It was a tough decision, but Carbon County has hired its new Emergency Management Agency coordinator.

On Thursday, the county commissioners officially hired Zachary G. Gilbert of Lansford as the EMA coordinator trainee, effective Sept. 24. He will replace longtime EMA coordinator Mark Nalesnik, who is retiring on Oct. 2.

The board said that there were 17 applicants for the position and seven were interviewed.

“All seven were very qualified,” Commissioners’ Chairman Michael Sofranko said.

Commissioner Wayne Nothstein added that when it came down to the final three, it could have gone any way, however, Gilbert came highly recommended from several individuals as well as Nalesnik, which helped put him above the rest.

“He has some great references and when we sat down and made those calls, they spoke very highly of him,” Sofranko said. “When you get that kind of backing from the people there, that speaks a lot.”

Nothstein said he wished the county could hire two people for the EMA, and said maybe it was time to start looking at a deputy coordinator so the department doesn’t rest solely on Gilbert’s shoulders.

The 27-year-old Gilbert is known to the county, serving as a EMA volunteer deputy in 2020 and having a long history in the American Hose Company No. 1 in Lansford, moving through the volunteer ranks from junior firefighter up to assistant fire chief.

He is a 2016 graduate of Panther Valley High School and served as a police officer in Ocean City, Maryland, for a season in 2019.

The commissioners all agreed that they feel Gilbert will excel in the position, noting that Nalesnik will provide guidance as he gets up to speed on the operations and works toward obtaining all of the necessary certifications for the job.

“This is the second major hire here in the last two months were we’ve turned to our youth to look for the next generation,” Sofranko said. “Zach brings that to the table. He brings a youthful look. He brings that eagerness that I think we definitely need in the county.”

A county salary board meeting was held this morning to set Gilbert’s salary at $24.50 per hour.