Last Wednesday a new decade began and Monday in courtroom one of the Carbon County courthouse in Jim Thorpe, decades of Democratic control of the courthouse ended when five of seven elected row office holders sworn into office were Republicans.

President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II and judges Steven R. Serfass and Joseph J. Matika administered the oath of office to the new officeholders as family and friends of the elected officials looked on.

District Attorney

Michael S. Greek, 55, of Nesquehoning, became the first Republican district attorney in the county in multiple decades, dating back to when the late Richard W. Webb was elected DA in 1976. Webb was succeeded by his first deputy, Gary F. Dobias, who held the position for over 26 years before retiring.

Jean A. Engler, Dobias’ first deputy, was appointed to the position when Dobias retired, becoming the first female DA in the county. She won her own four-year term but was defeated last November by Greek, who was a member of her staff, but who switched parties from Democrat to Republican to run for the office.

Greek is a graduate of Panther Valley High School and King’s College. After serving in the military, Greek attended and graduated from Widener University School of Law.

Clerk of Courts

Tyra Boni of Lehighton was sworn in as clerk of courts. Boni defeated Francine Heaney for the office. Heaney was appointed to the office after longtime clerk of court William C. McGinley retired just four months into a new four-year term. After his retirement, McGinley became the subject of an investigation into missing funds in the office. The investigation led to him pleading guilty to theft charges. Last November he was sentenced to serve one to three years in a state correctional institution on a felony theft count.

After McGinley’s retirement county officials found the office had a black log of cases dating several years. Heaney began cleaning up the office and in her final report late last year as clerk, she said the back log had been reduced to about 12 months.

Boni most recently served as first deputy in the office of Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans Court of Jean Papay.

Coroner

Robert W. Miller Jr. was re-elected to another four-year term as coroner by the voters. A Democrat, he took over the office after Bruce Nalesnik retired. Miller was a deputy for Nalesnik in the office at the time. He is a resident of Lehighton and lifelong resident of the county.

Controller

Mark A. Sverchek of Lehighton took over as controller, succeeding retiring Democrat Robert Crampsie. Crampsie held the office for 28 years. Sverchek defeated Democrat Thomas J. McCall in the general election.

He most recently had a partnership in Spotts-Sverchek Insurance Agency.

Prothonotary

Kayla M. Semmel of Mahoning Township was sworn in as prothonotary. She takes over the office after defeating incumbent Democrat Joann M. Behrens in the general election.

Behrens had served in the office for about 40 years, first as a clerk and eventually winning the office when William J. O’Gurek gave up the office to become a county commissioner.

She was head of the office for 16 years.

Semmel is a lifelong county resident and prior to being elected in her first run at a county office, spent her professional career as a teacher at a private mental health facility in the county.

Record of Deeds

Donna L. Gentile of Jim Thorpe takes over as recorder of deeds succeeding the late Emmet P. McCall of Lansford. McCall was running for re-election seeking a sixth term when he passed away on March 13, 2019.

McCall, a Democrat, remained on the ballot for the May primary because at the time of his death it was too late to make any changes.

He won the nomination, and according to law, the county Democrat committee, then named Bill Richards of Nesquehoning to take the position on the ballot.

Richards lost the race to Gentile.

Gentile previously was employed at the Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank for 20 years and is a native of Weatherly.

Sheriff

Anthony C. Harvilla of Tresckow, Banks Township, won his second term as sheriff. Harvilla was unopposed in the primary for his Democratic nomination and ran unopposed in the general election.

A lifelong resident of the county, Harvilla spent his professional career in law enforcement.

At the time he ran for sheriff four years ago, he had retired as chief U.S. probation officer in the Middle District of Pennsylvania where he oversaw a staff of 57 employees.

Office personnel

Also sworn into office were the various employees of the newly elected office holders.

Remarks

All three county judges offered their congratulations to the officeholders and said they were looking forward to working with them in the next four years.

Nanovic told them, “If you treat people fairly and with respect you will be treated fairly and with respect.”

Matika said he was “honored to be present for the swearing-in of the new officeholders.”

Serfass also said he looked forward with working with newly elected officials and “wished them success.”

Gregory T. Armstrong, district court administrator, opened the ceremonies.

The Rev. Robert Timlin Sr., of Faith Alive United Methodist Church, offered the opening invocation and closing benediction.

Remarks were also made by the three county commissioners, who were elected in November.