Seven months after giving their former executive director a pink slip, the Erie County Water Authority has a new leader. John Mye III will begin his tenure on February 4, the authority says.

Mye is a licensed professional engineer and experienced financial executive, most recently working as CFO and vice president at Ecology and Environment Inc. in Lancaster.

“I’m honored to be named ECWA’s executive director and bring my 25 years of private sector experience as a professional engineer and financial executive to the organization,” Mye said. “I believe my hiring is a clear indication of the direction the board of commissioners wants to take ECWA, and I look forward to using my experience to help lead the organization in that direction to the benefit of ECWA employees and, most importantly, its customers.”

Last June, the authority fired previous director Earl Jann but did not provide a reason. Jann had been a commissioner between 2011 and 2016 and began serving as chair in 2016.

His departure came days after the New York State Authorities Budget Office issued a report recommending all water authority commissioners who served between 2016 and 2017 be replaced due to a lack of transparency.

The report also criticized the board for approving Jann’s contract without reviewing the terms of the agreement, which guaranteed him a payout of $300,000 to $400,000 if he were forced out of the position for political reasons before his contract expired in 2020.