Yemma looking at treasurer's job

By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Democratic Party won't meet until late February or early March to replace John Reardon as county treasurer, but there is already a leading candidate.
Struthers Councilman Dan Yemma is the only person so far to contact party officials to express interest in the job.
"I don't know of anyone besides Dan Yemma who has the credentials and the political background to get the appointment," said Kenneth A. Carano, the party's executive vice chairman and a state House member.
Lisa Antonini, the party's chairwoman and Reardon's chief deputy in the treasurer's office, said she "anticipates we'll get a few more" candidates. Reardon announced Monday he was accepting a job in the Gov. Ted Strickland administration.
Reardon, of Boardman, will resign Feb. 9 as county treasurer, a position he's held since 1998, to serve as superintendent of the state's financial institutions, one of nine divisions of the Ohio Department of Commerce.
The position's responsibilities include upholding regulatory standards for 350 financial institutions including state-chartered banks, savings and loans and credit unions, and oversees retail licensing of financial service providers, including consumer finance companies and mortgage brokers.
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The position pays about 99,000 annually and employs 125 people. Reardon, who starts his new job Feb. 12, earns about 66,000 a year as treasurer.
Yemma said he was interested in the county treasurer's position as soon as talk started last month about Reardon's being considered for a state job.
Yemma owns Capital Financial Solutions Inc., a mortgage company in Boardman since 2000. He has a master's degree and a bachelor of science degree in business administration.
Yemma is serving his fourth term as Struthers' 3rd-Ward councilman. He unsuccessfully sought the county Democratic appointment for the then-vacant county auditor's post in September 2005. He finished third among six candidates for that post.
In May 2006, he finished second to then-state Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown in the Democratic primary for the open 60th Ohio House District seat. Antonini and other party leaders supported Yemma in that race.
"Dan ran a strong campaign, and he continues to work for the party, something that a lot of candidates who lose races don't do," Antonini said.
Antonini said she isn't interested in the vacancy or in following Reardon to Columbus. She said no one in the treasurer's office had expressed interest in the job as of Tuesday.
The party has to replace Reardon between five and 45 days after his Feb. 9 resignation, Antonini said. The party is trying to rent a hall for the meeting and expects to bring the precinct committee members together for a vote in late February or early March.
skolnick@vindy.com