Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr. has announced that after a month-long search, he has selected Jim Houck and Katharine Paull as the newest Mill Creek MetroParks commissioners. They will take office at the Jan. 12 MetroParks meeting and serve three-year terms.

Houck, of Boardman, is the owner of Houck Agency, a marketing and public relations firm based in Youngstown. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a journalism degree and previously served as a board member of Friends of Fellows Riverside Garden Inc. In addition, he is the treasurer for Potential Development school for students with autism.

Paull is a Youngstown State University graduate with a master’s degree in education and was a longtime educator in the Youngstown City Schools. In addition to her volunteering at local charities such as Second Harvest Food Bank and Boy Scouts of America, she was also a volunteer on the Mill Creek Park Educational Committee.

Houck and Paull have “extensive ties to the community and with the park,” Rusu stated in a press release. “I believe that they will be able to quickly add depth and their unique talents to the current park board and continue to move the park in a positive direction for future generations.”

He thanked Germaine Bennett and Tom Frost for their dedicated work and “willingness to make hard decisions, which are not always popular,” Rusu stated. The two announced that they would not seek reappointment to the MetroParks board.

“Our park is so diverse and encompasses so many different aspects of recreation, from trails, education centers, golf courses, flower gardens, nature preserves to baseball fields and playgrounds, most people don’t understand what it takes to keep the park on budget and relevant for today’s users,” he stated. Rusu stated that Bennett and Frost will be truly missed.

Rusu also thanked the six-member selection committee, whose members reviewed the 21 applications filed for consideration and recommended Houck and Paull for appointment.

Rusu will administer the oath of office to Houck and Paull this month, the release states.

When Rusu announced there were two vacancies on the board, he stated the selection process would follow the same process he created in 2016 to give the public more input in choosing park commissioners.

The selection committee consisted of six people who screened the applicants, Michael Drabison, Rose Carter, Robert Toman, Leo Daprile, Glen Cimaglia and Juan Santiago. Retired former Trumbull County Probate Court Judge Thomas A. Swift served as moderator for the group.

Among the comments in Houck’s application was that he has lived in Mahoning County more than 20 years and that he would bring to the MetroParks board “strategic communications and level-headed, objective leadership,” saying those skills will be “valuable as we approach a levy renewal ask while at the same time facing a public relations / credibility challenge. The park needs to work proactively on rebuilding the community’s trust and respect.”

Among the remarks Paull, of Boardman, made in her application were that she has lived in Mahoning County 69 years and has “strong communication skills with children of all ages and adults. As an educator, I was involved in Project Wild.” She was one of the “original Mill Creek Park educational committee members,” providing input and guidance for educational programming within the parks. She also “filled the information centers throughout the park.” Paull hopes to “build a positive image and reputation with the public by creating an atmosphere that fosters communication.”

She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in curriculum and was an educator in Youngstown City Schools from 1983 to 2020.