Darla Youngs Leaving OCCA Helm
To Accept New Job In Binghamton
SPRINGFIELD – Darla Youngs, veteran executive director of the OCCA, the Otsego County Conservation Association, is resigning in the next month to join Tier Information & Enterprise Resources in Binghamton.
Jeff O’Handley, OCCA program director since July 2013, will serve as acting executive director, effective May 16.
TIER is the non-profit arm of the Southern Tier East Regional Planning Development Board, which provides services to regional planning and economic-development agencies in Otsego and seven other counties: Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Schoharie, Tioga and Tompkins.
The Southern Tier board’s executive director of Erik Miller of Oneonta, Youngs’ former boss at the OCCA, which she joined as administrative director in 2008, rising to her current position in 2011.
As E-D, Youngs has shepherded OCCA through such major initiatives as “What’s In Our Water?”, a testing that resulted in a legally defensible baseline if water contamination is detected, and review of the proposed Edic-to-Fraser transmission line, which was delayed for further state Public Service Commission review.
She also has added electronic fundraising campaigns, expanded the Circuit Rider Planner Program, and initiated such public education campaigns as last year’s “Clean, Drain and Dry or Kiss the Fish Goodbye!” campaign.
A resident of Hartwick, Youngs previously was general manager of The Freeman’s Journal.