BOARDMAN — Trustees are closing in on a replacement for their ailing township administrator.

Jason Loree has been battling polycystic kidney disease for years now and the illness has brought him to a critical juncture. It is so unlikely he will be able to continue in the role that the township put out a call for resumes months ago, and have narrowed the applicants to five.

Interviews with those candidates are scheduled for March 2 and 3.

“We’re excited about these five applicants, and we’re going to speak to them again, and then pare it down hopefully one more time and then probably have one more set of interviews where we have two or maybe even three candidates,” said Trustee Steve Yacovone.

“It’s a big task, with big shoes to fill for Jason, but we’re doing everything we can. We’re trying to do it on an expedited timeline while also making sure we’re property vetting all of these candidates, ensuring that they’re going to be a good fit for Boardman because — and I think I speak for everybody — we don’t want to be doing this again any time soon.”

Out of more than 100 applicants, Yacovone said the board has narrowed the search to these five:

● Jeremy Shaffer, director of human resources in Wilmington, Ohio.

● Mark Ragozine, safety services director for Girard.

● Joseph Sinnott, former Erie, Pa., mayor.

● Adam Thompson, director of finance for Port Richey, Florida.

● Brian Blad, former mayor of Pocatello, Idaho.

“Going through it, there were a lot of difficult decisions, a lot of discussions held regarding those individuals, but with the qualities they exhibit, the traits they have, we really do think hopefully in these five is our best bet for moving forward in Boardman,” Yacovone said.

Loree’s timeline for departure is not certain yet, but Yacovone said the township cannot wait to ensure continuity in the position.

“We have to move forward with our search,” he said. “We need somebody here. Jason has been doing everything he can with the capacity he has. But there are a lot of ifs with Jason’s medical status. And we need to try to find somebody who can come in and give their best to the township.”

Yacovone said trustees hope to have a final decision in March. It is unclear whether Loree would be expected to step down at that time.

A DIFFICULT FIGHT

Loree informed trustees in October that he intended to begin taking FMLA leave as needed to deal with his medical problems.

Polycystic kidney disease causes multiple cysts to form in the kidneys that continually grow, causing swelling in the kidneys and eventual organ failure. In early 2025, Loree had to have heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, for an aortic root aneurysm. Loree said those with polycystic kidneys are five times more likely to develop aneurysms.

On Tuesday, he explained that he has only 18% kidney function now and is facing either dialysis or a transplant. While kidney recipients most often have to wait for cadaver donations, Loree said he may have a live donor, but it remains uncertain.

In the meantime, as he fights for disability benefits with Ohio’s Public Employee Retirement System, his condition remains imminently life-threatening.

“The worst part of it is that, anytime between now and transplant or dialysis, I can’t filter medication well, so if I get sick for some reason, the medication they have to administer, they might not be able to pull out,” he said. “And if I’m not healthy enough to get dialysis to pull it out, I die.”

That very thing happened to his mother in September 2021, when she became ill with COVID-19. “They had to give her medications and those were not pulling out (through dialysis) and toxins built up and complications arose and she died,” Loree said.

The genetic disease runs rampant in Loree’s family, with a 50/50 chance or better of passing it on to one’s children. Loree, now 43, found out he had the disease at 25, when he underwent testing to see if he was a viable kidney donor for his mom. He has seven other immediate family members who suffer from it, and many others in his extended family.

Loree has not been quiet about the illness because he said he feels it is important both to spread awareness about the disease and also to be transparent with the township’s residents about where their administrator is and why he is leaving.

Along with his regular duties as administrator, Loree is also Boardman’s representative for the ABC Water and Stormwater District, and has led Boardman through the process of obtaining a $47 million FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant that will overhaul the floodplain and drainage problems plaguing the center of the township along the Cranberry Run watershed around Boardman Plaza. He also spearheaded the construction of the new Forest Lawn Stormwater Park at the site of the former Market Street School. That project — supported by $4 million in external grants — is another part of the township’s larger effort to mitigate the flooding from Cranberry Run and other areas.

Loree spent a few days in St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital last week with severe pain and discomfort as doctors worked to rule out a possible kidney infection.

He said he continues to show up for work as much as possible.

“But more and more often these days, my body just disagrees with me,” he said.