By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LEBANON - Warren County commissioners appointed a new member Tuesday to the county's Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Board.

Roger Houck, 66, of Oregonia, joins the seven-member board after two members recently resigned.

Houck will finish out the term of Sonya Staffan, who quit in March about two weeks before the resignation of fellow board member Cathy Hamilton. Staffan was reappointed in 2000 and was to serve until 2004.

The second vacancy is expected to be filled soon, MRDD Superintendent John Lazares said Tuesday. Warren County Probate Judge Mike Powell will make that appointment.

Houck joins the MRDD board with at least a decade of MRDD experience. He spent eight years as the personnel director for Hamilton County's MRDD board and worked from 2000 until his retirement in 2002 in the personnel department at Warren County's MRDD agency.

"He knows the MRDD business really well," said Lazares, who first contacted Houck for the seat about a month ago.

Houck said working with the mentally disabled is close to his heart. Five of his relatives are mentally retarded.

"So I know how intense the need is," he said. "It's a segment of our population that really needs a lot of help and it takes a lot of caring people to serve their needs. I was working with them 10 years and it wasn't until I had that direct contact with them that I realized what great needs they had."

While MRDD's new leaders, including Houck, have been credited with overhauling the agency, there has been debate over whether a full-time superintendent is needed.

Lazares serves part time. He also is superintendent of the Warren County Educational Service Center and the Warren County Alternative School.

Commissioners have defended his performance and say his part-time status saves the county money.

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com