Centre Region Council of Government’s new executive director set to take over in August

The Centre Region Council of Governments has hired a new executive director, and he’s looking to hit the ground running.

Benjamin Estell will replace executive director Eric Norenberg, who announced his retirement in January. Estell will bring nearly 20 years of municipal management experience to the COG staff. COG’s governing body, the General Forum, voted to hire him during a meeting on Monday.

Estell graduated from Ohio State University and received a master’s degree in business administration from North Carolina University. From there, he went on to work for the city of East Liverpool in Ohio as the city’s Service Safety Director and Assistant to the Service-Safety Director, according to a press release from the COG.

From East Liverpool, he accepted a position as the manager/secretary for the Borough of Dormont, where he spent nine years of his career before accepting the position with the COG.

In addition to his municipal work experience, Estell is also an active member of the International City/County Management Association and the Association of Pennsylvania Municipal Managers, a multiyear internship host and presenter for the Local Government Academy’s Newly Elected Official Courses and Educational Series and a multiyear member of the Western Association of Pennsylvania Municipal Managers.

During his time at Dormont, Estell led the borough through a complete zoning re-write, established a regional glass recycling program, helped craft a Family Leave Policy, created a publicly accessible budget process and oversaw multiple conservatorship projects that focused on turning blighted and abandoned properties into quality, livable homes, the release states.

“After nine wonderful years in the Borough of Dormont, I am thrilled to continue my professional journey with the Centre Region Council of Governments,” Estell wrote in the press release. “Partnerships have been a cornerstone of my career, and the COG has been a national leader in cooperative governance. I look forward to becoming a part of the Centre Region team and finding new ways to provide superior service throughout our communities.”

The decision to hire Estell was a long one — in January, the council received 23 applications for the executive position from 10 different states. After virtually screening 14 candidates in April, Estell was the last candidate remaining and was invited to an in-person interview, meet-and-greet and presentation exercise in May, where he then accepted the position.

Ferguson Township Manager and COG Search Committee Chair Centrice Martin wrote in the press release that she’s eager for Estell to start, and has high hopes for what the COG can achieve with him at the helm.

“(Estell’s) commitment to professional leadership with a demonstrated approach to relationship and consensus building will support sustainable partnerships and decision-making,” Martin said. “On behalf of the search committee and municipal managers, we extend a warm welcome to Ben Estell and are excited about the prospect of working alongside him in his soon-to-be new role.”

Estell will start his duties as executive director on Aug. 26.