Columbiana County Port Authority CEO/Executive Director Penny Traina said she’s retiring April 1 after 30 years of public service.

LISBON — Columbiana County Port Authority CEO/Executive Director Penny Traina said she’s retiring April 1 after 30 years of public service and looking forward to just being.

“I told my husband, I just want to be,” she said. “Who knows what the next adventure is? My journey is not complete.”

When asked what she’s doing first as a retiree, she smiled and said, “Nothing.”

She recently turned 65, hit the 30-year mark in her career and her husband, Doug Haddox, already retired a year and a half ago.

“I’m going to join him in retirement so that we can travel and spend more time with the grandkids,” she said during a recent interview. “I thank him for supporting my career over the years.”

Together they share five children and 11 grandchildren. Throughout her career, Traina said her sons, Alfonso and Anthony, “have been the wind beneath my wings.”

Her faith and her family are extremely important to her.

Five trips are already planned to destinations such as Florida, Michigan, Georgia, the Bahamas and in Ohio, Hocking Hills State Park. She likes going to state parks, like Beaver Creek, to walk, but she also likes to travel a little farther from home, with the ocean her favorite place to be.

Traina’s retirement will likely be the topic of conversation at the next Columbiana County Port Authority Board of Directors meeting, set for 5 p.m. March 24. She thanked the members of the board for their support over the years and for her team, which includes CCPA Assistant Executive Director Brittany Smith, Executive Assistant Glenda Schafer, Project Coordinator Haeden Panezott and new hire Project Coordinator Elise Wallace.

“I would just like to thank my amazing staff for always going above and beyond. They truly are the A-Team,” she said, adding that she has had “an incredible Board of Directors.”

“I appreciate the collaborative effort of our partners across the public and private sectors, which I believe has been our driving force to success,” she said.

Traina explained that she’s been told other counties look to Columbiana County because of the ability of everyone to work together, to get all the mayors, officials and partners in one room at one time, collaborating and communicating together.

She also thanked the leadership of the Columbiana County commissioners for their help and support.

A 1978 graduate of Wellsville High School, Traina started her public service career with the Wellsville Local School District in 1992, serving in various capacities and leaving in 2007 as the chief financial officer/treasurer. During that time, she also earned a bachelor’s degree in human services from Canyon College in 2006.

She was appointed as a Columbiana County commissioner in January 2007 after former commissioner Sean Logan’s exit and remained until 2011 when she left for the private sector as municipal marketing manager for Interstate Waste Service in Carlisle, Pa., which then closed in 2012. From 2012 to 2015, she served as executive director of Crossroads at Beaver Creek, an assisted living facility in East Liverpool.

As a county commissioner, some of the highlights for Traina and the board included building the $10 million dollar, 78,000 square foot Government Services Building which houses the Board of Elections, Veterans Service Commission and the Department of Job and Family Services. They also refunded the county jail bonds at a savings, implemented Workers’ Compensation premium discount programs and decreased the county premium, wrote grants and collaborated with Kent State University and local businesses to beautify the ground and interior of the courthouse and saved money with installation of energy efficient lights.

Her work with the Columbiana County Port Authority began as a member of the Board of Directors and as fiscal officer from 2012 to 2015. Then in 2016, she was hired as the CEO/Executive Director where she will remain until April 1.

Her list of leadership appointments and awards is long, but one that stands out for Traina was being a member for two years of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee. She said one of her proudest accomplishments happened just recently with the governor’s creation of the Ohio River Commission to promote commerce and tourism on the river, which borders East Liverpool and Wellsville.

For Traina, who was part of the group working on the establishment of the commission, it was the culmination of several years worth of work which can benefit Columbiana County.

When she first came to the port authority, she realized one of the things missing was marketing of their greatest asset, the Ohio River. Marketing the Ohio River was one of the challenges she set for herself. She filled out a to do list for what she wanted to accomplish that filled two pages.

“I have done everything I set out to do on that list,” Traina said.

One of the first acts was selling the former CCPA building on Pennsylvania Avenue in East Liverpool, then moving to a building at the World Trade Park in Leetonia for several months from May through November 2018, then purchasing the current headquarters at Lincole Place, Lisbon.

“My philosophy for leadership has always been collaboration, cooperation and communication. I believe those 3C’s help you be successful. I’ve always led with my heart and integrity and I’ve always had a great team,” Traina said. “For my entire career, it was always important to thank my team because you can’t do anything by yourself. It’s important to have a trusting and dedicated team and to thank them for that.”

She said she’s proud of the progress CCPA has achieved and the partnerships built during her time there. She said it’s been “an honor for my career to be dedicated in fostering economic development and it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience.”

“I think we’ve made significant strides in advancing our region’s economic viability in creating opportunities for our communities and businesses, but most importantly, improving the lives of the countless individuals that live in our county,” Traina said.

She talked about how they’ve thought outside the box and laid the foundation for long-term success, attracting businesses, improving infrastructure and working on workforce development. They’ve been working since last year on increasing vibrancy for the county’s downtowns, too.

“I’ve been blessed with a great career in public service and met a lot of great people, a lot of great mentors who certainly helped me to be where I am today,” she said.

As for the future, Traina said, “I look forward to the continued success and growth of Columbiana County.”

mgreier@mojonews.com.