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Can you help? City of Philly Opportunity (Records)



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.

Attachment: Records PD.DOC
Description: Records PD.DOC