Conservation chief retires after 33 years
The Butler County Conservation District is losing a familiar face.
Ron Fodor officially retired last week after more than 33 years as director. In his place, Sue Vogel has been hired. Fodor will continue to work for the district part-time as a consultant and to help train Vogel.
Fodor, 62, of Slippery Rock was hired by the district in 1981. He said he likely will stay on as a consultant until the end of the year.
“It's time,” Fodor said. “You know when it's time.”
The conservation district provides environmental expertise to help property owners deal with land use issues, handles related problems, and is involved with the preservation of agricultural lands.
“Managing our natural resources. That's our main goal and concern as a district,” Vogel said.
Fodor said the job was enjoyable.
“It was something that you could really love to do. So many people complain that they don't like their job. It was something that I just really enjoyed, and that's why I stuck with it for all those years,” Fodor said.
Over the years, the district has grown. Today, there are five employees. Besides the director, three employees review construction permits and another employee is a watershed specialist.
“When I first got there, it was just me,” Fodor said.
More than 20 years ago, the district started the county's agriculture preservation program.
“It's preserving the land for future generations to continue to farm,” Fodor said.
He said that many other counties have such a program, but it is in a different department.
“I volunteered to do it, because no one else was doing it (in the county),” Fodor said.
He said the program has preserved more than 5,000 acres since it began.
For the first 16 years of the Butler County Farm Tour, the district organized the event. Over the years, Fodor has worked to get grants for things like acid mine abatement projects, as well as grants for farmers for projects such as fencing improvements and manure storage. He also said many miles of dirt and gravel roads have been improved by working with local municipal officials.Fodor said he will miss working with the different people and agencies that he used to interact with every day.“Just dealing with people with their conservation problems. I'll just miss the people the most,” Fodor said.In retirement, Fodor will continue to serve as the mayor of Slippery Rock, and said he would like to travel and volunteer more.“I really enjoy volunteering for different things,” said Fodor, who currently is the president of the Slippery Rock Rotary Club.He graduated in 1980 from Slippery Rock University with a bachelor's degree in public administration. Fodor is married with two daughters.Vogel, 45, of Beaver County started working in the county last month. Before this, she worked at the Centre County Conservation District for eight years.Vogel graduated from Penn State University in the 1990s with a bachelor's degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management.Growing up on a farm in Beaver County, she was a member of 4H as a child and has had a longtime interest in farming and conservation.“My interest in conservation has stemmed back years,” Vogel said.With a month on the job, Vogel said she is working to get used to her new position. For instance, she noted that the Butler district has its agriculture preservation program. In Centre County, she said that program was run out of a different county department.She will make a little more than $60,000 per year.Vogel is married with two daughters.County Commissioner Jim Eckstein, a member of the conservation district board, said Fodor was an asset to the county.“I'm really going to miss Ron Fodor,” Eckstein said at a meeting Wednesday.He praised Vogel's expertise and said he believes she will do a good job.“I think she was a standout,” Eckstein said.
