Geauga Board of Health President Richard Piraino’s seat will expire this year, and four candidates have applied to fill the seat: Mr. Piraino, Dr. Mark Hendrickson, of Newbury, Dr. Evan Morse, of Auburn, and former Geauga County Auditor Frank Gliha – who in 2018 was banned from seeking public office for the next four years.
The Geauga County Health District Advisory Council (HDAC) appoints members to the health board, which is made up of volunteers. Terms are for five years, and every year, a board member’s term expires, said Director of Administration Alta Wendell.
Administrator Adam Litke said that the seat is not technically “open” because Mr. Piraino, who was appointed to the board in 2017, is seeking reappointment, but at the same time, there is an opening.
In his letter of interest to HDAC Chair Jonathan Tiber, Mr. Gliha wrote that he is seeking the position because he has “always prided myself to provide outstanding resident-centered leadership and support.”
After former county Geauga County IT Director Stephen Decatur was convicted of embezzling $1.8 million in 2018, Mr. Gliha pleaded guilty to failing to oversee his public office – four counts of dereliction of duty, misdemeanor charges – and was sentenced to a $1,250 fine.
Mr. Gliha resigned as auditor April 3, 2018. At the time, his attorney, Todd Petersen, said Mr. Gliha did not knowingly commit the crimes of which he was accused.
“I feel it is now time for me, once again, to work with members of the health board to help the elderly, veteran, farmer and all residents within our county to continue to ensure common-sense Geauga Health District practices for the future,” Mr. Gliha wrote.
In an October interview about how the lessons learned from the embezzlement remain pertinent, and how the auditor’s office worked to change from within after the embezzlement was discovered, incumbent Auditor Chuck Walder said that Mr. Gliha’s approval of Mr. Decatur’s invoices was part of the problem.
Mr. Gliha “signed off on every single purchase order on every single invoice,” but got no monetary gain out of it, Chief Deputy Auditor Ron Leyde had said.
In his letter of interest for reappointment to the board of health, Mr. Piraino said his experience selling real estate gives him a unique perspective and skills when it comes to environmental health.
“I have served on many boards and believe in giving back to the community any way that I can,” Mr. Piraino wrote. “Issues most important to me are equity, which includes property rights of individuals, as well as serving seniors and making sure that our veterans are taken care of. I have always been told that if you don’t have a seat at the table, you could be part of the menu.”
Mr. Piraino, of Chardon Township, who has lived in Geauga County for most of his life, wrote that he feels fortunate to live in the county and wants to ensure that he always does “what is best for our county and its citizens.”
“We need to make sure that all residents continue to have the best services possible and that we do it in a fiscally responsible manner,” he wrote.
Mr. Piraino wrote that he is well-versed when it comes to septic (systems) and wells, and is in constant contact with homeowners, installers and public officials regarding issues and problems related to the environment.
“Our health department is so different from others just because of the fact that we have so many septic systems and wells among our population,” he wrote.
Dr. Hendrickson wrote in his letter of interest that he is a Cleveland Clinic Foundation reconstructive surgeon, and listed other credentials: department section head; department quality officer; COVID-19 response team regarding N95 and P100 masks working with 3M; surgical site infection prevention protocol team; Tulane Surgery, UMMS Shock Trauma and Johns Hopkins Hospital System Level 1 Trauma Response team management and approach and at Fort Meade, Maryland, as a USAF Reserve Medical Officer.
Dr. Hendrickson and his wife, a Cleveland Clinic Foundation pediatrician, have lived in Newbury for the past four years. “My guidelines are: prevent, promote, protect,” Dr. Hendrickson wrote.
A Tuskegee University graduate, Dr. Morse became one of the first Black veterinarians in Ohio as founding president of Warrensville Animal Hospital, he wrote in his letter of interest.
“I also co-founded the Free Animal Clinic Team (FACT), a consortium of veterinarians providing free animal care to needy pet owners throughout Greater Cleveland, and was chairman of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association Diversity Committee,” Dr. Morse wrote. “I have served as president of the Cleveland Academy of Veterinary Medicine and also as veterinarian to the canine corps for numerous police departments and the City of Cleveland.”
Dr. Morse wrote that he has been practicing in the region for six decades. He, his wife and daughters made their home in the county, and he is “firmly committed to the residents of Geauga County and to protecting their health and environment,” he wrote.
The deadline for Board of Health applications was March 1.
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