Schulick appointed, Ragan reappointed to park board

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr. has made two appointments to the five-member Mill Creek Metropolitan Park District Board of Commissioners.

The appointments are necessary because the terms of Commissioners John Ragan and Jay Macejko expire Wednesday.

Ragan, of Canfield, was re-appointed to the position he has held since 2010; and Scott R. Schulick, of Youngs-town, is replacing Macejko.

Both appointments are for three-year terms in unpaid, volunteer posts that begin Thursday and run through Dec. 31, 2017.

“I’d like to thank Jay Macejko for his fine service to the park board. He was very reliable and we appreciate his hard work,” said Judge Rusu, who is the appointing authority for all five park-board positions.

“It’s just time to make a change. We need to move that park in a different direction,” Judge Rusu said, adding that he kept Ragan to avoid making a complete change of the board all at once.

Judge Rusu said he expects to appoint someone within the next two weeks to replace Valencia Marrow of Youngstown, who has resigned for family reasons, effective as soon as her successor can join the board.

Rightly or wrongly, the judge said, public confidence in park leadership has been shaken by the controversy over the euthanasia of 238 geese last June and the recent need to convene a second meeting to hire Aaron Young as the new park executive director after the first meeting didn’t follow the proper hiring procedure.

“It’s going to be imperative for the park board and administration to meet the expectations of the community to work to renew the tax levy for support of the park next year,” Schulick said.

The judge thanked Ragan for accepting another term as a park commissioner. “John’s business background and his love for the park has been a valuable asset to the board, and I look forward to him continuing the good work and leadership he has provided,” the judge said.

“Scott has served in fiduciary and governance roles for two major community institutions and has dealt with multimillion-dollar budgets, capital and annual philanthropic campaigns, labor relations and public relations. He will be able to help guide the park into a bright new future,” the judge said.

Schulick has served on numerous public boards. Most recently, he was chairman of the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees, where he served as a board member from 2004-2013. He is a financial advisor and vice president of Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Inc. in Canfield.

Judge Rusu said he chose from among several park-board applicants and didn’t advertise for applications for the board positions “because it’s not required to be publicly advertised.”

The park commissioners serve in rotating three-year terms beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31.

The board will conduct a special meeting at 6 p.m. today at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield to consider an employment contract with Young, who will succeed Dennis Miller, whose resignation is effective Wednesday.