Board backs Tvaroch for agency chief

Contract talks next before taking helm of county Children Services

YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Children Services board voted Tuesday evening to authorize its chairman, Daniel Wakefield, to negotiate with Richard Tvaroch, quality-assurance administrator for Trumbull County Children Services since 2004, to be the Mahoning agency's next executive director.

The board at a special meeting Tuesday interviewed the three finalists -- Tvaroch and two top administrators within Mahoning County Children Services -- Julie Rudolph, assistant director since February; and Bradley S. Smith, program administrator since 2016.

The next executive director will replace Randy Muth, executive director for the past 10 years, whose last day with Mahoning County will be Thursday. He was hired in March to be executive director of the Lucas County Children Services in Toledo. He officially takes over in Toledo on June 20.

The board meets again at 4 p.m. Tuesday for its regular monthly meeting. If Wakefield reaches an agreement with Tvaroch by then, the board could vote to enter into a contract with him at that meeting, Muth said Tuesday.

In his current role, Tvaroch "assures that the agency provides family-centric, cost effective and timely services to the children and families of Trumbull County," he stated in his resume.

He has managed "all aspects of the agency's quality assurance program," "assures compliance with state and federal laws and regulations," "monitors agency efficiency, effectiveness and productivity," and "develops policies, procedures and agency / departmental manuals."

He also produces monthly, quarterly and annual statistical and performance reports and trains staff regarding new and existing laws and rules. He also "facilitates the agency's strategic planning processes."

He also performs supervisory responsibilities, including interviewing, training, evaluations, disciplining, responding to concerns and coaching and "promotes an office environment that maximizes growth and development." He also "functions as mentor for new employees."

He represents the agency on various statewide groups, such as the Public Children Services Association of Ohio and its legislative review committee. He also partners with state and federal partners in managing the Trumbull County Substance Use Disorder Engagement Initiative and other programs, he stated.

From 1992 to 2002, he was a child-welfare case worker at Trumbull Children Services. He holds a master of public administration degree from the University of Akron and a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Youngstown State University.

"Given my over 30 years of Ohio public child-welfare experience and familiarity with the local community's service delivery and political expectations, I am uniquely qualified to assume this leadership position," Tvaroch told the Mahoning Children Services board in his cover letter.

Rudolph's resume states that she was program administrator for the Family Services Department at Mahoning County Children Services from Jan. 1, 2017, to this February, when she became assistant director.

In her new role, she has been "shadowing Director (Randy) Muth to ensure a seamless transition for the next director" and implementing a new placement and funding process for the Qualified Residential Treatment Program and other tasks, she stated.

Her job since 2017 has been to direct the Family Services Department, whose primary role is "to assist at-risk families to keep their children safe from abuse and neglect in their own homes," according to a page on the agency's website.

Smith's resume states that he has held the position as Mahoning Children Services Intake Services program administrator since September 2016. In that role, he "directs and coordinates the department, formulates and / or implements policies, procedures and administrative rules of the department."

According to the agency's website, the intake services program is required under Oho law to "make an investigation concerning any child alleged to be an abused, neglected, or dependent child."

It adds, "The Intake Services Department provides assessment and investigative services for families whose children are at risk of abuse, neglect or dependency. The assessment / investigative process begins with a report to this agency which is screened per screening guidelines established by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services."