In a move intended to strengthen the administrative leadership of Chester County Government, Chester County Commissioners Josh Maxwell, Marian Moskowitz, and Eric Roe have announced the restructuring of the county government's top administrative positions. The commissioners named David Byerman as chief executive officer (CEO) and Erik Walschburger as chief operating officer (COO). Together, they will replace the previous county administrator position. Walschburger will oversee day-to-day operations, and Byerman will attend to the county's strategic vision and overall leadership.

Byerman is a nationally recognized leader in government administration with a distinguished career managing complex organizations, fostering innovation, and advancing public services. He most recently served as a management consultant, a role that included leading a $1.8 million cooperative agreement between the Council on Licensure, Enforcement, and Regulation - a multinational association of state and local regulators - and the federal government.

Previously, Byerman was director of the Legislative Research Commission, serving as chief executive of the Kentucky General Assembly's large and centralized staff, with nearly 600 employees and a $70.4 million annual budget. From 2010 to 2015, Byerman was elected to two terms as secretary of the Senate for the Nevada Senate, where he oversaw a $21.5 million budget and a staff of 90. In both roles, he received national recognition for his efforts to make government more efficient, more accessible, and more engaging with constituents. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and history from the University of Redlands, and he earned a master's degree in government administration and was a Fels Scholar at the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.

Byerman, who previously lived in Chester County in the 1990s, planned to relocate back to the county from his home in Kentucky. He was scheduled to start as CEO on Dec. 9.

Walschburger's promotion to COO follows seven months as acting county administrator, preceded by two years as deputy county administrator. In these roles, Walschburger provided administrative coordination, leadership, counsel, and management support to the county commissioners, the county administrator, and department leaders. He currently serves as a board member of the Chester Water Authority, and he is a graduate of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) Excellence in County Government program.

Prior to his move to county administration, Walschburger served in the Chester County District Attorney's Office, most recently as chief deputy district attorney, where he prosecuted criminal defendants, approved appropriate cases for diversionary programs, wrote grants, and defended convictions on appeal. He was named Chester County Prosecutor of the Year in 2018.