Pine Grove names new town chair after sudden vacancy

By Alex Wong

PINE GROVE — The Pine Grove Town Board this week unanimously appointed Rena Laska as its new chairperson, filling a sudden vacancy with a corporate contract specialist who oversees tens of millions of dollars in annual expenditures.

Laska stepped forward to fill the seat left vacant by former Town Chairman Ben Sawyer, who stepped down midterm to retire. Her appointment prevented a potential deadlock in town leadership.

“I’m happy to fill the position, and if I’m not elected in the spring for the position, then so be it,” Laska said. “But I did not want the town to go without a position.”

Laska brings 18 years of experience as a procurement specialist. She holds a business degree and spent 15 years as a manufacturing buyer for Donaldson Company before transitioning to Century Insurance. In her current role, she manages facility contracts for electricians, plumbers and asphalt paving, overseeing roughly $60 million in annual spending.

Town Supervisor Fred Altenberg expressed immediate support for the appointment after hearing her professional background.

“Rena’s got some wicked qualifications that I knew nothing about,” Altenberg said. “They’re way overqualified.”

Laska said she had previously considered seeking the office but temporarily stepped back because she did not want to run against the incumbent chairman.

With the leadership vacancy addressed, Altenberg and the board discussed a long-term proposal to expand the town board from three members to five. The expansion would help the board delegate workloads and avoid quorum-related communication conflicts.

Town Supervisor Bill Pratt cautioned that adding two more supervisors would cost the town an additional $8,000 annually and would require further research into population and statutory requirements.

“I know that seems ridiculous to be haggling over eight grand, but you know what … eight grand is eight grand,” Altenberg said.

Following Altenberg’s formal nomination, the board unanimously approved Laska’s appointment. A special meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday to administer her oath of office and review a pending general engineering contract.

In a separate administrative action, the board voted to update its banking authorizations to require two signatures on all town checks, expanding the pool of authorized signers to three officials to ensure backup coverage.