Jan 6, 2024 By Mike Jones 7 min read

A new generation of leadership has arrived in Washington and Greene counties with an eye toward the future and new ideas on how to move the region forward.

Electra Janis was elected Washington County commissioner during the Nov. 7 election, and Jared Edgreen was voted to the same position in Greene County, and later selected by his fellow commissioners to serve as board chairman.

Both Republicans took office last week and said their life experiences, albeit brief, molded them for the moment and will help make them an asset for their county governments.

Janis, 27, and Edgreen, 38, are on the opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to the millennial generation that spans birth years from 1981 to 1996, according to a Pew Research Center study that is generally considered the standard for the group’s age range. However, with both being on the outskirts of the generation, neither said they really view themselves as millennials. Instead, Janis and Edgreen said they want to focus on capitalizing on their youth to bring new perspectives and initiatives to county government.

“There’s that younger element and younger perspective of what might still be possible,” Edgreen said. “Older generations may say, ‘That won’t work here. Nope, we’ve tried that before.’ Well, maybe it’s time to revisit that and there’s a new way we can do it.”

“You know what, that was something that I battled a lot during the election,” Janis said of questions about her age on the campaign trail. “People would ask me, ‘How do you think you can do this?’ I welcome that challenge. I think (youth) is my biggest strength. I’ve always been a go-getter.”

Janis grew up in Upper St. Clair and attended Chatham University before working at Western Psychiatric Hospital helping with human services. She later caught the attention of state Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Peters Township, who asked Janis to serve as her district director for the past four years.

“Once I started working in her office, I became in love with public service in that way, and I felt like I was helping people in that realm. … I thought that was a way I could utilize my degree in a different way,” she said.

She said in addition to her work in Mihalek’s district office, her family owns the Marathon Diner at Pittsburgh International Airport, where she’s done everything from managing up front to working the finances and ordering supplies in the back. Janis and her husband, Matt, bought a house in Peter Township in 2021, which she sees as a sign that younger families can find Washington County enticing.

Janis is replacing longtime commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan, who retired after serving 28 years in office. Irey Vaughan was 33 when she started as a commissioner in January 1996 before Janis was even born.

“I thought it would be wonderful for a young female to take the seat of Diana, who did such a great job for so many years,” Janis said. “I’m a little younger than she was when she took her office. I was just really proud and happy to be able to do that.”

Janis said she would like to focus on more business opportunities for the county, especially rebuilding the business parks at Southpointe in Cecil Township and Starpointe in northern Washington County, which are still trying to recover from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My goal at the beginning was always to make Washington County a place that people who are raised here don’t want to leave. … I think it’s important to use (her youth), because I know what this generation wants and is looking for. People are looking for change, not complacency.”

Edgreen also has roots here, having grown up in Greene County and attended Waynesburg Central High School before graduating from Waynesburg University. Edgreen said he was told by some people that “a guy from Waynesburg wasn’t going to go anywhere,” so he decided to prove them wrong by applying for the U.S Secret Service in 2008.

“I kinda just shot the moon,” he said.

He was accepted into the department, and by mid-2009 was assigned to protect the White House. He later was transferred to the presidential and vice presidential motorcade units, which allowed him to travel around the world to five continents, 37 countries and nearly every state in the union.

His takeaway from that time in the Secret Service was that other cultures aren’t so unlike the people he grew up with in Greene County.

“I think there is an understanding that I had traveling the world and seeing different cultures and how people interact,” Edgreen said. “They’re very similar to us. They love their hometowns. They don’t want change.”

After eight years in the Secret Service and starting a family in Washington, D.C., he and his wife, Cassie, decided to move back home to Greene County to raise their three children. When Edgreen returned in late 2017, he wanted to use that energy he gained from the Secret Service to help Greene County succeed. He spent time with the Coalition for a Brighter Greene, taught a constables program at Penn State-Fayette and became the first school resource officer for West Greene School District. There, he worked alongside the district’s grant writer to obtain $600,000 in security funding.

“I enjoyed my work there and the positive growth through that hard work there and trying to attain the goals that, before, weren’t thought possible,” he said. “That positive growth was addictive. I love to get things done for the betterment of people around me. I just have the public service mindset.”

While some people called him “crazy” to run for political office, Edgreen said holding the position of a county commissioner feels like his life has come full circle now. He replaces Mike Belding, who served as board chairman before retiring after one term in office.

Edgreen wants to find ways to keep young people in Greene County and attract others to move here. That will mainly have to be done through new job opportunities, whether it be capitalizing on the energy sector or offering more developable land for companies to expand.

“Our generation has seen such a growth in technology that we’re able to take on new (things) faster,” Edgreen said. “We need to figure out some initiatives to get younger generations to stay, and then maybe get people a little younger than me to come home.”

He added that there is plenty of property “ripe for industry,” but they also need to utilize the county’s proximity to Washington and Morgantown, W.Va., to entice people to live in Greene County even if they work elsewhere. Edgreen noted that some young families want more land to spread out rather than the hustle and bustle of city life.

“I think we’re primed for that. I think Greene County is ready for that,” Edgreen said. “Not continuing on the status quo and being aggressive. What can we bring in here?

Meanwhile, both are ready for the challenge and to prove that their youth will serve as a positive influence for their prospective counties.

“It fits my passion (to help) people in Greene County with positive growth,” Edgreen said. “I hope to bring that fresh perspective of someone who is a little younger.”

“To me, my experience for my age is higher than most,” Janis said. “I know there’s a lot to learn, but I’m like a sponge. Throw it at me and I’m ready for it.”