Joan Buzzard is 2015 Employee of the Year

It's Joan Buzzard Day today in the City of Effingham.

The executive secretary of the Effingham Fire Department was honored as Employee of the Year for 2015 at the May Chamber First Friday Luncheon. The event also serves as the Chamber's annual Employee Appreciation Luncheon.

Buzzard was nominated by Fire Chief Joe Holomy, and joked that since she hates public speaking, she figures her boss submitted the nomination just to give her grief. She said it was quite an honor, but one she said was quite humbling. She's an 18-year employee of the Fire Department.

Effingham Mayor Merv Gillenwater said it was nice to honor a City employee with the award, especially since it was the last official act of his tenure. Gillenwater will be succeeded as mayor by Jeff Bloemker as of Tuesday's City Council meeting. Gillenwater decided to seek another term on the Council as commissioner, a decision he said Friday he still feels good about.

(EFFINGHAM MAYOR MERV GILLENWATER)

Other Employee of the Year nominees were City of Effingham Water Plant Operator Mike Ziegler, Paula White of CEFS Public Transportation, Barb Butterson of Patton Printing and Graphics, Cindy Hardiek of the Effingham City-County Committee on Aging, Doug Kopplin of First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust/Altamont, Clint Kuhns of Legacy Harley Davidson, and Barb Rieman of Dan Hecht Chevrolet/Toyota.

Bev Soltwedel served as the luncheon speaker. Soltwedel's topic was "Etiquette--It's Not About the Fork!"

(BEV SOLTWEDEL)