Raquel Ince, CSC Docket No. 2019-2830

BackgroundRaquel Ince, represented by Maeve E. Cannon, Esq., appeals the determination of the Division of Agency Services (Agency Services), which found that she did not meet the experience requirement for the promotional examination for Assistant Superintendent of Recreation (PM2486W), Ewing Township.

The subject examination announcement was issued with a closing date of October 22, 2018. The examination was open, in part, to applicants who possessed a Bachelor’s degree and three years of supervisory experience in recreation work involving the planning, promoting, organizing, and/or directing of a comprehensive recreation service or program for an entire community. The subject examination was cancelled on April 6, 2019 after the appellant, the only applicant, was deemed ineligible.1

On her application, the appellant indicated, in relevant part, that she possessed a Bachelor’s degree and that she served provisionally as an Assistant Superintendent of Recreation from August 2017 to the closing date; as a Senior Community Service Aide from April 2016 to July 2017; as a Community Service Aide from June 2015 to March 2016; and as a Community Relations Specialist from October 2013 to May 2015. The appellant indicated that her duties in the titles of Senior Community Service Aide, Community Service Aide and Community

1 It is noted that the prior examination announced for a vacancy in the subject title (PM2573VN) in

Ewing Township was cancelled on May 3, 2018 after the appellant, the only applicant, was deemed ineligible. The Commission denied the appellant’s appeal of her ineligibility determination for the PM2357VN examination in In the Matter of Raquel Ince (CSC, decided June 20, 2018).

Relations Specialist included, in part, gathering, creating and implementing community outreach programs, and overseeing recreation programs.

Agency Services credited the appellant with one year and three months of applicable experience based upon her provisional service in the subject title. However, Agency Services noted that any applicable duties that the appellant may have performed while serving in her other titles would be out-of-title work. Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.6(c)1, Agency Services requested that the appointing authority complete a certification verifying the appellant’s out-of-title duties and its interest in making an appointment from the subject eligible list. However, the appointing authority did not return the out-of-title duties certification to Agency Services. Therefore, she was deemed ineligible, as she lacked an additional one year and nine months of the required applicable experience.

Appellant's argumentOn appeal, the appellant states that she has been serving as the Director of the Hollowbrook Community Center (Hollowbrook) since October 2013 and that her duties have included supervising staff and overseeing seasonal camps and the pool facility, creating community programming at Hollowbrook, preparing the community center’s budget, and marketing and programming. The appellant submits, in part, a letter of support from the appointing authority, which states that the appellant was hired to serve and has been serving as the Director of Hollowbrook since October 2013 and that her duties since that time have included the oversight and management of that community center and that she has supervised a mix of full- and part-time staff there.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.6(a) provides that applicants shall meet all requirements specified in the promotional announcement by the closing date. Initially, it is noted that appellant’s service as a provisional Assistant Superintendent of Recreation is applicable experience, and therefore, she possessed one year and three months of applicable experience as of the closing date of the examination. Moreover, the appellant continues to serve provisionally in the title of Assistant Superintendent of Recreation after the closing date of October 22, 2018. Therefore, the appellant’s application should be processed. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to address whether the appellant’s out-of-title duties in her prior titles provided a basis to accept any of that experience as applicable experience for the subject examination.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this appeal be granted and the appellant’s application be processed for future employment opportunities only.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.