Sewickley council appoints Ed Green to fill vacancy

Sewickley council members have pulled from the borough planning commission to fill a vacancy.

Councilman Hendrik van der Vaart of Ward 2 resigned from his elected post last month. He’s moved out of state. His term expires at the end of 2023.

Planning commissioner Ed Green was unanimously appointed Thursday night by the remaining eight members to fill Van der Vaart’s spot.

Green has been a resident of Sewickley for 20 years, and served on the planning commission the past year and a half.

He worked as senior mechanical design engineer for Curtiss Wright EMD for almost 20 years before serving as director of engineering for Thar Energy and principal engineer for Berry Metal Co.

He also worked as a project manager for AGR International for about seven months, and is currently self-employed as a consulting engineer.

“I’ve got time on my hands to help the borough in any way that I can,” Green said. “I have a background in buildings, streets, water treatment systems (and) sewage treatment plants. I think I can help the borough and council out with making decisions on maintenance items, new purchases – and things like that that have to go on.”

Green also has experience with budgets and personnel issues and a project manager.

Council President Jeff Neff asked Green his opinion about the current and past council, and how the borough is doing.

“You do the best that you can, and I don’t complain because I know it’s a tough job,” Green replied. “I think I can help you, and I have no political goals that we must do this or that. I like to make sure the borough is helped out and we’re spending our tax dollars wisely.”

Councilwoman Cynthia Mullins said she and Green were among five candidates for a vacant council position in 2018. Mullins was selected to replace then-Councilman Thomas DeFazio.

“I think Ed is a tremendous asset to (the planning commission), and I think he would be a tremendous asset to council,” Mullins said. “He’s very good at listening. He’s very good at analyzing. I think that he has the skill set that, based on what we have on our plate as council right now, would be very valuable to us.”

Mayor Brian Jeffe swore in Green virtually. It’s unclear who would replace Green on the planning commission.

Green was one of three residents who applied for the Ward 2 seat. Other candidates were Stratton Nash, a global marketing specialist, and Roger Loughney, a self-employed businessman in medical sales.

Borough manager Marla Marcinko said Nash withdrew his name from the list shortly before the meeting started.

Loughney was at work and could not attend the Zoom special meeting Thursday.