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Piccirilli to be paid $112,000 a year to lead mental health board
YOUNGSTOWN
Duane Piccirilli, head of Help Hotline Crisis Center, will take over leadership of the Mahoning County Mental Health Board effective May 1.
The health board Thursday unanimously approved an agreement with Piccirilli which will pay him $112,000 a year.
He replaces Ronald A. Marian, who is paid $138,169 a year and will retire at the end of April. He has been with the mental-health board for 40 years, the last 36 as executive director.
Piccirilli, who attended Thursday’s meeting, thanked the board for its confidence in him.
“I will do my best to maintain the well-known excellence known around the state of the Mahoning County Health Board’s programs,” he said.
In the interim, Toni Notaro, mental-health board administrative director, will handle the day-to-day activities.
“It’s official,” said Daniel Yemma, chairman of the health board, who said he is looking forward to Piccirilli serving as the agency’s executive director.
The only detail left to cement the agreement is for the contract document to be prepared by the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office and for it to be signed by both parties.
Attorney Theresa Tolson, chairwoman of the Help Hotline Crisis Center, issued a statement congratulating Piccirilli on receiving the top job at the county mental health board.
“Duane has been a tremendous asset to our organization and will prove to be the same kind of resource for the mental-health board as well. His experience, connections and work ethic have helped to turn HHCC into one of the region’s strongest and most respected social-service agencies. He will be missed by our organization, our clients, and our volunteers,” Tolson said.
Piccirilli has led HHCC for more than 22 years and has grown the organization’s mission from an operating budget of $400,000 to over $2 million dollars. Also, Tolson said, the service area has expanded from two counties, Mahoning and Columbiana, to now include Trumbull County, after-hours support for Lake and Ashtabula counties and clinical back up for five states with a federal Lifeline Grant.
Tolson said the HHCC board of directors has begun a search for a new director.
A job description will be posted on the agency’s website within a few days and will be published locally as well. In the interim, Cathy Grizinski, associate director, and Dean Wennerstrom, chief financial officer, will handle the day-to-day operations.