Swarthmore’s borough manager has been terminated after just six months on the job
Swarthmore's borough council has already begun the search for a permanent borough manager and hopes one will be in place as early as June 1.
Swarthmore borough manager Sean Halbom has been terminated from the office after just six months, the latest in a string of short employment stints he’s held in recent years.
The borough council voted unanimously on the termination Monday, though Council President Jill Bennett Gaieski declined to give a reason for the decision in a phone call with The Inquirer.
Halbom did not respond to phone or email messages left on Thursday.
Halbom was placed on an administrative leave of absence on Feb. 17, first reported by The Swarthmorean.
He began in the borough manager role in September, after holding several roles in Montgomery County, including most recently in Upper Frederick Township, where he was township manager for less than a year, according to his LinkedIn profile. Halbom resigned from his position in Upper Frederick in June 2025.
Prior to the job in Upper Frederick, Halbom was an interim human resources director in Bucks County for two months and township manager for Worcester Township for a year and a half. Halbom’s employment in Worcester Township was terminated by its board of supervisors in April 2024.
He was also the director of veterans affairs for Montgomery County for six years, from 2012 to 2018, his LinkedIn profile shows.
Halbom succeeded William Webb, who left the Swarthmore manager role in September to become an assistant county administrator in Isle of Wight County, Va.
Halbom’s leave came around the same time as another personnel shakeup in the small borough. On Feb. 18, Scott Schumacher vacated his position as a longtime Swarthmore Public Library employee and children’s librarian.
Swarthmore Public Library Board President Elizabeth Brown said Schumacher’s departure was unrelated to Halbom’s termination.
Swarthmore council on Monday also named David Unkovic as interim borough manager. He “came highly recommended” by Upper Providence Township, where he previously served as interim township manager, Gaieski said.
Prior to retiring as a practicing lawyer, Unkovic spent a decade at McNees Wallace & Nurick, a Harrisburg-based law firm with multiple offices, including in Radnor. He also briefly served as the state receiver for the City of Harrisburg in 2012.
Swarthmore council has already begun the search for a permanent borough manager, Gaieski said, and hopes one will be in place as early as June 1.
The search will take “until we find the right person,” Gaieski added. “We have a really good interim in place. We will do what we need to do to find the right person.”
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