JFS director looks to fill three positions

The salary range for each JFS deputy director is $68,000 to $75,000.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The new executive director of Mahoning County Job and Family Services is spending the week combing through the r & eacute;sum & eacute;s of 70 people who applied for the department's new deputy director positions.
John Zachariah, who has been JFS executive director for three months, said he is impressed not only with the number of applicants for the three new posts, but with the caliber of the talent pool from which he can draw.
"There are some very exceptionally-qualified people," he said. "It will be difficult to choose the best three."
He said about 90 percent of the applicants are from outside the agency.
The salary range for each deputy director will be $68,000 to $75,000. Zachariah's salary is $79,000.
Having three deputy directors to focus efforts on each specific area will bolster the JFS infrastructure and improve operations, he said. The new administrative focus fits in well with an agency-wide effort to identify ways to improve operations, meet agency goals and state performance standards, he said.
Zachariah came from Franklin County three months ago to become Mahoning County's executive director, His predecessor, Dee Crawford, retired.
Positions
The new deputy directors will oversee human services, finance and child support enforcement, Zachariah explained.
The deputy director of human services will be the chief operations officer of human services.
The deputy director of administrative support will be the agency's chief financial officer.
The deputy director of child support enforcement will have a law enforcement and administrative background, because most of the CSE agency's work involves law enforcement investigative work to track down people who are not paying court-ordered child support, he explained.
Zachariah said child support enforcement is an area he expects will improve greatly. CSE's performance in the past has been less than desirable, he said.
tullis@vindy.com