Greene employee’s job description could change
WAYNESBURG – The formal job description for Christine Gardner, the court assistant for community prevention and education, could be changing soon.
Greene County Commissioner Blair Zimmerman and President Judge Farley Toothman both said it might be time to review the language of Gardner’s job description because it requires her to work for a specific nonprofit group, the Coalition for a Brighter Greene.
Some of the language in the job description requires her to “establish and support a Coalition for a Drug Free Greene County,” “coordinate and chair meetings on community empowerment efforts regarding Brighter Greene Coalition Plan of Action,” and “implement Brighter Greene Coalition’s work plan.”
Zimmerman and Toothman said that when Gardner’s full-time position was created in April, the coalition was not yet a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group.
“We probably need to sit down with the courts and maybe have some discussions about it,” Zimmerman said.
Her position with the court was created following a town hall meeting at the courthouse about how to combat the heroin epidemic. Toothman said the job description was written “to manifest the intent that came out of that meeting,” since hundreds of people showed up.
“If we have to relook at her job description, I’m happy to do that,” Toothman said. “All the resources that can be pointed to drug and alcohol is much needed.”
Overall, her job focuses on community partnerships with the court and probation department to come up with ways to reduce the devastating effects the opiate epidemic has had on the county. She’s worked with several other non-profits in the area, such as the Community Foundation, the Bird Sisters Oxford House and local schools to help with drug prevention and recovery. She also helped organize a re-entry job fair put on by the court for people with drug and criminal backgrounds to network with local companies to try to find employment.
Gardner said she’s supportive of changes to her job description because, while it may have needed help in the beginning, the Coalition for a Brighter Greene stands on its own now.
“This has always been something that’s been morphing,” she said. “You want to be able to step back and watch it grow.”