Corrections Department Names New Leadership Team at SCI Pittsburgh

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Acting Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel today announced a change in administration at the State Correctional Institution at Pittsburgh.

"Beginning today, there is a new leadership team in place that will take SCI Pittsburgh in a new direction," Wetzel said, announcing that the new team of administrators will include:

Louis Folino: Folino, who will serve as superintendent of SCI Pittsburgh, has more than 33 years of correctional experience and 25 years in management.  He has worked as a department head, deputy superintendent or superintendent for 19 years.  

"Lou is a dedicated professional with a proven record of achievement in assuming increasing levels of responsibility," Wetzel said. "He recently was named warden of the year by the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents.

"Throughout his extensive career, Lou has had a positive impact upon many employees throughout this department and I am confident that he will lead the change at SCI Pittsburgh and will serve as an example of professionalism and integrity for all."

After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1973 to 1976, Folino began his career as a corrections officer, working at SCIs Greensburg and Pittsburgh. From 1978 to 1998, he rose through the ranks and achieved the rank of major in 1992. He then was named deputy superintendent at SCI Somerset in 1998, and in 2003, was named superintendent of SCI Greene, the state's maximum security prison.

Folino has an associate degree in administration of justice from the Community College of Allegheny County, a bachelor's degree in administration of justice from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Geneva College.

James Eckard: Eckard, who will serve as deputy superintendent for facility management, began his career in 1987 as a corrections officer at SCI Cresson. He rose through the ranks, having served as sergeant, training sergeant, lieutenant and captain. Also while at Cresson, he served as shift commander, was on the prison's emergency response team and was the prison's first rifle specialist.

From 2001 to 2004, he worked at the DOC's central office writing policies and procedures and training emergency response team leaders. During that same period until 2005, he also served as the central region's emergency response team coordinator, where he supervised nine 25-member teams.

Eckard was promoted to major of the guard at SCI Smithfield in 2005, and in 2008 was named deputy superintendent for facility management. From 2009 to present he has served as deputy superintendent for facility management at SCI Huntingdon.

He earned an associate degree in criminology from Mount Aloysius College.

Jay Whitesel: Whitesel, who will serve as deputy superintendent for centralized services, began his career as a corrections officer at SCI Smithfield in 1989. Throughout his career he worked at SCIs Huntingdon, Smithfield, Houtzdale and Cresson and the DOC's Central Office, having served as sergeant, counselor, unit manager, classification program manager, staff assistant to the Eastern region deputy secretary and special assistant to the secretary of corrections. He was named deputy superintendent for centralized services at SCI Smithfield in 2010.

He earned a bachelor's degree and a master of divinity from Lee University in Cleveland, TN.

Robert Gilmore: Gilmore, who will serve as major of the guard, began his career as a corrections officer at SCI Graterford in 1990. In 1994, he transferred to SCI Albion, where he served as sergeant. A move to SCI Cambridge Springs in 1998 as lieutenant afforded him opportunities to serve as acting captain and acting major of the guard. Gilmore returned to SCI Albion in 2004 as captain and then was promoted in 2007 to major of the guard.

Gilmore has served on the emergency response team, as a restricted housing unit officer, training sergeant, emergency preparedness coordinator and intelligence gathering captain.

SCI Pittsburgh first opened in 1882. After being mothballed in 2005, it reopened in June 2007 and now houses 1,655 minimum to lower-medium security male offenders. The prison's administration building was renovated and now serves as a community corrections center and regional office.

Media contact: Susan McNaughton, 717-975-4879

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Corrections