WCCED CFO named new acting executive director
A new person is filling the role of executive director of the Washington County Council of Economic Development (WCCED).
Richard Sahar, the organization’s chief financial officer, has stepped into the position on an acting basis. He replaces Thomas Hartswick.
Dick White, president of the WCCED Board of Directors, said Hartswick left the position in late April.
“All I can say is he left two weeks ago,” White said Tuesday. “Rich is the acting executive director. That will take care of us for now. Hopefully, he will be named executive director down the road.”
Sahar, who said he has been with WCCED for two years, said being named acting executive director was a surprise to him.
“My background is in finance,” he said. “They appointed me acting executive director because you’ve got to get the trains to run on time. They had a discussion with Mr. Hartswick and told me, ‘You’ve been appointed acting director.'”
White feels Sahar would bring quite a bit to the position.
“He’s been our chief financial officer, deeply involved in all of the operations of the council, so he would be a very qualified candidate to assume the position,” White said.
Hartswick took over the position from Dan Reitz, who retired in April 2021 after more than 25 years with the council, more than 11 as its executive director.
WCCED was formed in 1989 as a public-private partnership to address the economic problems faced by Washington County as the result of an exodus of major industry.
WCCED works at securing micro-loans for six counties in Western Pennsylvania: Washington, Greene, Fayette, Westmoreland, Allegheny and Beaver.
It also serves 38 counties in West Virginia and five in Ohio, through the assistance of satellite offices in Wheeling and Charleston, W.Va., called First Microloan of West Virginia.
Another portion of WCCED’s operation involves developing the StarPointe Business Park on behalf of Washington County.