One member of the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning
and Development Commission’s executive board believes the agency is
a better place to work since the departure of ousted former
executive director Ron Kuleck.
On Wednesday, McKean County Commissioner Chairman John Egbert,
who sits on the executive board with county commissioners from
across the region and others, said the commission “needs to head in
a new direction and become a better place to work.”
“I think it’s already that,” Egbert said. “The three managers
operating there and operating their own departments, are already
making it a better place to work.”
The search is continuing for Kuleck’s replacement. He was placed
on administrative leave by the board Nov. 28. Kuleck later
submitted his resignation, which became effective Dec. 31.
Officials said a decision on Kuleck’s replacement won’t likely be
decided until the board is comfortable with the duties of the
position.
The director’s role is currently being filled by deputy
directors Howard Glessner, Mike Lawrence and Don Masisak. There was
no immediate word on when a replacement will be hired.
“We’ll be going through the process, putting out an ad,
accepting resumes and doing interviews,” Egbert said. “I would say
90 days (to find a replacement) is short term.”
Egbert said, as it stands, the executive board is responsible
for finding a replacement. “We’ve established a human resources
committee,” Egbert said.
“My opinion is we need to find a professional to do it and get
the political stuff out of it,” Egbert said. “A week from today in
Ridgway we’ll be meeting to try and do just that.”
The next meeting of the board is slated for 9:30 a.m. at the
North Central offices in Ridgway.
Egbert has spoken out before about the need to find someone
separate from the agency and board to aide in the search. During
the last meeting of the board in January, Egbert told the board “We
are nearing the end of our first and most important job, putting
the agency in a position to have new and dynamic leadership. I
believe it is time to turn to the task of recruiting that special
person over to professionals.”
He added the board “must resist the temptation of looking at
North Central as our private sandbox. There must be a new culture
established within the agency. This is not our job.”
Egbert backed up those words Wednesday.
“I think this is such a big mess, it would be inappropriate to
go inside (with a replacement),” Egbert said. “While that is my
personal opinion, I also think it’s the opinion of more than the
majority of the executive board as well.”
In regards to receiving political pressure for the appointment,
Egbert said “if we have gotten political pressure at this point,
I’m not aware of it. As the process goes forward, I’ll be surprised
if we don’t (get some).”
Kuleck was at the center of a controversy two years ago when
10-year contracts were approved for high-level administration at
the commission. He openly blamed U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., as
the one who was leading the requests to open the non-profit
organization’s financial information to the public.
For his part, Clearfield County Commissioner Rex Reed said at
January’s meeting of the board that it needs to sit down and
discuss what it expects in a replacement, including what direction
a new director would be given and the role the board wants to see
them play in the operation of the agency.
