YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners recently introduced Dina Wilson as the new human resources director, replacing Karen D. U’Halie, who plans to retire later this year after 11 years in that position.

Wilson is former chief of administration and operations for the Cleveland Airport System, which runs Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Burke Lakefront Airport. The Cleveland Airport system employs about 400 people, according to the Clevelandairport.com website. The Cleveland Airport System is owned and operated by the City of Cleveland.

According to Wilson’s LinkedIn page, she worked for that organization starting in 2017. She became the chief of human resources and administration in 2019 and held that position until she took her new post with Mahoning County, according to her profile. She also was deputy chief for human resources and talent development for the organization for 18 months before that.

She also worked for AGL Consulting Services in Gibsonia, Pa., as a principal consultant and was a talent and performance manager for compliance and manager for training and development for the Allegheny County Airport Authority in Pittsburgh for nearly 20 years — from September 1996 to February 2016, the LinkedIn page states.

She has a master’s degree in aviation business management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and worked on a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Robert Morris University near Pittsburgh, the page states.

Wilson’s new salary as HR director is $96,408 per year, according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s Office.

Wilson steps into her new role as Mahoning County HR director a short time after a Cleveland television station aired a series of reports questioning why the city of Cleveland was not following a city ordinance that governed the use of take-home cars.

A report noted Wilson’s no-cost of using her take-home vehicle to drive to and from her home, 70 miles away. Wilson said her use did not violate policy. The Cleveland mayor’s office said last month it would carry out an overall review of the policy, one of the reports stated.

Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti said Monday he was not aware of the TV station’s story but he believes Wilson wanted to work for Mahoning County because it is closer to her home in Trumbull County, and she wanted to make a change.

“She did excellent in her interviews. It was a unanimous vote for her,” he said. She will be on a probationary period for six months, “But she seemed very, very strong on everything we asked her,” he said.

When asked about the skill set Wilson brings with her, Traficanti said she “dealt with a lot of HR issues at the airport, a lot of employees, a lot of overall dealing with staffing.”

Traficanti noted that the county is losing some extremely experienced people right now with U’Halie retiring soon as HR director, Linda Macala recently retiring as executive director of the Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Audrey Tillis retiring in the coming years as county administrator.

At the commissioners meeting last week, U’Halie stood with Wilson as Wilson introduced herself as the new HR director.

U’Halie said she will “stay as long as necessary to make sure there is a reasonable transition.”

ANOTHER HIRE

Also at the meeting, the commissioners approved the move of Megan Magnetta, their part-time public relations and information director, to executive director of the Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau. She also will continue as head of public relations for the county commissioners and various other county departments that need her help.

Magnetta was earning $30.74 per hour in her previous part-time position. No new salary figure was available.

The commissioners also appointed Tara L. Mady to director of marketing and administration for the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Mady’s title previously was assistant director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Mady is taking on some of the responsibilities of the former executive director so that Magnetta can continue to handle her current public relations duties, Tillis said.

Tara L. Mady’s salary is $76,143 per year.

The personnel moves are the result of Macala’s retirement. Macala was executive director of the convention and visitors bureau for 17 years.

Her salary is $117,198 per year.

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