SUNBURY - A 27-year employee of the federal prison system was hired Friday as the new warden at Northumberland County Prison.
Bruce Kovach, 56, of Hamilton, was named warden by the prison board on a unanimous vote at a recommended salary of $60,540. He will begin his duties Jan. 1.
Commissioner Chairman Vinny Clausi made the motion to appoint Kovach to the position. His motion was second by Controller Chris Grayson. In addition to Clausi and Grayson, the hiring was approved by Prison Board Chairman and Commissioner Stephen Bridy, Commissioner Richard Shoch, District Attorney Ann Targonski and Sheriff Robert Wolfe.
Kovach, who was one of three finalists for the position, will succeed Roy Johnson, who was fired in August after serving five years.
Kovach's salary was recommended by the board, but must be approved by the county salary board Dec. 23.
The board agreed to appoint Lt. Jim Smink to serve as acting warden until the first week of January in the absence of Brian Wheary, who will be on leave for surgery. Smink, whose current salary is $34,819, will receive the same salary as Wheary (approximately $65,000) for assuming additional duties during the next several weeks.
Wheary told the board he will be available by telephone to provide any necessary assistance during his leave.
When reached by telephone Friday afternoon, Kovach, who did not attend the 10-minute special meeting, stated, "I am anxious to get started. I had a tour of the prison during the interview process and met a lot of good people."
Kovack said he's aware of some serious issues that have occurred at the 138-year-old prison over the years, but is looking forward to changing the jail's negative reputation and bringing a positive attitude to the facility.
"I want the public to be reassured that the prison is safe and secure," he said. "I also want the prison system to become a contributor to the community. I plan on working with the prison board to make sure we have a good, positive relationship and that the jail keeps progressing into the future."
The new warden will retire at the end of the year from FCI-Schuylkill in Minersville, where he has 22 years experience as a correctional supervisor.
He is currently assigned to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Central Office staff on detail to the Department of Justice as a mission analyst in Washington, D.C. He is assigned to the Emergency Support Function under the direction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is the resident correctional subject matter expert assigned to the National Coordination Center in Washington, D.C.
His duties include coordinating the federal response to state, territorial and tribal correctional facilities in times of disaster, which has enabled him to develop a vast knowledge of non-federal correctional facilities at all levels.
Kovach has been a special operations response team leader for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, armed escort/basic prisoner transportation instructor and firearms instructor, and has worked with counter gang/counter terrorism and correctional crime scene management at FCI-Schuylkill.
He previously was a lieutenant/shift supervisor at FCI-Schuylkill and a correctional officer at FCI-Ashland in Kentucky. He also was paramedic/firefighter for Huntington Fire Department in West Virginia and earned a certificate in emergency medical technology from Marshall University Community College in Huntington, W.Va.
The special meeting was called after initially being postponed Tuesday due to allegations made in an anonymous letter against Robert Wetzel, who was one of three finalists for the position.
Bridy previously said a letter was received Monday by county officials that cites alleged misconduct by Wetzel when he was employed at SCI-Coal Township.
The incident in question was detailed in a 50-page state Civil Service Commission adjudication report filed Nov. 7, 2008. It was in response to Wetzel's appeal of a 10-day suspension from employment and followed two hearings held before a civil service commissioner in Harrisburg the prior May. The ruling upheld the suspension.
Wetzel was suspended for failing to take corrective action to stop an altered jumpsuit from being issued to a corrections officer, which violated the Department of Corrections' code of ethics, according to the report.
Several board members reserved comment when asked if Wetzel's suspension led them to select Kovach as warden. Targonski said she voted for Kovach because she thinks he will make a fine warden in Northumberland County.
Bridy described Kovach as the "consummate professional." He added, "I truly believe his experience will help our prison and I'm excited for him in becoming the new warden."
Clausi said Kovach's job interview was one of the best the county has ever experienced for a position during his seven years as commissioner.