One county prison has been in search of a new warden for over two months.
The search ended Thursday when the previous prison captain was promoted to warden.
The Cambria County Board of Commissioners appointed Kurt Wolford as full-time prison warden during Thursday’s meeting.
As a recap, two months ago, former warden Christian Smith retired abruptly for “personal reasons” during an executive session at a 2025 County Reorganization Meeting.
First deputy, Craig Descavish, stepped in as a temporary warden while the board of commissioners searched for a long-term replacement.
Descavish is retiring this April, so he could not permanently fill the position.
President Commissioner Scott Hunt spoke on Thursday morning about why Wolford was the right man for the job.
“He is very passionate about Cambria County and about the prison system in Cambria County,” said Hunt. “He has already had a list of places he wants to take, you know, the prison to make it better.”
Hunt says that Wolford has worked for the county for 18-years and has had a leadership position for 11.
He also says that Wolford is adamant on creating a positive workspace for prison employees.
“He’s very easy to work with and it’s not very often in government that seven people sit on a prison board unanimously said without a doubt, without a question, that he was the number one candidate, best interview and best resume for the position.”
Wolford says one challenge that they face is that they have a young staff, but he is also excited to build them into leaders not only in corrections, but in the community as well.
Wolford says that his father is the reason he holds such passion for his career.
“My father 30 years ago was warden at the old jail, broke ground on the prison that I work in today,” said Wolford. “He always instilled in me the importance of public service and working hard to make sure that the staff that are under you are taken care of and supported, and that is my driving force throughout my career.”
Wolford says that it is an honor to be a warden, but to him what is important is to make the prison successful for staff and reduce recidivism.
Wolford will take over as warden effective April 12th at a yearly salary of around $83,000 dollars.