By Rajan Saha, Staff Reporter
Beginning their roles on Dec. 9, David Byerman and Erik Walschburger work as the CEO and COO of the Chester County government. The appointments follow Chester County commissioners Josh Maxwell, Marian Moskowitz and Eric Roe announcing the reorganization of top administrative positions into CEO and COO on Nov. 26, 2024.
The previous county administrator role involved handling all internal and external operations, with assistance from the deputy when needed. After the former administrator resigned, the commissioners saw an opportunity to separate the role into two, aiming to address the needs of Chester County residents.
“We are slated to be the fastest-growing county in the state,” Moskowitz said. “We’re slated to grow by more than 100,000 people in the next 10 years, so we wanted to have a structure that would separate those duties.”
Byerman and Walschburger collaborate to manage Chester County’s future growth and address ongoing issues. Byerman supervises Walschburger and focuses on external operations, working with several municipalities and organizations around the county. In contrast, Walschburger focuses on internal operations, overseeing and handling department issues.
“One (Walschburger) would be collaborating between different departments, handling budget issues, and (Byerman) would be meeting with providers to expand hospital access or dealing with developers on adding more affordable housing projects in Chester County,” Maxwell said. “Instead of one person working under another, which is still the case, just not explicitly, we have two people doing different things, one inward and one outward.”
The commissioners chose Byerman and Walschburger after conducting a five-month national search and screening applications through online and in-person interviews. Byerman worked in the public and private sectors, including as secretary of the Nevada Senate and director of communications for a Fortune 300 company. Walschburger has worked with the county for more than 15 years, serving as deputy for two years and county administrator for seven months.
“He (Byerman) has done a lot with business, and it’s important we are a very business-friendly community here: We need people that understand that side of the world. And Erik was our deputy county administrator, and we were so impressed with Erik, so we wanted to move him up,” Moskowitz said.
In the long term, the commissioners hope the new leadership system will enhance accessibility and connectivity between the Chester County government and its residents by establishing a stronger presence in the community and fostering better policies to address major county issues.
“In terms of these new roles and structure, it is beneficial for Chester County, for the government employees, for the residents,” Walschburger said. “I look forward to seeing all the positive things we can do in 2025 and beyond.”
Rajan Saha can be reached at [email protected].
