen's qualifications.

Education

According to the County's Human Resources Office, the director of administration should have the following education and training:

* Education equivalent to completion of a bachelor's degree program with major course work in public or business administration.

* Extensive public administration experience, which has included significant involvement with personnel, labor relations, or other administrative function, including two years in a supervisory position.

* Or any equivalent combination of acceptable training and experience which has provided the knowledges, skills and abilities cited above.

Allen has none of this. She has a high school education with no real involvement with personnel, labor relations or other administrative functions. She has only supervised herself in a two-person office in the private sector because the other worker there was her boss. She has served on a borough council for five years, and one that had a very capable manager.

Knowledge and skills

According to Human Resources, a director of administration should possess the following knowledge and skills:

* Comprehensive knowledge of the public administration principles and practices commonly employed in the planning, direction and control of an organization providing Countywide administrative services.

* Comprehensive knowledge of goals, objectives, methods and techniques applicable to the management of personnel and labor relations programs.

* Comprehensive knowledge of functions, organization and operations commonly found in government at the local level.

* Thorough knowledge of supervisory principles and practices.

*Ability to organize, direct and coordinate the activities of several organizational subdivisions engaged in separate functions.

* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, elected officials, representatives of the Court, other County, State and Federal agencies, and the public.

*Ability to express ideas and communicate County policy on technical and/or administrative subjects, both orally and in writing.

Nothing in Allen's background, which basically consists of working in an insurance office, shows a comprehensive knowledge of public administration, personnel, labor issues or supervisory practices.

Though she appeared at Council's Personnel Committee on April 23, she declined to answer any questions. But she allowed one of the county's vendors make a pitch for her.

Pitch for Allen

Millard "Dee" Freeman is the Administrator at Gracedale, the county nursing home. He's not a county employee, but works for Premiere Health Care, a privatized service. Freeman called Allen one of those "people you go to when you want to get it done now." He praised the "amazing job" she did in addressing the nursing home's scalding water problem.

"From Gracedale's perspective, I have to give her major kudos," he said.

He has known Allen about a month.

Council member Ken Kraft, who chairs the Personnel Committee was unhappy that Freeman injected himself into County personnel decisions.

"It's odd that a vendor gets up and gives a statement for someone," he noted.

Freeman said his bosses would probably be unhappy with him.

"Yeah, I'm not very happy with it either," answered Kraft. "I don't think it's your place to come here and tell us how she works with you."

Qualifications

Pointing out that Director of Administration is the "most important position" in county government, next to the executive, Bob Werner observed that Allen's appointment would be contrary to written policy and criteria established by Human Resources.

Kraft, noting the actual compensation is about $120,000, agreed that she falls short.

"She's been in a two-person office, and the only person she supervises is herself." Kraft when on to say that if Council had a say in deputy director, she'd be unqualified for that, too.

Hayden Phillips compared her supplied resume against the job qualifications.

"I can't get there, it's not even close," he observed.

For Allen

Peg Ferraro stated that she believes in deferring to the executive on cabinet appointments and has only voted once against a nomination in her 19 years as a council member.

Glenn Geissinger said her "life experiences" mean more than a sheet of paper.

Executive Brown piggybacked onto the "life experience" argument.

"I have worked with Cathy for four years. I have come to depend on her heavily." He said her appointment is "in the highest and best interests of the county." He asked council to give her an opportunity.

The Personnel Committee was divided 2-2, and the matter went to the full council for a vote April 24.

Allen was present, but again declined to address council. Her nomination was defeated 6-3, with only Peg Ferraro, Glenn Geissinger and Seth Vaughn in support.