EBENSBURG, Pa. – Cambria County Prison Warden Christian Smith retired Wednesday after nearly three decades of employment at the prison.
Smith’s retirement announcement was abrupt, Cambria County Prison Board members said.
Smith could not be reached for comment at the prison after Wednesday’s prison board reorganization meeting at the Cambria County Courthouse in Ebensburg.
Christian Smith
Cambria County Prison Warden Christian Smith
Prison board members said they were prepared for a usual reorganization meeting. Appointing a warden is routine business of that annual reorganization.
“It felt like we were going through the motions like we do most of the time,” prison board member and Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic said. He was expecting Smith to be reappointed.
However, Smith announced his retirement during a private executive session that was held just before the public reorganization meeting.
The executive session was called by prison board member and Cambria County Commissioner Keith Rager for the purpose of discussing the warden’s position, but Rager said he did not expect Smith’s announcement.
“I never saw that coming,” Rager said.
Board members declined to comment about the details of what was said during the executive session that preceded Smith’s retirement announcement.
The board is composed of Sheriff Don Robertson; Commissioners Scott Hunt, Thomas Chernisky and Rager; District Attorney Greg Neugebauer; Cernic; and President Judge Linda Fleming, who was absent from the meeting Wednesday.
After the executive session, the prison board publicly accepted Smith’s retirement and appointed Deputy Warden Craig Descavish to serve as warden until the prison board conducts a full search for a warden to replace Smith.
Hunt said Smith was employed by the prison for 28 years and was warden for many of those years.
“We thank Christian for his 28 years at the prison and his service as warden,” Hunt said.