The Saratogian>>
The Prevention Council has appointed Janine Stuchin as its interim executive director while it searches for a permanent replacement for Heather Kisselback, who resigned last month after details of her driving while intoxicated arrest came to light.
Stuchin’s appointment by the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors was effective Monday.
Financial Manager David Garmley had been serving as the Prevention Council’s temporary head administrator since Kisselback resigned.
According to a press release from the Prevention Council, Stuchin is a longtime resident of Saratoga Springs, has a Master of Science degree in health education from Penn State University and has been a practicing health educator for more than 20 years. She served for 14 years as coalition manager with the Prevention Council for the state Department of Health’s Tobacco Control Program.
A certified health education specialist since 1990, Stuchin has worked as a campus health educator at Skidmore College and Penn State University. According to the press release, she is an expert at relating health prevention and tobacco control information in language suitable for a broad audience.
“Janine has a longstanding personal and professional commitment to the health and well-being of our community,” Board President Richard Ferguson said, adding that Stuchin’s appointment was vetted and approved by the state Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services.”
“I’m proud of the work the Prevention Council staff does every day to transform the lives of children and families for the better,” Stuchin said in the Prevention Council’s release. “There is no one in this community who has not been affected by our work in one way or another. Through collaboration with many agencies, we have been and always will be a resource for reducing the impact of substance abuse, alcohol abuse, violence and other destructive behaviors on young people and the communities where we live.”
A search for a permanent executive director is in its initial stages. Kisselback resigned in mid-June, months after her arrest and only after it became public in news reports. She informed the board of her arrest immediately after it happened in early spring and offered her resignation then, but the board allowed her to stay on provided she receive counseling.
Board Treasurer Michael Harman is heading up the search for a new executive director. Interested candidates should send a resumé and a letter of intent to Michael Harman at michaelmharman@yahoo.com.
Harman said he and the board also are seeking input from the public on the type of candidate that should fill the position.
The 31-year-old Prevention Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent the abuse of drugs and alcohol. The group administers a variety of programs, many that focus on youth and emphasize good decision-making.