UPDATE: More from Shapiro on Convention Center switch

UPDATE: "Your story unfairly and inaccurately states that I broke ranks with Mayor Nutter's allies to remove Ahmeenah Young. That is simply not true and a very unfair characterization of the events that ultimately led to a mutual parting of the ways with Ahmeenah," writes Josh Shapiro, chairman of Montgomery County Commissioners and new vice chairman of the Pennsylvania Convention Center board.

I pointed out that Shapiro joined the gubernatorial, suburban and Republican majority, and opposed the minority of city and labor board members, including Laborers representative Ryan Boyer and Mayor Nutter appointee Heather Steinmiller, who opposed early resolutions paving the way to shift Center management from city appointees to SMG. Says Shapiro: "It is accurate to say that I was initially on the opposite side of Heather and Ryan as it relates to the decision to privatize the center--but not as it relates to Ahmeenah's future."

I told Vice Chairman Shapiro, if he believed he could bring in SMG, but also keep Ahmeenah Young in charge, he may have been the only person who thought so. -- For more on Shapiro's relationship to SMG (the law firm he's 'Of Counsel' to has represented SMG), read my earlier item here.

EARLIER: Harrisburg lobbyist and Delaware County Republican dynast John McNichol is likely to be confirmed as the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority's $220,000-plus-benefits-a-year chief executive officer at today's PCCA board meeting, while Montgomery County Commissioners chief Josh Shapiro (a Democrat) replaces McNichol as vice chairman of the board, a couple of board members told me this morning, on condition I not name them.

McNichol will take over a reduced version of the post previously held by Philadelphian Ahmeenah Young, whose day-to-day operating duties have been farmed out to Conshohocken-based facilities manager SMG. Board members talked about but don't appear to have executed a national search, instead putting one of their own in the job.

Philadelphia representatives on the board have squawked about the lack of black or female executives in the reorganized top management. But a majority of the board is loyal to Gov. Corbett and Chairman Greg Fox -- including suburban Democrat Shapiro, who also split with his city co-party members over the issue of hiring outside managers -- so this is how it's going to be. More in my Jan. 18 story here.