Mahoning Soil & Water District Board Elects New Member, New Chair

The board of supervisors of the Mahoning County Soil & Water Conservation District has a new look with the election of a new member and a new chair. 

Richard S. Scarsella, former board member and chair, was reelected to the five-member panel by the other board members. He replaces Kim Urig, who recently moved out of Ohio. Scarsella will serve the remainder of a three-year term that ends in 2022. 

Jerry Rockhold was elected chairman of the board. He has been a member of the panel since January, 2013. 

Meanwhile, the board is welcoming applicants for associate supervisor, a role that supports the board in governing the district. An application form and description of the position are available on the district website at www.mahoningsoilwater.org. 

Scarsella is the job training coordinator at Choffin Career and Technical Center in Youngstown and a long-time local educator and historian. He is chairman of the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society board of directors, a board member and former board president of the Boardman Historical Society and a board member of the Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum. Scarsella also sits on the boards of the Educational Service Center of Eastern Ohio, the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center and the Mahoning Valley Regional Council of Governments. A Boardman resident, he is the founder of several Idora Park historical societies. 

The Mahoning County Soil & Water Conservation District advances best management practices for conserving land and water resources by providing education, technical assistance and stewardship. Established in 1950, the District is staffed by a small but effective team of environmental professionals who lead efforts in community and school outreach, stormwater control, watershed protection, pond management and more. The District is governed by a five-member volunteer board of supervisors and maintains offices at 850 Industrial Road in Youngstown.