Photo by Joseph Bell
Richard G. Gavazzi recently started working for Elk County as the Housing and Program Specialist.

 Weedville native new Housing and Program Specialist for the county

By Joseph Bell

Staff Writer

The Elk County Courthouse Annex along Center Street has a new face as Richard G. Gavazzi, the newly-appointed Housing and Program Specialist, has begun working for the county.
Gavazzi, a 1989 St. Marys Area High School graduate and Weedville native said recently that his responsibilities are to coordinate and facilitate the Northern Tier Access Grant Program (NTAG), a program that routinely provides grants for home modifications to low- and moderate-income persons with physical disabilities of all ages to make their homes more accessible.
NTAG covers a four-county region, including Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter Counties.
In addition, Gavazzi also helps qualifiers through the Elk County Housing Rehabilitation Program.
“Basically, we’re facilitating the programs and assisting families with not only accessibility needs, but helping the families rehabilitate their homes to bring them up to the current code,” Gavazzi said. “Obviously, the programs have guidelines to target low- to moderate-income, those guidelines are set.”
Following high school graduation, Gavazzi focused on administering grant programs for emergency services, day care centers, schools and churches for at least 12 years.  In fact, during those 12 years, the new program specialist procured over $1.5 million in grant money for the area, an achievement which Gavazzi calls a ‘significant amount of money in a short period of time.’
“You think 12 years is long but, in reality, when you’re applying for money and funding, that amount of money is significant,” Gavazzi said. “It was really any local entity or non-profit organization throughout Elk County and Clearfield County, I helped them apply and procure money in the form of grants to help their respective situations.
“Over the years, I’ve been affiliated with various groups,” Gavazzi said. “There’s a lot of programs within federal, state, local and private foundations to apply for money to help other areas.”
Current president of the Jay Township Volunteer Fire Company, Gavazzi has multiple grant program affiliations, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and the United States Department of Agriculture (Rural Housing Development).
But for Gavazzi, despite his new position and success both past and present, his most rewarding feeling is reaching out to Elk County residents.
“Just to help them not only with their accessibility needs but to be able to help them with their homes and the things that they need to do to improve their situations,” Gavazzi said. “The greatest reward is being able to devote your time.
“This job came up several months ago and I applied, and I think with my construction and building experience, coinciding with administration and fund procurement that I have, I think it excelled me into this position.”
For the immediate and long-term future, Gavazzi said he hopes to continue to administer the current existing programs that are available to residents in the county.
“In addition, I have to continue to try and do what I’m doing now, but be able to see what else is out there,” Gavazzi said. “Is there any other federal or state funding sources, or anything that we can utilize here at the county to work in a collaborative effort to provide additional resources to the county residents to help them?
“Not only are we targeting accessibility and home rehabilitation, but is there anything else out there that will help with additional funding and resources to the Elk County residents?”
Looking ahead, Gavazzi said he hopes to find answers that some of Elk County’s residents are looking for.
“Hopefully, there are other federal or state entities out there that have programs that Elk County can jump on board with,” Gavazzi said. “Just to basically administer those programs to provide additional help that is needed, especially with the way things are with the economy.”
Gavazzi resides in Weedville with his wife, Christine, and has two daughters, Katie and Lindsey Daly.