Centre County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously elected Democrat Mark Higgins to be board chair as now-former chair Michael Pipe prepares to resign later this month.
Pipe, who is leaving after 11 years as a commissioner to become deputy chief of staff for public safety in Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro’s administration, will participate in his final board meeting on Jan. 10 and his resignation will be effective Jan. 14. Also a Democrat, he stepped down as chair on Tuesday to give Higgins “as much runway” as possible, he said.
Amber Concepcion, the current State College Area School Board President who was appointed by former Centre County President Judge Pamela Ruest to fill the vacancy, will be sworn in to fill the remainder of Pipe’s term as commissioner following his official resignation.
Higgins had been vice chair of the three-commissioner board since his first term began in 2016. Pipe had been chair for the same period.
Pipe nominated Higgins for chair and the motion was seconded by Republican Commissioner Steve Dershem. All three also voted for Pipe to serve as vice chair for the remainder of his tenure.
“I will continue our successful partnership with Commissioner Dershem, the other elected county officials… the 570 county employees… the over 100 human services partner agencies and the more than 160,000 Centre County residents,” Higgins said. “We have a great team that will continue to provide great services to Centre County citizens.”
Higgins called Pipe’s departure “bittersweet,” saying he was happy for the three-term commissioner’s new opportunity, but that he will “miss working with a good friend who helped make me a better person.”
He listed several of the board’s accomplishments during Pipe’s tenure, noting that in 2019 all three sitting commissioners were reelected for the first time in modern Centre County history. Higgins cited a lack of any county property tax increases during the entirety of Pipe’s time as commissioner, as well as recidivism initiative spearheaded by Pipe in 2013 that has contributed to a 50% reduction in citizens incarcerated in the Centre County Correctional Facility without an increase in crime.
Higgins also pointed to Pipe’s efforts to fund a Centre County drug treatment court and a behavioral health treatment court, which is expected to begin this year.
“He’s definitely leaving the county in better shape than he found it, and there are so many accomplishments,” Higgins said.
Dershem congratulated Higgins on his new role and said he enjoyed working alongside Pipe for more than a decade.
“Mike, I really want to say publicly that it’s been a pleasure serving with you for 11 years and I wish you only the best as you move on to new adventures,” Dershem said.
Pipe said he will remain focused on Centre County during his final 10 days in office.
“Between now and then I’m going to continue to work tirelessly for the people of Centre County and especially with a particular focus on ensuring a smooth transition for our next Board of Commissioners,” Pipe said, adding that he would offer further reflections on his time as commissioner at his final meeting next week. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the role of chair. I’ve tried to appreciate different perspectives, bring people together, strive for consensus and above all work together as a team to do good things for Centre County.”
Concepcion, his successor as commissioner, was in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting, and Pipe said he appreciated Ruest’s “efficiency and due diligence” in appointing her to serve the final year of his elected term. Ruest announced the appointment on Friday, just days before her retirement as president judge.
Pennsylvania’s County Code calls for the Court of Common Pleas to appoint a registered elector of the county from the same political party as the departing commissioner when a vacancy occurs. Judges commonly work with the local political party to determine the appointment for a commissioner vacancy, and Higgins said he recommended Concepcion based on three criteria.
“…One, I wanted someone who is prepared to govern today,” Higgins said. “Two, I wanted someone who had the political skills to keep the job tomorrow. And three, someone who had the vision and leadership to assist Centre County Government and the Democratic Party well into the future. That person is clearly Amber Concepcion…
“Amber is going to be an excellent commissioner. She is already in training right now and she’s here in the room watching us. Thank you, Amber, for agreeing to serve in a new capacity. I look forward to partnering with Amber both governmentally and politically.”
Dershem said he is looking forward to working with Concepcion.
“Amber… I do appreciate you stepping up and I look forward to working with you in the very near future,” he said.
