By Peter H. Milliken

milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County Children Services Board is advertising in Ohio and western Pennsylvania for a new executive director, with a Feb. 28 application deadline.

The job advertisement says the new director must have “proven administrative experience as an associate or executive director, preferably at a public child-welfare agency” in addition to having a master’s degree in social work “or a closely related graduate degree.”

No specific salary range is advertised for the new director, but the notice says the salary will be competitive and is to be negotiated. The child-welfare agency has 120 full-time staff members and a $15 million annual budget.

“We are looking for somebody with child-welfare experience. We’re also looking for executive ability,” said Brigid Kennedy, a CSB member and search- committee chairwoman. Several people already have applied, she added.

On Tuesday, the board approved a three-month contract with its interim executive director, David E. Arnold, retroactive to his Jan. 7 starting date, which will continue on a month-to-month basis after the first three months until a new executive director is appointed.

Arnold will be paid at the same rate as the previous executive director, Denise Stewart, who resigned effective Jan. 1 after the board placed her on paid administrative leave without explanation at a Dec. 21 special meeting. Stewart’s final annual salary was $92,934.

The board accepted the resignation of David M. Macek as its personnel officer, effective Feb. 10. Macek, who joined the county in May 2004, left to take a job in the private sector.

Arnold presented the board with results of a 2012 CSB client satisfaction survey, in which 97 percent of the 201 respondents said they were treated with courtesy and respect by CSB staff.

In other results, 93 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the casework services; 92 percent said their situation improved because of CSB’s involvement; and 72 percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the availability of their caseworker or supervisor to them when needed.