Nancy Stolarsky set to retire as Solon’s director of human assets

SOLON, Ohio – Nancy Stolarsky had no plans to become the city’s human resources director when former Mayor Susan Drucker asked her to help recruit a new director in 2013.

“It started part-time and helped Mayor Drucker with some (staff) problems,” said Stolarsky. “It has temporarily evolved into more full-time work.

“About half a year later she offered me the job.”

Rather than helping Drucker find a successor to Thomas Cornoff, who retired as the city’s human resources manager in November 2013, Stolarsky replaced Cornoff in that role. She accepted the position in July 2014.

On March 1, Stolarsky will retire as the city’s human resources manager.

“I had previously worked for Progressive Insurance for 25 years, including 21 years in HR,” she said. “I felt like I had a tremendous amount of experience in the human resources department, obviously in the private sector.

“But the city council has nuances, so there was a learning curve for me.”

There was some controversy when Stolarsky – who served as Senior Manager of Human Resources for Progressive Insurance in Mayfield – was hired for the position in Solon since her husband Lon Stolarsky is the city’s prosecutor. He also serves as the city’s assistant legal director.

Ward 2 councilor Robert Pelunis voted against the hiring, citing ethical concerns. Former Mayor Robert Paulson also spoke out against it, saying it was a conflict of interest for Stolarsky to be involved in the personnel process while her husband was a city attorney.

However, the city’s legal director Thomas Lobe said he was confident of hiring Stolarsky as a human resources director. He referred to a 2010 advisory opinion issued by the Ohio Ethics Commission on family members who work for the same agency.

“Hiring Ms. Stolarsky as a human resources director is legal and ethical under Ohio law,” Lobe said at the time.

The city council continued to validate Stolarsky’s appointment.

Stolarsky said there were “no challenges at all” as she and her husband both worked for the city in their respective roles.

“Lon was also a Solon councilor (from 2005 to 2010) and it was extremely helpful for him to share his knowledge of city government procedures with me because I really had to learn all of these,” she said.

“I also had help from the legal director (praise) and mayor (printer) and even from the council. I feel like people were pretty invested. “

“A friend and a partner”

Mayor Ed Kraus, a councilor when Stolarsky was hired in 2014, said he wanted to thank Stolarsky for “everything she has done for the administration and for the city.”

“Nancy has professionalized our human resources,” said Kraus at the council meeting on February 16. “She did things that we had thought about for many years but that we could never achieve.

“We’re not hiring the person anymore. We’re hiring for the job. Our 280 full-time employees have a friend and partner whom they can call regularly to make sure their issues are fixed. “

Kraus noted that he had learned a lot from Stolarsky in his role as mayor over the past three years.

“It has been a tremendous resource for many of us to really get to grips with and better understand HR problems,” he said. “They are difficult, complex and sometimes challenging.

“But that’s why you need a professional. So, Nancy, thank you and thank you for your friendship too. “

Also at the council meeting, Lobe said Stolarsky had modernized the city’s human resources department, making use of her many years of HR experience.

“She worked tirelessly and endlessly to get all the facts before we came up with opinions,” he said. “I found her to be a real gem of a person and a real gem of a human resources manager.

“She will be sorely missed by everyone. I will miss you very much. I look forward to working with Ms. (Yolanda) Guzman, but Nancy, thank you very much for your time here. “

On January 19, the council confirmed Kraus’ appointment of Guzman to succeed Stolarsky as head of human resources for the city, effective March 8.

Guzman, who has 26 years of HR experience, has been the Human Resources Manager in Cuyahoga County since February 2019. Previously, she was a county human resources analyst for seven years and a human resources manager at The Home Depot for nearly six years.

Stolarsky said she reviewed all applications for the position and selected candidates based on their experience to be interviewed in person by Kraus. She said she attended all of the interviews and met Guzman.

“I think her experience in both the private and public sectors should serve her well in this role,” she said of Guzman.

“The timing is right”

64-year-old Stolarsky said she felt “the time is right” for her to retire, both for herself and for the city.

“I like to think that someone else has an opportunity,” she said. “And I’m ready.”

Stolarsky, who has lived in Solon for nearly 27 years, said she enjoyed her work with the city.

“I learned so much about my city and the way city government works,” she said. “I really found it a privilege to work with the elected officials, directors and city officials who work every day to make Solon a better place.

“When you spend so much time with people, friendships develop, and I’ll miss that.”

Stolarsky is from Cleveland and grew up in Garfield Heights. He graduated from Garfield Heights High School. She attended Bowling Green State University before moving to Kent State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Nancy and Lon Stolarsky have been married for 33 years and have three grown children: a son, Zach, a civil engineer in Salt Lake City; and twin daughters Bailey, a financial analyst, and Halle, an occupational therapist, both in Columbus.

In her retirement, Stolarsky said she plans to “be open to as many things as I want to be”.

“I enjoy gardening, exercising and doing things,” she said. “When trips become available again, Lon and I look forward to traveling.”

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