News Staff Reports
Appointments for leadership positions in 18 Erie County departments, including Parks and Public Works, were announced Friday by Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz.
Poloncarz noted that many of the appointees were career civil servants who had served the county in civil service titles in their departments.
The new appointees are:
• Director of Workforce Development: Heather Okoro. She was formerly a consultant with UB Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, and vice president of human resources with Girl Scouts of Western New York.
• First Assistant County Attorney: Michelle Parker. She recently worked as a partner at Anspach Meeks Ellenberger LLP and is a member of the Defense Trial Lawyers Association.
• Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Medical Services: John Adolf. He has served in the Erie County Department of Emergency Services since 1982, coordinating the Advanced Life Support systems.
• Director of Purchase: Vallie Ferraraccio. She is a former director of purchase for Erie County.
• Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development: Thomas Dearing. He was community planning coordinator for the county and has extensive private sector experience.
• Commissioner of Parks: Troy Schinzel. He was most recently superintendent of Fleet Services, acting superintendent of bridges and senior county park manager in Monmouth County, N. J.
• Director of Central Data Processing: Lori Stilwell. She worked in the Erie County Division of Information and Support Services the past 21 years.
• Deputy Commissioner of Civil Defense and Disaster Preparedness: Gregory Butcher. He is a state-certified firefighter and has served as the emergency services coordinator for Grand Island since 1998.
• Commissioner of Labor Relations: David Palmer. He has 16 years of labor relations experience, including at Kaleida Health.
• Executive Director, Office of the Disabled: Frank Cammarata. He was most recently assistant program director with People Inc.
• Director of Equal Employment Opportunity: Jesse Burnette. He worked at the National Institutes of Health providing equal employment opportunity management.
• Veterans Service Officer: Carlos Benitez. He has 32 years of military experience, retiring as a major in the New York Army National Guard. He is also a retired logistics employee for UPS.
• Deputy Director of Probation: Ysais Feliz. He is a retired Army officer and has served in the Erie County Probation Department as principal probation officer and as probation supervisor.
• Commissioner of Public Works: John Loffredo. He served in the same position for nearly 14 years, 12 under County Executive Dennis Gorski.
• First Deputy Commissioner of Social Services: Judith Shanley. She has been a health care lawyer and served 10 years as executive director of Southeast Works, a health and human services agency.
• Commissioner of Probation: Brian McLaughlin. He is a holdover appointment from the Collins administration.
• Deputy Commissioner of Sewerage Management: Joseph Fiegl. He is a holdover appointment.
• Deputy Commissioner of Youth Services: David Rust. He is also a holdover appointment.
• Deputy Commissioner of Buildings and Grounds: Daniel Rizzo. He has served the Department of Public Works as asbestos/ indoor air quality coordinator since 2010.
• Deputy Director of Labor Relations: Mary Thomas Scott. She has extensive experience in labor and employment law, and is a former trial attorney with the National Labor Relations Board.
• Deputy Commissioner of Highways: David Boehm. He worked for the Department of Public Works for 35 years in a variety of civil service titles, including senior highway maintenance engineer.
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/erie-county/article709276.ece