Nick McWilliams reporting – Following the historical hiring of Tessa Pahovey as the New Philadelphia Police Chief, commissioners formally recognized the new head of police in the county’s seat.
Pahovey, who was promoted from captain to the top rank after the retirement of Michael Goodwin, arrives after starting in Stark County as a corrections officer, before being hired as a patrol officer in 2012 in New Phila, rising her way through the ranks.
Commissioner Kristin Zemis pointed towards the job performance of Pahovey leading to the promotion, and was proud to learn of the historical merit behind the hire.
“I hate to dwell on the fact that you’re a woman, but you are the first female chief in the history of New Philadelphia. We can’t overlook that. I say that because we dwell on these things, but to me it’s still so surprising. It’s 2023, and here we are, this is the first time.”
The new chief said that while she hopes the hire is lauded more for her background rather than her being a woman, she hopes it still can be an inspiration to young females considering a career in law enforcement.
“I think females are still … I think it’s less than 20 percent of law enforcement. I do, personally, think that there is a bottleneck across the board in hiring females. Because it is the best job in the world. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
Pahovey said that she is still undergoing the transition period and getting acclimated to her new role, but told Zemis and Commissioner Greg Ress that things have gone well thus far.
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