Edwards names Social Services Commissioner
By PATRICK FANELLIMAYVILLE - The former social and health services field operations director from Washington state is returning to his native Chautauqua County as the county's new social services commissioner.
Recently, County Executive Greg Edwards announced the selection of Steven Wickmark for the position, which has remained vacant since December. According to Edwards, Wickmark will start today.
As field operations director for the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services, Wickmark was responsible for overseeing 2,600 full-time employees in 47 field offices across the state.
"Wickmark will provide practical leadership for the entire department, will provide consultative leadership with the other human service directors and will be a visible and credible spokesperson throughout the county and at regional, state and federal levels,'' Edwards said.
The post has been vacant since the departure of Kirk Maurer, the county's former social services commissioner. Since then, Betsy Steger has served as interim commissioner.
"I'm excited about having Mr. Wickmark join us,'' Ms. Steger said of her new boss. "We have a wonderful staff that will rally behind him well.''
As commissioner, Wickmark will be responsible for overseeing the county's temporary assistance, medical assistance and children and family services programs, according to Edwards.
Prior to his former post on the West Coast, Wickmark - a graduate of the State University at Fredonia - worked as executive director for the Rochester-Monroe County Youth Bureau and then as an attorney in Cassadaga, according to biographical information provided by the county. Wickmark also grew up in Chautauqua County.
"Once again, we've opened the door to allow someone to come back to their roots,'' Edwards said.
Wickmark believes the toughest problem he will face is a rapidly growing demand for services and a decreasing level of funding from the state and federal government, which mandates much of the work carried out by the Department of Social Services.
"Certainly, the challenges facing (Chautauqua County) are the same as they are across the country,'' Wickmark said.
The same day Wickmark was announced as the new social services commissioner, Ms. Steger helped convince county legislators to add six new positions to the Department of Social Services' Medicaid unit, reportedly one of the most understaffed areas of county government.
With county funding for Medicaid limited by a statewide cap, Albany will pick up the tab for those positions.
