HOLLIDAYSBURG – The Blair County Trail, Park and Recreation Authority spent its third formal meeting on Wednesday morning discussing further steps to get the group up and running, including expectations for the incoming executive director.

Since its formal creation by the Blair County Commissioners in May, the Authority has worked to set up the foundational legal and financial instruments it will use to carry out daily business.

Chief among these steps is setting up internal bylaws, which will dictate meeting procedures, board member terms and numerous other legal limitations.

The nine board members offered their input on a slate of draft bylaws drawn up by Authority Board member Sherry Socie, which will be reviewed by Solicitor Chris Furman of Gabriel Fera, P.C., for formal approval in early 2026.

“We’re building (our bylaws) from the ground up, so there’s no reference point, so these are all good conversations,” said Board Chair Rachel DiAndrea.

The first objective for the board will be to hire an executive director to lead the authority’s day to day operations, with Board members Doug Brown and Joe Keller heading the recruitment process.

According to Brown, the authority is looking for a candidate with a minimum of three- to five-years’ experience in a relevant field such as outdoor recreation management and/or a bachelor’s degree in that field.

Imhoff said that applicable experience was the priority, so the specific degree requirement being a bachelor’s or master’s degree is less critical.

Brown requested and received authorization from the board to advertise the updated job description online in hopes of reviewing qualified candidates sometime in January.

DiAndrea said the authority is offering a salary range between $60,000-90,000, depending on experience and additional qualifications like grant writing experience.

Once the executive director is in place, the authority can move forward with its main priority — applying for grant funding to develop outdoor recreation assets in Blair County.

All future authority meetings will take place in a to-be-determined room in the Blair County Convention Center as the authority sets up its full time office space elsewhere in the center,

DiAndrea said.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.