TOLEDO, Ohio — Lucas County Children Services is one step closer to a new executive director.
On Wednesday, the LCCS Board of Trustees passed a motion to offer a contract to Randall Muth, the current executive director of Mahoning County Children Services. The board will now begin negotiating an employment contract with him.
Board Chair Kathy Vasquez said she hopes to have Muth in the position by mid-summer 2023.
"He's the right person at the right time," Vasquez said. "He's had progressively more responsibility at the agencies he's been at. This would be his third executive director of a child protective agency, so that's a wealth of experience we're looking forward to and that we think will be a successful executive director for us going forward."
Muth, who has held his MCCS position since July 2013, has a juris doctorate from the University of Akron and spent a few years in private law practice. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Kent State University. He is also a U.S. Army veteran.
He has served with the Public Children Services Association of Ohio as a past trustee, secretary and chair of the legislative committee.
"We need an advocate for children in Lucas County," Vasquez said. "We need someone who is very familiar with the political environment, in terms of funding. There have been a number of new initiatives in Ohio that need to be coordinated. In fact, he's had some success in his current position with some of those that have changed the face of how child protection is managed in Ohio."
The previous LCCS executive director, Robin Reese, had a salary of $146,109.60 in 2020 and retired in October 2022. A salary for Muth is part of the contract negotiation.