BOARDMAN — The search for the township’s next administrator has been narrowed to two candidates, while the sitting administrator prepares for a kidney transplant that may come sooner than he had hoped.

In late February, township Trustee Steve Yacovone said the board had narrowed a pool of more than 100 applicants to five ideal candidates: 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; and Brian Blad, former mayor of Pocatello, Idaho.

On Tuesday, at the board’s regular meeting — moved from Monday because of a scheduling conflict for one of the trustees — Yacovone said interviews conducted on March 2 and 3 led them to narrow that list to two finalists: Blad and Ragozine.

“These two individuals have the types of background, experience and traits we’re looking for,” he said. “It’s going to be a very difficult decision for us but we’re very excited about these candidates.”

Township Administrator Jason Loree has been battling polycystic kidney disease for years now, and the illness has made it so unlikely he will be able to continue in the role that the township put out a call for resumes months ago.

Polycystic kidney disease causes multiple cysts to form in the kidneys that continually grow, causing swelling in the kidneys and eventual organ failure. Loree said in February that he has only 18% kidney function now and is facing dialysis or a transplant. While kidney recipients most often have to wait for cadaver donations, Loree said he likely has a live donor and is waiting for her to say when she can undergo the procedure.

“My donor has completed all of her testing and now we’re just waiting for a day when she can schedule the surgery,” Loree said. “She has one more appointment in April, but right now we have received no indication that we could not move forward with a transplant.”

Loree did not name his donor, but said she is a friend of a friend who reached out to him on Facebook after seeing his post about his kidney disease. Loree said it is not common for donors and recipients to be in direct contact because hospitals want to ensure both patients rights and information are protected. But Loree said they have been in regular contact by text or phone since she reached out to him.

“I feel very humbled to know someone out there is willing to help and it’s great to know there’s a light at the end of this tunnel,” he said. “I’m feeling very optimistic, and grateful to know there are people out there willing to do things like this. It is not an easy thing to do and it takes a very strong person.”

Not everyone is quite so helpful, though. Loree said he continues to battle with the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System for the disability benefits that will allow him to step down as administrator and complete his surgery or regularly receive dialysis treatments. He said until he receives those benefits, he cannot afford to be unemployed, and hopes trustees will find a way for him to keep working if needed.

“I have no plans to resign until my disability is approved, and I’ve been going to work, and I’ve been doing the job,” he said. “So far they haven’t told me what they plan to do with me.”

The board has not said specifically how Loree’s situation will be handled when a decision is made on the new administrator, which could be as soon as this month.

After 16 years at the helm in Pocatello, Blad lost his reelection bid in November, coming in third. Mark Dahlquist won a Dec. 2 runoff election to replace him as mayor of Idaho’s fifth-largest city.

On the city’s website, Blad’s answers to election questions indicate he spent much of his time as mayor focusing on economic growth.

Blad touted “smart controlled growth with the use of TIFF districts” to help large and small businesses succeed. Blad’s experience leading a city that boasted low unemployment and cost of living, and strong economic development, is what trustees say makes him such an attractive candidate for Boardman.

Ragozine has worked in the private sector, city government, and nonprofit planning and economic development.

From 2011 to 2015, he worked at both The Wonder Bar and Canterino’s Sports Bar and Grille. He served as First Ward city councilman from 2018 to 2019 before taking a position with the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments. In January 2025, Girard Mayor Mark Zuppo appointed him as the city’s safety service director.