Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz has announced the appointment of Benjamin Swanekamp to the position of Chief of Staff.

Swanekamp’s appointment will become effective Aug 8. He will replace Jennifer Hibit, who is leaving the administration at the end of this week after recently being hired as Director of Human Resources for the Erie County Water Authority.

Swanekamp, who is the current Deputy Budget Director in the Erie County Division of Budget and Management, has served in the Poloncarz administration in various other roles over the past 11 years, including Policy Director to the Administration and Special Assistant to the Erie County Commissioner of Health.

“I am pleased to appoint Ben Swanekamp as my next Chief of Staff. Ben has been an asset to this administration since January 2012 and has played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of many of the policies and programs that the residents of Erie County have directly benefited from,” said Poloncarz. “His knowledge and expertise about county government and how my office conducts business on a day-to-day basis will allow for a seamless transition of leadership.”

Swanekamp also served on the National Association of County Officials Broadband Task Force and currently leads Erie County’s ErieNet Open Access Network steering committee. He also helped oversee the creation of the Erie County Opioid Epidemic Task Force and was the project coordinator for the opening of the Erie County Health Mall.

“I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve the people of Erie County in this new role,” said Swanekamp. “Responsible fiscal and community leadership has always been a hallmark of the Poloncarz administration and I aim to continue that mission. Having spent the last 11 years working with and learning from departing Chief of Staff Jennifer Hibit, I’m ready to hit the ground running.”

A resident of Buffalo, Swanekamp is a graduate of Allegheny College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Government.