10 residents named to panel to choose MetroParks board member

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr., the appointing authority for the Mill Creek MetroParks board, announced today the names of 10 community members who will help him select the next park board member.

They are: Rick Shale, Richard Scarsella, Robert Toman, Leo Daprile, Jeff Harvey, Dr. Y.T. Chiu, Glen Cimaglia, Kate Shipka, Lynn Anderson and Andrew Detesco.

Judge Rusu recently announced that he would empanel such a committee after the resignation of board member Mike Senchak. The judge has said he hopes the move to include community members in the selection process would ease tensions between park leadership and members of the public, many of whom have voiced displeasure with recent leadership decisions.

In particular, many community members have expressed outrage over a February staff restructuring at the MetroParks and have called on park leadership to be more transparent in its decision-making. Some also have questioned the park board appointment process; state law assigns appointment authority to county probate judges.

“This is the first step in trying to make this process more open to the public,” Judge Rusu told The Vindicator.

Read more about the situation in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.