MONTICELLO — The Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Board has formally asked the Legislature to appoint Grahamsville resident Paul Guenther to the board.

Steve White's ascension to IDA CEO left a Board seat open, and at this month's meeting, Board members unanimously agreed (minus an absent Sandy Shaddock) to request Guenther's appointment by legislators.

“His experience on boards is unmatched in Sullivan County,” noted IDA Board Chair and Legislator Ira Steingart. “... His expertise is critical, I think, to our success in the future.”

Well-known as the former chairman of the New York Philharmonic and Fordham University boards, Guenther retired in 1995 as president of PaineWebber Group, a former financial services firm.

According to a biography on the Columbia Business School's website (the college where he earned his MBA in 1964), Guenther is an investor in Walden Capital Partners and serves on the boards of the Guardian Life Insurance Company and Lenox Hill Hospital.

Locally, he is a board member of Bethel Woods and SUNY Sullivan.

“The guy's a rock star,” assessed IDA Board member Sean Rieber. “We're fortunate to have him.”

“I've served with Paul on a board,” remarked IDA Board member Suzanne Rhulen-Loughlin. “... He knows a lot about governance. ... Having someone with his breadth and depth of experience will be really helpful to us.”

“It's difficult for me to think of any opposition to a guy of this caliber on our board,” added IDA Board member Ed Sykes.

“We should be putting out the red carpet for Paul,” agreed Steingart, who said passing up this opportunity would be “a horrible mistake.”

Guenther, he said, is willing to serve. (Guenther could not be reached for comment.)

“The idea of having Paul Guenther on this board is extraordinary,” Legislature Chairman Scott Samuelson told the IDA during its meeting.

Yet despite his record of service, Guenther was not known by every legislator, said Steingart, which is why Steingart abandoned an initial plan to quickly pass a resolution last week to appoint Guenther to the IDA Board.

Instead, Guenther was introduced on November 20 to individual legislators, the majority of whom are expected to appoint him to the open seat in December.

But a straight appointment might or might not be unanimous. Several legislators have expressed a desire to hold public interviews with a variety of candidates (including Guenther), the same as was done for the last two open board seats.

“I am uncomfortable with an appointment [instead of] a process whereby we reach out throughout the county,” Legislator Cindy Gieger told the Democrat. “I would like to see a more focused approach on small business and a new board member with that vision.”

Legislator Cora Edwards, too, expressed concern to Steingart that the interview process might be bypassed, while Legislator Gene Benson was on the fence.

“At this point, I'm fine [with appointing Guenther],” he remarked, “but for the look of propriety, maybe we should go through with an interview.”

Steingart replied that the Legislature is not obligated to conduct interviews and has done direct appointments in the past. He added that Guenther already appears to be the consummate candidate, especially if casinos come to the region.

“He is a standout,” Steingart remarked to the Demo­crat, “When you look at the individual and his experience, ... how could anyone not appoint him?”

To that end, with the IDA Board's recommendation letter in hand, Steingart plans to continue soliciting all his colleagues' votes.

“I want their full support,” he acknowledged.