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Parks board selects official
New MetroParks Commissioner
Judge Mark Belinky, of Mahoning County Probate Court, appointed Valencia Marrow, of Youngstown, to a three-year term on the Mill Creek MetroParks board of park commissioners. Marrow, who is the clerk of Youngstown city council, will replace Virginia Dailey, who served 13 years on the board and didn’t seek reappointment. Marrow’s resume includes:
Youngstown State University: Graduated in 1992 with a bachelors of science in business administration.
Delphi Packard: Worked at Delphi from 1992 to 1997.
Ladders to Success: Worked as an employment specialist with the Columbus-based program from 1997 to 1999.
Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital: Worked from 1999 to 2003 in the same capacity as her previous employment.
Youngstown State University: Worked as a workforce development advisor through a one-year grant, from 2004 to 2005.
Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority: Worked as program director from 2005 to 2008.
Youngstown City: Has worked as the clerk of Youngstown city council since 2008.
Source: Valencia Marrow.
Valencia Marrow is new commissioner
By Elise Franco
YOUNGSTOWN
Mill Creek MetroParks will see many new changes in 2011 — a new executive director, a retirement and now a new park commissioner.
Valencia Marrow, of Youngstown, was appointed Wednesday to a three-year term on the MetroParks board of park commissioners, said Judge Mark Belinky of Mahoning County Probate Court.
Marrow, 48, will replace Virginia Dailey, who spent 13 years as a commissioner and chose not to seek reappointment.
“The timing is good for me to help out and give back to the park that I love so much,” Marrow said. “I am flattered that Judge Belinky has confidence in me. ... He feels I am one of five who can go forward with the vision of what the board should be.”
Judge Belinky said he always receives many applications when it’s time to appoint a new commissioner, and this instance was no exception.
“The last time we took applications, we got between 50 and 60, and we had a lot to draw on this time,” he said. “In this case, I wanted to go out and recruit someone myself.”
Marrow, a lifelong Youngstown resident, graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor of science in business administration. She worked at Delphi Packard and at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland. Marrow was a program director at Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority and is currently the clerk of Youngstown City Council.
Judge Belinky said it’s always been his mission to make the board as diverse as possible — not just in terms of traditional diversity such as race, ethnicity and gender, but also location.
He said he tries to appoint board members from all over Mahoning County.
“I want the board to be diverse in a meaningful way,” he said. “But not everyone can do this job.”
Marrow will be sworn in at 10 a.m. Jan. 7 at Fellows Riverside Gardens’ Davis Center in Youngstown.
Judge Belinky also announced he reappointed Commissioner Dr. Robert Durick to a three-year term.
Durick, of Struthers, was sworn in Wednesday. He was appointed to a one-year term when the board expanded this year from three to five members, Judge Belinky said.
“He’s doing a great job,” the judge said of Durick.
Durick said that with his reappointment along with Marrow’s appointment and the November hiring of Clark Johnson as executive director, board members are ready to move into the new year.
“We’re looking forward to continuing the mission we started at the beginning of this year,” Durick said. “I’m a little anxious but excited to get started.”