The city has hired a former city resident to head the City Hall Human Resource department.
Steve Hagen, the interim HR department head, confirmed yesterday that Jeffrey R. Krok, currently an attorney in the Springfield Labor Department, has been hired to serve as the city’s assistant Human Resource director.
The city is slowly consolidating the City Hall and School Department HR functions, with an agreement that the school district HR supervisor will head the consolidated department.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said recently if the HR consolidation, which requires the approval of both the School Committee and City Council, does not occur, Krok will be promoted the City Hall HR supervisory position.
“His compensation will be a little bit higher than that of a normal assistant department director,” Knapik said. “He is a top-notch candidate and a practicing labor attorney right now.”
Knapik said that many of the HR personnel issues are currently referred to law firms.
“It will be hugely helpful, and cost-effective, to be able to do much of that in-house,” Knapik said.
Krok, a 2001 graduate of Westfield High School and a 2005 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a degree in political science and economics, served in the HR department of Allied Community Services for two years following his graduation.
Krok enrolled at the Western New England University Law School, graduating of 2010. While a law student he worked for the Springfield Law Department performing labor-related work and for the Springfield law firm of Skoler, Abbott & Presser, a practice specializing exclusively in labor and employment law, representing only the interests of management and employers.
Following his law school graduation and his admittance to the Massachusetts Bar, Krok was retained by the Springfield Labor Department where he has worked as an attorney specializing in labor issue.
Krok, currently a resident of West Springfield, is looking forward to working in his home town.
“I’m hopeful to put roots down here,” he said yetserday. Krok is married to Lauren Krok, an elementary school teacher in Chicopee. The couple has an 18-month old son, Lucas.
“I’m excited about this position and am looking forward to the added responsibility,” Krok said. “I plan to continue to improve working conditions of the city employees and to provide value to the taxpayers of the city.”
Hagen said that Krok “will be a great asset and addition. I’m excited for Westfield, for the (HR) department. Springfield’s loss is our gain.”
Krok is slated to assume his new duties on Tuesday, April 17.
