The Commissioners Bios
Belmont County has a three-member Board of County Commissioners that serve as the general administrative body for 86 of 88 Ohio counties; the exception being Cuyahoga and Summit Counties with its charter form of government. The Board of County Commissioners constitutes the chief governing board of Belmont County. Together they manage a large and diverse organization whose mission is to provide quality government services in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
J. P. Dutton
President of the Board of Commissioners
jdutton@belmontcountyohio.org
J. P. Dutton was elected to his seat which began on January 2, 2017. Prior to serving as a Commissioner, Mr. Dutton spent 9 years with Leonardo Technologies, Inc. (LTI), during which he focused on providing policy analysis to energy and environmental projects including global trends as well as advanced technologies, particularly in coal and natural gas. He has worked with a variety of clients including the Department of Energy, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Corps of Engineers. Prior to joining LTI, Mr. Dutton spent 8 years serving in a number of roles on Capitol Hill as Congressional staff. During this time period, he worked with federal, state, and local governments on behalf of Ohio’s 18th Congressional District which included 20 counties. Mr. Dutton was raised on a cattle farm in Flushing, Ohio, and graduated from Union Local High School. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Miami University, Richard T. Farmer School of Business as well as an MBA from Wheeling Jesuit University. He and his wife, Stacey, who is an area hospital social worker, are the parents of three young children.
Jerry Echemann
Vice President of the Board of Commissioners
jechemann@belmontcountyohio.org
Jerry grew up all around Ohio, including Sidney, Ironton, and Zanesville. He graduated from Ohio University in 1980, where his major was Radio & Television. He had a 31-year career doing TV news on WHIZ in Zanesville, but mostly with WTRF in Wheeling. He then spent several years as the Track Announcer at Wheeling Downs. This is his first time serving in an elective office. He lives in Martins Ferry with his sons Austin and Spencer.
Vince Gianangeli
vgianangeli@belmontcountyohio.org
Vince Gianangeli is serving in his first term as Belmont County Commissioner. He has over 40 years of public service. He spent 16 years at the State Auditor’s office (1984-2000), where he was a Regional Project Manager in the Local Government Services division and the Assistant Senior Deputy Auditor in Special Audits of fraud and embezzlements throughout the state of Ohio. He became a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) in 1994, and received his 30 year pin from the National Association of CFE’s in 2024. Vince also worked at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for 4 years (2000-2004), serving as Account Manager and Bureau Chief in the Office of Child Support. Vince worked at the Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services (BCDJFS) (2004-2020), where he was the Fiscal Administrator for 10 years and Director for 6 years. During his time at BCDJFS, he was appointed by the Ohio Job and Family Services Directors Association as the Chair of the Statewide Fiscal Committee. Vince currently is in his 4th term of office as the Colerain Township Fiscal Officer, serving in that position since 2012. He also works part-time as the Fiscal Manager at St. John Central Academy.
Vince graduated from St. John Central High School in 1979, obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree with a major in accounting from Ohio University in 1984, and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree from Franciscan University in 1989.
Vince is very active in his community. He has been a member of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy since 1979, and served as State Officer for 8 years and Local Lodge Officer in various capacities over 37 years. He was the President from 1995-1999, and it was during this time he spearheaded the Lodge’s renovation at its current location in Bellaire. He is currently the Orator of the organization.
Vince is a proud member of the Neffs Post 77, Sons of the American Legion, where he is a Legion Rider and serves as the Recording Secretary. He is also a member of the St. Clairsville Fraternal Order of Eagles.
He has been married to his wife, Patti Gianangeli, for 39 years. She is a Registered Nurse at WVU Medicine, Wheeling Hospital. They have two adult children, Gabriella and Zac.