My name is Tafari Dawes and I'm with Gans Gans & Associates. We are a Executive Search Firm and we have been retained by the City of Philadelphia to conduct a national search for the next Commissioner of Records for the records department. In November of 1999, Philadelphia's voters elected Democrat John Street to be their new mayor. One of the chief architects of Philadelphia's remarkable financial turnaround, Mr. Street is the city's second African-American mayor and has proven to be a unifying force among all Philadelphians. He is committed to finding the best of the best and that is why he has hired us to do the national search. I was wondering if you knew of anyone who would be interested in becoming the next Commissioner of Records for the city. This person should have archives,records management, court of deeds experience. The salary range is between $90K and $100K (negotiable) I have attached the PD and also embedded it in the e-mail below.... thanks and please forward GANS, GANS & ASSOCIATES POSITION DESCRIPTION COMMISSIONER, RECORDS DEPARTMENT CITY OF PHILADELPHIA OVERVIEW America's fifth-largest city, Philadelphia has been in the midst of a renaissance in recent years. After nearly a decade of financial troubles, the city's financial health has been restored amid the shaping of a more productive, more effective city government. Philadelphia enjoys numerous advantages as a place to live, work, and raise families, including affordable, attractive housing; a large number of colleges and universities; an ideal east coast location; an invigorating cultural life; world-class recreational facilities; and much more. The city is in the process of transforming itself from a manufacturing center into a major tourist destination, relying on its rich history and major attractions such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell; cultural attractions such as the nation's first zoo and one of the world's greatest orchestras and art museums; thriving restaurant and retail industries; theater; and more. Philadelphia also is enhancing its appeal as a tourist destination: in addition to hosting the 2000 Republican National Convention, the city will be the site of a major new Disney project, a ground-breaking regional performing arts center, an expanded convention center, a new constitution center, new river-front recreational and retail developments, and two new stadiums for its professional sports teams. In November of 1999, Philadelphia's voters elected Democrat John Street to be their new mayor. One of the chief architects of Philadelphia's remarkable financial turnaround, Mr. Street is the city's second African-Americ an mayor and has proven to be a unifying force among all Philadelphians. A veteran of nineteen years on Philadelphia's city council - his final seven years as its president - Mr. Street understands every aspect of Philadelphia's municipal government and is especially well-known for his detailed understanding of the city's budget. As mayor, Mr. Street intends to pay particular attention to community and economic development, the elimination of urban blight, public education and safety, and quality-of-life issues. 'He hopes to extend the city's progress of the past decade into its communities, redefining and rebuilding those neighborhoods as places to live and work. Philadelphia's home rule charter of 1951 creates a strong-mayor form of government headed by a mayor and a five-person cabinet; the city's legislative branch of government consists of a seventeen-member city council comprised of district and at-large members and that includes minority party representatio n. Philadelphia's municipal government is supplemented by numerous authorities , boards, and commissions. In 1999, the city's operating budget was $2.7 billion (not including the public school budget). Philadelphia has approximate ly 23,000 municipal employees (not including school employees), most of whom are covered by civil service. RESPONSIBILITIES Philadelphia's home rule charter charges the city's records department with responsibility for "the creation, maintenance for public use, retention and disposition of City records," defining city records as "all books, papers, maps, photographs, reproductions, or other documentary materials regardless of physical form or characteristics owned by the City and made or received by any officer, department, board or commission or other government al agency of the City in pursuance of any statute or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for preservation as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, duties, procedures, operations, or other activities of the city or because of the informational value of data contained therein." To carry out these duties, the department is responsible for making rules and standards for the creation, filing, care, custody, reproduction, duplicatio n, disposition, and preservation of city records; for collecting, maintaining, and making available for public inspection various city records; for reviewing forms used by city departments and agencies in carrying out their responsibilit ies; and for establishing, operating, and maintaining archives and a central depository for the recording and preservation of city records. Another major facet of the department's responsibilities is its role in recording documents related to the ownership and conveyance of real property with the city; collecting the associated fees and realty transfer taxes required by the city and state; and maintaining the city's real property database and tax maps. Organizationally, the records department consists of four divisions: the records management division, which ensures the continued accessibility of city records, designs, controls, and orders forms, and operates the records center and city archives; the document recording division, which serves as recorder of deeds, provides tax map registry services, serves as a public reference for real estate documents and other public records, and collects transfer taxes and other fees related to the recording of real estate documents and the sale of records to the public; the reprographics division, which provides a variety of printing and photographic services to city government; and the information systems management division, which provides internal computer technology support for the department. The commissioner of records oversees a civil service staff of ninety-eight employees, manages an annual budget of $4.8 million, and is responsible for an operation that generates more than $8 million in revenue a year. QUALIFICATIONS The city of Philadelphia seeks a records management professional who can come into municipal government and complete the upgrading and computerization of the city's records. The current records system needs to be streamlined and automated and the city seeks an individual who can accomplish this and then manage the department in an efficient, effective manner that meets the records-related needs of both city government and the general public. Extensive experience managing voluminous amounts of records using high-quality information technology is required. Also, extensive experience dealing with court of deeds and archives is required. An educational background in information technology or information systems is preferred but not required. COMPENSATION $90K-$100K CONTACT For further information, please contact Tafari Dawes at 813-971-6501, fax resumes to 813-971-6966, or e-mail resumes to TDawes@gansgans.com.
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Records PD.DOC
Description: Records PD.DOC