Karen Kroon, Seaside Park administrator and former council member. (File Photos)
A Seaside Park councilwoman has traded her elected position for a full-time professional role at borough hall.
Karen Kroon, a Republican councilwoman whose term was to expire Dec. 31, 2024, stepped down from her elected office to take on the job of borough administrator. Kroon started in the new position this week.
Seaside Park has been searching for a full-time administrator for months, with the governing body having met to conduct interviews in closed session meetings on several occasions. The administrator position is full-time and Kroon will earn a salary of $95,000 per year. Mayor John Peterson said the full-time appointment will add stability to town hall.
“Years ago, they’ve gone back-and-forth, but some administrators were part-time administrators, part-time CFOs, sometimes people had both titles,” Peterson said. “What we think will be effective is a shared services agreement with the CFO position with the Borough of Seaside Heights.”
Under the new arrangement, Kroon will serve as the full-time administrator of Seaside Park, while the borough will share a chief financial officer with neighboring Seaside Heights. The CFO will work an alternating schedule of three days in one town and two days in the other, switching each week.
Seaside Park also hired Frank Pannucci, who serves as administrator of Point Pleasant Borough and Bay Head, in a consulting role during the transition.
“He is going to be doing consulting because he’s experienced,” said Peterson. “Former Councilwoman Kroon has a wealth of experience in the private sector, and this is a good bridge to the public employment nuances.”
Kroon’s experience includes various executive positions in the emergency medical transport sector, having been responsible for operations in several states and a multi-million dollar budget. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey.
