BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Meeting on Monday night, the Boardman Township Board of Trustees voted to name Mark Ragozine, 37, of Howland Township, to the position of administrator.
      Ragozine will step into the position held for almost 20 years by Jason Loree, 43, who has been battling health issues.
      Ragozine will become the fifth administrator in the history of Boardman Township. He will assume his post on Apr. 20 and was approved by a 2-0 vote of Trustees Steve Yacovone and Larry Moliterno. Trustee Matt Gambrel did not attend the meeting as he was out of town on a family vacation.
      Over 115 applications for the position of administrator were received by the Board of Trustees. Ragozine and the former mayor of Pocatello, Idaho, Brian Blad, were chosen as finalists for consideration for the post.
      Blad was reportedly eliminated from consideration, in part, because his salary demands were said to be at $160,000 a year.
      Ragozine will receive an annual salary of $118,000 as Boardman Township Administrator.
      In announcing the new administrator, Steve Yacovone, chairman of the Board of Trustees, noted “Jason Loree has done an incredible job...We feel we have selected the best person for this position moving forward.”
      In his letter of application for the position, Ragozine, who has served as safety service director for the city of Girard, Oh. since Feb., 2025 said his career in “local government has been dedicated to effective public administration, operational leadership and responsible stewardship of public resources in collaboration with elected officials.”
      As safety service director in Girard, Ragozine was responsible for labor relations, budgeting and policy implementation overseeing the police, fire and public works departments; and developing, administering and monitoring departmental budgets.
      “I work closely with the mayor and city council to translate policy direction into efficient service delivery, manage risk and operational accountability,” Ragozine said.
      In Girard, Ragozine helped to oversee an annual budget of some $15 million.
      Ragozine holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Youngstown State University and earned a master’s degree in public administration from Ohio University’ Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.
      From 2022 to Jan., 2025 Ragozine was employed as an economic development program manager with the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, and from 2019-2022 he served as an economic development planner at Eastgate. He was elected as a member of the Girard City Council where he served from 2018-19; and also was an adjunct professor in political science from 2019-2024 at the former Eastern Gateway Community College in Youngstown.
      Ragozine says “My experience as a councilman in Girard, combined with my tenure as an Economic Development Program Manager, has given me a deep understanding of policy implementation, budgeting and community engagement. I have also spent years educating others in political science and American government as an adjunct instructor, further strengthening my ability to communicate complex policy issues effectively.”
      In his letter of application for the administrator’s position in Boardman, Ragozine said “My background as both an appointed executive and an elected official has provided me with a strong appreciation for the distinct roles of governance and administration.
      “I approach the administrator role as one of professional management, ethical leadership and loyalty to the policy direction established by the Board of Trustees.”