PUCO applicants include retired Trumbull County Planning Commission executive director

January 16, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

COLUMBUS

Two dozen people, including a former Trumbull County department head, have submitted applications for consideration for two seats on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

The list includes 10 Democrats, 10 Republicans and four independents. Almost half are from the Columbus area.

PUCO commissioners earn a base pay of about $120,000.

Applicants include Alan Knapp of Mogadore, who retired as executive director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission in 2009 after 27 years of service. Since then, he has done consulting, grant administration and other work in Youngstown and Lisbon, among other other activities noted on his resume.

Also applying is Dana Sillman, a Smithville resident who works at the Ohio Department of Transportation in Ashland. Sillman has decades of experience in construction; his resume also notes that he has 20 years as an emergency medical technician for the Central Fire District and was named the 1998 EMT of the Year.

PUCO’s nominating council will consider the applicants and select finalists to be interviewed later this month. Afterward, the panel will forward its recommendations to Gov. John Kasich, who will make the final selections, subject to the consent of the Ohio Senate.

The governor has two PUCO seats to decide.

One of the seats was vacated by M. Howard Petricoff, a retired attorney and the lone Democratic on PUCO at the time. He announced his resignation after it became apparent that the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate would not sign off on his appointment.

The other soon-to-be-vacant seat is occupied by Lynn Slaby, whose term ends in April.

He notified the governor in a letter that he would not seek another term.

“Ohio is still facing many challenges in the future,” he wrote. “I would have liked to be a part of addressing and working toward a solution to those challenges. However, after much thought and many prayers, my wife and I believe it is time for me to move on to another adventure in our lives.”