A Lifetime of Service

Article by Stephanie Weaver, Photo by Lauren Adele Little

Ron Seaman got his first taste of government life before he even graduated high school. As a teenager in the page program for the U.S. House of Representatives, Seaman fondly remembers the hustle and bustle he witnessed inside those storied Washington, D.C. walls.

“The Speaker of the House walked in the first day onto the floor of Congress and grabbed the gavel,” Seaman said. “And I thought, ‘This is what I want to do.’”

Now after more than 43 years serving in various local government roles, Seaman is ready to have a little more time for himself and his many interests. His last day as the Chief Operations Officer for the County of Berks was April 11.

Seaman has a lengthy list of things he’d like to accomplish during his retirement, but also knows he wants to find some type of part-time employment. He’s hoping to finally have the time needed to organize his many books and eclectic collections, spend more time with his grandchildren and fully pursue his dream of becoming a proficient bagpiper with the Hawk Mountain Highlanders.

“I’m not sure if it’s a bittersweet moment or a deer in the headlights moment,” he said. “It’s something that, like any other new venture, is filled with a little bit of concern about the unknown.”

Seaman started his career with the County of Berks as a member of the Board of Assessment Appeals. He then became the first countywide HR director, which transformed into a dual role as the HR director and Chief Clerk. At that time, the Chief Clerk also oversaw elections.

When the County decided to split the responsibilities into two positions, Seaman left to pursue other interests for a few years. But it didn’t take long for him to return to public service in 2003 as South Heidelberg’s township manager.

After 13 years with the township, Seaman heard the County was restructuring its top administrative position in 2016. The more he heard about the position, the more he realized it was very similar to his previous role as the gatekeeper between the County’s departments and the Commissioners.

“Being involved in government work was just in my blood,” he said. “I was lucky that I got to serve in positions that were vastly different and touched a different facet of the whole operation. That let me see things that a normal governmental employee doesn’t get to be involved in. All of that helped me, I hope, in becoming successful in my current role because of my knowledge in all those various areas.”

Now as he looks back on all those years with the County, Seaman is amazed by the providence that has followed him, especially during some of the job’s most stressful situations. While those challenges seemed daunting in the moment, Seaman said there was always a willingness that arose within himself and other individuals to jump in and bring about a positive resolution.

“That’s kind of a Kodak moment that you’ll always remember,” he said. “I have to wonder what guiding light did I have that saw me through and gave me the ability to make the right decision in the right moment.”

Seaman said he’s especially proud of what the County has accomplished in recent years, from navigating through the pandemic in a way that kept operations viable while maintaining a degree of safety and growth of several departments to adjusting to the evolving election process and utilizing technology to modernize operations.

“When I first started with the County, we were not very progressive,” Seaman said. “Through the years, we rose to a level where we are doing some innovative programming and kind of became the role model for other jurisdictions.”

Seaman’s advice to anyone who takes on the mantle is to never become complacent and to always be willing to learn and take the necessary time to educate yourself on new topics. He said the only way to be truly effective in the position is to always stay one step ahead and to lean on common sense.

And whenever he could, Seaman tried to stay out of the spotlight, preferring to work quietly in the background to help make it all happen.

“I hope people always remember me as someone who was approachable, compassionate and wanted to assist them in making their operation and their career here as good as it could be,” he said. “And that I always had their best interest at heart.”