Marla Marcinko possesses what may be the ultimate combination of qualifications needed to succeed as a municipal manager: a keen understanding of the law, an affinity for new challenges and a degree in psychology.

Marcinko, manager of Zelienople for more than 10 years, has resigned effective Aug. 10 to become manager of Penn Hills, a city suburb with a population, budget, and political climate that share little in common with Zelienople's.

Penn Hills has a budget of $33 million; Zelienople, $8 million. Penn Hills has 46,000 people; Zelienople, 4,000.

And Penn Hills has churned through three municipal managers in less than two years; Zelienople's administration has been stable.

Marcinko, 43, is not intimidated by the differences.

"I really think it's a great opportunity for professional growth and development," she said, though this is not the profession Marcinko had in mind when she studied psychology at Northern Arizona University.

"I thought I was going to eventually go to law school," she said.

But shortly after she earned her master's degree in public administration from the University of San Diego, her sister, who lived in Sewickley, called her and told her a municipal manager's position was available in West Deer.

At 26, Marcinko became the youngest municipal manager in Allegheny County. When the Zelienople position opened, Marcinko, charmed by the community applied and won the job.

"It's a lovely, quaint town. I had no idea the complexity of the community on first glance," she said.

In Zelienople, the manager is the head of just about every department.

"We don't have a [human resources] person here. We don't have an [information technology] person here. We don't have a public safety director here," she said.

Because the borough's main source of drinking water became polluted with industrial contaminants, she had to learn her way around federal pollution regulations, the dangers of nitrates and how to fight big business.

Because the borough supplies its own electricity, she had to learn to manage a utility and deal with endless regulations.

"There are so many issues surrounding the operation of utilities," Marcinko said.

What she hasn't had to deal with is political turmoil. There may have been personality clashes over the years, but the council has not seen the factional in-fighting typical in many communities, Marcinko said.

"The political climate has been a joy," she said.

In Penn Hills, council members voted 4-1 to hire her, but a Republican Party official questioned her qualifications in one newspaper report. Marcinko said she believes that by remaining apolitical and staying committed to community goals, she will gain support.

"I think when people get to know me and see the job I will be able to do, hopefully all that negativity will go away," she said.

Over the years, Marcinko has earned the respect of neighboring officials for her ability to cooperatively seek solutions to regional problems.

"Harmony Borough will miss Marla's departure from Zelienople," said Harmony Council President Jeff Smith. "Harmony and Zelienople boroughs have developed a very close working relationship in recent years and Marla was a big part of that. She was a true professional and a strong proponent of inter-municipal cooperation."

Farther south, in Cranberry, Manager Jerry Andree said Marcinko's professionalism and her ability to stay focused on solving problems was instrumental in helping an inter-municipal cooperative known as the Council of Governments of Beaver and Butler Counties when it faced some administrative difficulties.

"Marla can always be counted on for a steady and well-thought-out approach to any challenge presented to her," Andree said. "I am confident she will be an asset to Penn Hills."