MILL CREEK METROPARKS - After a month of sifting through over 20 applications, the newest Mill Creek Metro Park Commissioners have been announced. 

Probate Judge Robert Rusu Jr. said in a statement that he has selected Jim Houck and Katharine Paul to fill Germaine Bennett and Tom Frost's former commissioner roles in Mill Creek. Ahead of Rusu's announcement, a six-member selection committee considered the applicants and ultimately recommended Houck and Paul for the open positions.

Houck owns the Youngstown-based marketing and public relations firm, Houck Agency. He has served in roles at Fellows Riverside Gardens and within Potential Development School for Students with Autism. An educator in Youngstown City Schools, Paul has also worked as a volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank and on the Mill Creek Park Educational Committee.

"I believe that they will be able to quickly add depth and their unique talents to the current park board and continue to move the park in a positive direction for future generations," Rusu said in a statement.

The new commissioners are set to take the oath of office in December and will assume the duties of office at a January 12, 2026 park board meeting. Houck and Paul will serve as park commissioners within Mill Creek Metro Park for three years.