Frank Mento to Serve as Deputy Commissioner of WEP & Michael Plochocki as Deputy County Attorney III
Mento & Plochocki to start December 31st
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – County Executive J. Ryan McMahon, II announced today that Frank Mento, PE will join the department of Water Environment Protection as Deputy Commissioner and Michael Plochocki will serve as a Deputy County Attorney III with a specialized focus in the area of environmental law.
The addition of a second Deputy Commissioner at WEP reflects the priority being placed on investing in our infrastructure. Among other responsibilities, Mento will be responsible for supporting the Commissioner in areas of wastewater treatment and the control of drainage, flood and water pollution. Mento comes to County government with an extensive background in design and construction project management, strategic planning & positioning and organizational development. He has served as a Senior Engineer with the New York State Department of Transportation, project engineer and eventually Senior Vice President with CHA, Inc.
County Executive McMahon said, “Our community has a number of infrastructure challenges that we need to address and having someone with the background and experience of Frank on the team will help us get the job done.” McMahon continued, “It will take all of us coming together and I’m confident that adding Frank to our already outstanding team at WEP will help us accomplish that.”
As Deputy County Attorney III, Plochocki will have a heavy focus on environmental law and compliance and be focused on preserving and building off the success of the Save the Rain program. Plochocki will also be tasked with ensuring that Onondaga County remains compliant with, among other things, the Clean Water Act, Compensation and Liability Act as well as other applicable law as it relates to invasive species.
“As an attorney, Chair of the Environmental Protection Committee and a leading advocate on issues related to our environment, Mike has the first-hand experience necessary to help preserve our past successes, including the cleanup of Onondaga Lake, and help ensure future success while remaining fully compliant with existing and future environmental law.”
Plochocki will vacate his County Legislative seat prior to joining County government.