A new director has been named for the McKean County 911
Center.

Gerard Rettger, who started at the center in March of 1991 as a
telecommunicator, will begin in his new position Monday, according
to County Administrator Richard Casey.

“We never really considered anyone other than Gerard,” Casey
said. “We couldn’t imagine anyone being more qualified.

“For that particular position, he has to be familiar with the
capabilities of the agencies around the county … who best to deploy
in certain situations,” he added. “He’s a critical member of the
emergency operations center.

“He’s not only a good leader and a good manager, but he has a
good knowledge of all emergency activities in the county,” Casey
said. “He’s been working with his staff for a long time. He knows
all of them intimately. He knows most everybody involved in
emergency services in the county.”

Casey said longtime director Jim Lewis is leaving the director’s
position to pursue other opportunities, and Rettger, who has been
deputy director since 2003, will move up to the position.

“I am eagerly looking forward to the position,” Rettger said
Friday afternoon, “to continuing the good reputation we have that
Mr. Lewis has built over the 10 years as director.”

Having been a member of the agency for a number of years
himself, Rettger has been there while the new 911 was built and
while new requirements have been implemented. He’s learned a lot
from Lewis, he said.

“I’ve looked at him as a mentor for years,” Rettger said. “I
think he’s done an excellent job building the center, with the
equipment design and implementation.”

Rettger’s appointment comes about a year after the McKean County
Commissioners announced that in an effort to streamline county
government, they planned to have one director of emergency
management operations oversee both the 911 Center and the McKean
County Emergency Management Agency.

However, that has not happened.

“We did look at that last year and decided that was not the
right thing to do at this time,” Casey said.

Commissioner Chairman John Egbert explained the right candidate
for the position just hasn’t come along yet.

“We were looking for a person who could lead both of those
groups and frankly did not find a person with the leadership and
talent to do both effectively,” Egbert said.

The operations manager would have been in a position over the
directors of both agencies, and would have reported to the
commissioners, been a liaison with the state and federal agencies
and been a single point of contact for emergency services in the
county.

“We couldn’t put someone in charge who didn’t have the
leadership,” Egbert said.

Casey said the measure may be looked at again in the future.