Alabama
Audrey Nell Bosarge Stoddard, 75
Nurse-LPN
Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic
Bayou La Batre, Alabama

Born to be a nurse

Audrey “Nell” Stoddard always wanted to be a nurse like her mother and grandmother. She attended junior college while raising her five children as a single mother, earning her LPN degree in 1972. 

Mrs. Stoddard’s first nursing job was at Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula, Miss., where she worked in the Intensive Care Unit, Obstetrics & Delivery, and the Emergency Room.  She then worked as a surgical nurse for an ophthalmologist for 14 years and as an office nurse for a general practitioner in her hometown.

In 1990, she joined a solo family practice to serve the largely indigent patients of Bayou La Batre.  As they grew the practice into a rural health clinic, she worked as office manager, nurs, and secretary of the corporation. In 1998, Hurricane Georges hit the Bayou and the office was destroyed.  Mrs. Stoddard accompanied the doctor on house calls for two years until they reopened a new facility in 2000.

When the clinic was re-opened, it was established as a nonprofit organization allowing for grant funding. Because Mrs. Stoddard had initiated the Patient Assistance Program to assist patients without health insurance, it was natural for her to become the clinic’s case manager.  Today, Mrs. Stoddard works hard as the patient advocate obtaining medical and community services, as well as mental health, legal, vocational and employment services.

Mrs. Stoddard attends continuing education courses and is active in her community through Health Fairs, the Blessing of the Fleet, Senior Citizens activities and at her church.
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Arizona
Evelyn L. Larriba, 68
Vocational Specialist
West Yarapai Guidance Clinic
Prescott, Arizona

Giving back to those with special needs

When Evelyn Larriba retired after a 30-year career with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, she would never have thought that she would be well into a second career, while raising two young children.

Age 68, Ms. Larriba is a vocational specialist with the West Yarapai Guidance Clinic in Prescott, Ariz.  For the past six years, she has worked with people with disabilities, helping them to gain employment.  Her experiences working for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in Human Resources and as a public affairs officer has helped her in her current job.

Ms. Larriba fought for two years to gain custody of her two grandsons, who have mental and behavioral challenges due to the substance abuse of their mother. Despite resistance from other family members, she succeeded in gaining custody and then adopted the children.  She believes she has been the only consistent positive force in their lives. Mrs. Larriba also cares for her elderly mother.

Involved in community service for many years, Ms. Larriba was instrumental in coordinating a citywide celebration that included an art show, rodeo, fashion show and parade. While at the VA, she was recognized for her efforts in deploying a large mobile medical unit in an airlift to assist victims of Hurricane Andrew.  

Ms. Larriba enjoys the challenges of her jobs and her life.  She also has many interests outside of work including dancing, bowling, fishing and hunting.  She is also a big baseball fan.
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Arkansas
Fleeta Clark, 87
Water Clerk/Receptionist
City of Winslow
Winslow, Arkansas

Not afraid of work

Fleeta Clark’s Father taught her to do her best, never give up, and the importance of having a positive attitude.  So when she had to help him with the farm and leave high school as a junior during The Great Depression, she was not discouraged.  Mrs. Clark married, and moved all over Texas and Oklahoma because of her husband’s job.  In 1954, when his job in Oklahoma ended, they moved to Arkansas, bought a farm, and raised their five children. 

To supplement the family income, Mrs. Clark worked at Burns Gable restaurant in Winslow and baked huckleberry pies each weekend. In the early 70’s, she went to work in the painting department of Baldwin Furniture Company, where she remained for 18 years.

In 1984, Mrs. Clark’s husband passed away and she was diagnosed with cancer. Her persevering attitude helped her overcome the disease. Several years later, she wanted to return to the workforce and heard about Green Thumb’s (now Experience Works) work training programs. She was assigned to a school, where she learned office and clerical skills. The Mayor of Winslow then hired her to be the billing clerk. At first, she hand wrote the bills for the town, but in 2000 the town purchased a new computer billing system.  82-year-old Mrs. Clark went back to school to learn the necessary computer skills.

In addition to her job, Mrs. Clark volunteers at various community organizations including Meals On Wheels Thrift Store and the local library.  She also helps deliver home-cooked meals to those in need on weekends with her church.
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California
Georgia Presnell, 86
Branch Secretary
American River Bank
Sacramento, California

A success at whatever she undertakes

When Georgia Presnell joined American River Bank as the branch secretary at the age of 77, she had never worked on a computer.  Faced with one on her new desk, she asked for training and dove headfirst into learning all she could.  People who know her say that is not a surprise, because she does her best to make whatever she undertakes a success and that she will do the job to perfection.  She has retired three times, but each time she returned to the workforce.

Mrs. Presnell worked for Capital City Title for 20 years, advancing from escrow clerk to secretary to President.  In 1971, she accepted a position at Tahoe Pacific Escrow Co. as vice president-manager, until her first retirement in 1981.  She returned to work at Point West Bank for eight years and retired for a second time. She then worked for Business and Professional Bank until it merged with U.S. Bank. She attempted to retire one more time, but returned to the workforce at American River Bank in 1997.

Mrs. Presnell has been involved in many community projects for over 30 years. She was the team leader for the March of Dimes Walk America since 1997, consistently raising the most funds among her colleagues.  She has been involved in the local chapters of Soroptomist International and Easter Seals Society.  Recently, she has been active with the Shriners, School Activities for Everyone and the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra.
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Colorado
Paul E. Scott, 72
Facilities Maintenance Specialist
Group Publishing, Inc. 
Loveland, Colorado

Keeping mind and body active

Paul E. Scott, a retired IBM employee, was looking for a job that would keep him moving every day. Having worked on a computer for many years, he was ready for a job where he was more physically active. When Group Publishing, Inc. offered him a position in facilities management he knew it was the right job for him.

Mr. Scott knows that making sure each department is fully functioning is key, but he also believes that the way he treats people is just as important. “Working keeps my mind and body in better shape and I enjoy going to work, but the relationships I have with co-workers are priceless,” he says.

In 1954, Mr. Scott joined the Colorado Army National Guard, where he trained in heavy artillery.  By serving in the National Guard, he was able to keep the family farm running after the death of his father.  In 1959, he attended Bailey Technical School in St Louis, Mo., studying Industrial Leadership and Human Relations in the Diesel and Automotive Division.  He worked as a mechanic and then at an auto supply store for several years.  In 1967, he was hired by IBM as a line stockman and worked his way up through the company to Senior Analyst. 

Active in their church, Mr. Scott and his wife have worked in Children’s ministry and on a Christian Ministries Organization Board.  As members of the Lay Witness Mission Program since 1970, they have traveled on Missions to New Zealand, Malaysia, and Thailand.  
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Delaware
L.J.”Skip” Hance, 71
Director of Accounting
Girls, Inc. of Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware

Choosing to make a difference

L.J. “Skip” Hance brought four decades of business and leadership experience to his current position of accounting director for Girls, Inc. of Delaware.  A Wilmington-based national nonprofit organization, Girls, Inc. is dedicated to preparing girls in high-risk areas to lead successful independent lives through educational programs. Mr. Hance also works part time for a local attorney as a law clerk and courier.

Mr. Hance earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mt. Saint Mary’s University in 1957 and went to work for General Motors Corporation as a senior accountant for the next 27 years.  

In 1990, he retired from General Motors and made a change in direction. For the next five years, he worked for Delaware Guidance Services for Children & Youth, Inc. as Finance Director/CFO. In 1994, he went back to school to earn a certificate in nonprofit management, which he credits with helping him make the transition to working for a nonprofit organization.  Mr. Hance then became the business manager for St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, and later manager for Benz Hydraulics prior to taking the position at Girls, Inc. He earned another certificate in payroll processing in 2004.

Mr. Hance believes that workers should bring a positive attitude to the workplace. He says that working allows him to help children and young adults.  In his free time, Mr. Hance enjoys playing tennis, fishing and crabbing.
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Florida
R. Harold Grizzard, 90
Real estate investor/property manager
Self-employed
Lakeland, Florida

Many decades of achievement

Ninety-year-old R. Harold Grizzard’s is an independent, active individual whose work and civic life have been both varied and dynamic. A real estate agent in Polk County for over forty years, he sold H and M Realty, owned by him and his wife for 25 years, to his daughter and her husband and now manages his own investment properties.

Mr. Grizzard began work in the early thirties at the Grizzard Tire Company where he collected tire retreads. After graduating from Florida Southern College in 1939, he worked construction with the Works Progress Administration. Drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force in 1941, Mr. Grizzard was wounded while stationed at Wheeler Field, in Hawaii.  After he was discharged from service, he worked with his brother in Lakeland, Florida, and then with another brother at a Studebaker Dealership.  In 1948, he branched out on his own and founded Sunshine Oil Company. He owned Sunshine Oil Company for 57 years, which grew to include three service stations and a home delivery business.  He then went to work for his brother at Grizzard Realty.  Ten years later, he and his wife founded their own real estate business.

For over 20 years, Mr. Grizzard has served on the Lakeland City Council and was Lakeland’s Mayor in 1966.  He has served the Florida State Democratic Party for many years as a Committee Man.  He is a member of the Polk County Historical Society and also collects, restores and shows antique cars.  
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Georgia
Rudolph “Vic” Vickery, 75
Security officer
Athens Regional Medical Center
Athens, Georgia

A calming influence

Two years after his retirement in 1995, Vic Vickery went back to work. A security officer for Athens Regional Medical Center, Mr. Vickery diffuses any volatile situations. He is trained in CPR and other emergency procedures because his position is in a healthcare center.  He aims to perfect his skills in security and acquire an even greater sensitivity to patients in stressful conditions. 

Mr. Vickery worked for the textile industry in 1956, where he met his wife.  He also worked as a retail clerk at a Winn-Dixie.  Then he went to work for American General Insurance as a claims adjuster. After 31 years, he retired, but he just couldn’t stay home.  He says, “Working gives me a lot of energy.” Mr. Vickery has excellent people skills from his years as a claims adjuster, which serves him well in his current position. He has overcome cancer, double knee replacement, and heart bypass surgery, and approaches life and his work with a positive mental attitude.  

Growing up on a farm, gardening is one of Mr. Vickery’s passions and he is proud of the banana trees on his property. Mr. Vickery is active in the Heritage Fellowship Church and volunteers with the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. He was nominated for the Athens Regional Medical Centers’ Employee of the year in for three years in a row. 
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Hawaii
James H. Case, 85
Of Counsel
Carlsmith Ball, LLP
Honolulu, Hawaii

A counselor and community advocate

At age 85, James H. Case continues to work full time at the law firm of Carlsmith Ball LLP, the oldest and largest law firm in Hawaii. A partner since 1959, Mr. Case has devoted his law career to representing agribusiness in Hawaii. An active advocate in his community, he fought for landowner rights in Hawaii for 30 years, helped create facilities to help people with mental retardation, and worked with a retirement residence to become a charitable organization. 

Graduating from Williams College with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Mr. Case worked as a scientist in the Materials Testing Laboratory of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor he helped prepare Hawaii’s defenses until he was called to active duty with the U.S. Navy in 1943. After release from active duty, Mr. Case attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1949. He continued in the U.S. Navy Reserve becoming commanding officer of the first Naval Reserve unit in Hilo, Hawaii.

He worked for a law firm for two years and in 1951, he joined the Carlsmith Ball law firm in Hilo.  In 1965, the firm asked him to move to Honolulu and take the position of Chairman of the Executive Committee.  He continued in this position until 1982 when he retired from management of the firm to return to practicing law. He became Of Counsel to the firm in 2003, but continues to practice law full time. 
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Illinois
Muriel Houlihan, 82
Attendance Officer Recorder
Elmhurst School District
Elmhurst, Illinois

Living for her children

Eighty-two-year-old Muriel Houlihan was past age 50 when she got her first job outside the home. A homemaker who raised 13 children, she started out working part time as a cafeteria monitor at York school.  She thought it was a natural move to working full time and accepted the attendance clerk position.  As attendance clerk, she uses a computer software program to record the attendance for the school’s 2,500 students. She also fields attendance-related telephone calls and issues passes for students.

When she first started as attendance clerk, Mrs. Houlihan needed computer training, which the school provided. Today, she enjoys the challenges the job brings her, including staying up to date on the latest technology.

Mrs. Houlihan believes that it is important for the students to see a familiar face.  She likes that she can help them out sometimes and thinks that things are more difficult for children today than when she was a child. But the benefits work both ways. Widowed for 21 years, Mrs. Houlihan believes that working keeps her independent.  She says, “It’s been very good for me and I’m not relying on my children as much as I might otherwise. I think they know it’s good for me to have a job, and I think they’re proud of me too.”

On her 80th birthday, the York students dropped by throughout the day and left Hershey Kisses on her desk.  At the end of the day she had a huge pile of chocolates.
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Indiana
Dr. Bernard E. Douda, 75
Senior Scientist for Pyrotechnics, Ordnance Engineering Directorate
Naval Surface Warfare Center
Crane, Indiana

Dedicated to defense

Dr. Bernard Douda, Senior Scientist for Pyrotechnics, has worked at Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center for over 53 years.  He has been a major contributor to most military flare countermeasure developments that protect U.S. servicemen for the past 30 years. He has been granted 13 patents, has authored more than 125 technical reports, and currently serves on a NATO subcommittee.   

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Cornell College in 1951 and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  After completing officer candidate school, he was assigned to the Naval Ammunition Depot, Crane, Indiana, to work in the production of Pyrotechnics.  Dr. Douda worked there until separation from the military, but remained as the head of the Chemical Engineering Division of the Research and Development Department. While working, he attended Indiana University, earning a master’s degree in physical chemistry and began working on his doctorate.

In 1971, Dr. Douda became the manager of Chemical Sciences Division of the Research and Development Department.  Completing his doctorate degree in 1973, he was soon promoted to manage the pyrotechnic division.  Two years later he was appointed Deputy Assistant to the Naval Air Systems Command Armament Program Manager and then to his current position.

Dr. Douda has been awarded many honors for his work, including being selected as MSS Fellow for Outstanding Contributions to the Military Sensing Profession by the Military Sensing Symposia.  He also received the 2003 Harold E. Saunders award for his significant contributions to the Navy.
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Iowa
Milt Roth, 87
Owner
Roth Jewelers
Waterloo, Iowa

Providing a quality town resource

Most people in Waterloo, Iowa, know Milt Roth, owner of Roth Jewelers, the second oldest retail business in the downtown area.  He has served four generations of Iowa families and knows customers by their names.  Despite changes in the jewelry business throughout the years, one thing that has not changed is the Roth dedication to providing quality products and excellent service. 

Thinking he would become an accountant, Mr. Roth attended University of Iowa for a two-year business degree.  He decided he liked working with his hands more than numbers and attended Bradley University to learn the watch-making and jewelry business.  He then joined his father in partnership in the family jewelry business. Mr. Roth has built a good staff and feels it is important to train younger workers in the skills of the craft and the business.

Mr. Roth has also taken his civic duty seriously, serving on many boards of local nonprofit organizations including the Bremwood Children’s Services, Allen Memorial Hospital, Visiting Nurses Association, and St. Ansgar Lutheran Church.  In addition, he has been very active on boards of groups that directly affect his town including Metropolitan Transit, Main Street, Optimist Club, Waterloo Human Rights Commission, Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, the Grout Museum, Waterloo Community Playhouse, Kiwanis Club, and Elks Club. In addition, Mr. Roth also actively supports scholarships and local colleges.  
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Kansas
Marge Mintun, 82
Social Service Director
Child Abuse Prevention Services
Salina, Kansas

Helping families in need

Born in 1923, Marge Mintun lived in a Lutheran group facility for single women in Chicago that served food to hundreds of men daily during the worst of The Great Depression. She learned how to give poor immigrants the tools to survive in Chicago, so it was natural that she embarked on a career in social work spanning 59 years.

After earning a master’s degree in social welfare administration, Mrs. Mintun decided to focus on children’s welfare.  Her first job was at the Illinois Children’s Aid Society, where she placed and supervised children in foster care.  From 1959 to 1974, she worked at a number of agencies including the Central Baptist Children’s home, the Elkton, Maryland Public Child Welfare Agency and the Family and Children’s Services of Lancaster County, Pa.  While working for the Delaware County Pennsylvania Family Service Agency, she found that a latchkey program for children whose parents worked was the greatest need.  Taking initiative, she rented a building, hired staff and established a latchkey program.

From 1974 to 1989, Mrs. Mintun worked for the Kansas Children’s Service League, becoming the head of a branch office in Topeka and later the statewide program director in 1980. She retired, but returned to social work in 1992 to work for Child Abuse Prevention Services.  Today, Mrs. Mintun trains and supervises case management staff and does intake studies and case assessments.
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Kentucky
Jean Wood Grannis, 81
Art Teacher
Fleming County Schools, Flemingsburg Elementary School
Flemingsburg, Kentucky

Teaching the importance of art

An art teacher for more than 50 years, 81-year-old Jean Wood Grannis currently teaches art to third through sixth graders at Flemingsburg Elementary School. Mrs. Grannis is serious about making sure students learn her art curriculum, and believes art is an important part of our environment. She teaches her students that everything people use in their daily lives was designed by someone and that art can lead to good careers. She was recently actively involved in the design of a new classroom for art.

Her first job, while her husband was in the military was at a photo studio, where she tinted pictures by hand. She was a substitute teacher for many years before working full time as an art teacher. She attended classes at Morehead State University and Maysville Community College off and on over the past 40 years.

Mrs. Grannis paints in watercolor, acrylics, and oil paints. She also makes teddy bears of various sizes that she gives to babies. She also enjoys quilting.  In addition, Mrs. Grannis teaches adult Sunday school at her church, is President of the local Garden Club, is County Treasurer of the Homemakers and assists the 4-H Club in Fleming County. 

A year ago, Mrs. Grannis experienced a life-threatening illness and emergency surgery.  She was out of the classroom for two months, but she was eager to return to teaching and surprised doctors at her recovery.
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Louisiana
Patricia R. Jones, 75
Executive Director
Allen Council on Aging/Allen Parish Transit
Oakdale, Louisiana

A senior helping her peers

Patricia R. Jones came out of retirement at age 70 for the second time to assume the position of executive director for the Allen Council on Aging.  The Allen Council on Aging provides meals, homemaker service, recreation, health screening and education, information and assistance, in-home caregiver respite, and transportation to the aging and at-risk people of Allen Parish.

Mrs. Jones attended Texas State College for Women and Southwestern Louisiana University, majoring in dance education with a minor in business administration.  Married at age 20, she and her husband owned and operated Magnolia Printing Company in Oakdale for 45 years.  She was the bookkeeper for the business and helped out in the plant as needed.

In addition to the family printing business, Mrs. Jones also worked a number of other jobs. For ten years, she worked part time in attorney offices and at other local businesses. She and her husband were also r and publisher of the Oakdale Journal for 15 years until they retired.  

Mrs. Jones soon returned to the workforce at Oakdale Community Hospital in the marketing and public relations department as the advisor to their Senior Association.  This involved planning meetings and events, including traveling the country and taking 50 seniors on a cruise. When the hospital changed management and the emphasis on seniors was diminished, Mrs. Jones retired again until she was asked to work for the Allen Council on Aging. 
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Maine
Helen Rundell, 70
Professional Artist
Self-employed
Brooklin, Maine
    
A born artist

Helen Rundell began drawing when she was 11 years old and knew she wanted to be an artist.  She was discouraged by her family and instead worked as a cashier until she married at 18 and started a family. Mrs. Rundell did not paint for five years until her father brought her the easel he had kept in storage. She began showing her paintings at outdoor art shows where she met her first agent who then sold her art in galleries. The gallery showings led to a subsidy from the owner of a lithography print shop. The lithographs she completed were shown and corporations became interested in her work.

For the next 30 years, Mrs. Rundel focused on making hand-drawn lithographs at some of the world’s most famous ateliers. She completed and sold more than 100 editions. In the 70’s, she divorced her husband and raised her three children teenagers alone.  To supplement her income, she worked for a muralist, while she continued working in lithography, making advances in print techniques.

Mrs. Rundell married again and moved from New York City to Maine.  She began struggling with physical disabilities that required her to have multiple operations on her hands and to wear a leg brace, but that did not slow down her work.  She expanded to working on a series of painting and lithographs of famous golfers.  Today, Mrs. Rundell paints, knits, weaves, writes and maintains a garden for the church food pantry. 
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Maryland
Finetta C. McIntyre, 83
Host Site Liaison
We Care America     
Baltimore, Maryland

Always excited about her jobs

In May, Finetta McIntyre began working for We Care America, a company that facilitates homeland security and emergency preparedness through education of the public. Working out of her home, she speaks to community agencies and organizations in the Baltimore area, particularly senior groups, recruiting volunteers and offering opportunities to train with the Red Cross and other organizations. 

Speaking to groups come easily to Mrs. McIntyre, who was an English instructor for 16 years. She also worked as a switchboard operator at Providence Hospital. She says she has always been excited about her jobs. She believes that dependability, responsibility, and reliability are essential attributes to bring to the workplace. She also believes that education is vital to success. A frequent non-traditional student, she attended Baltimore City Community College, earning an associate’s degree in gerontology with a minor in English. She also took public speaking courses and completed the course required to be an employee of the housing authority. She was one of five to be offered a job out of the 50 who completed the course. Currently, she is enrolled in computer classes sp she can use the same tools as everyone else does on the job.

Mrs. McIntyre has been active in her community through her church, where she has served as a lector, an usher, and money counter. Her family is also important to her and she is particularly proud of her four children and five grandchildren. 
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Massachusetts
Albert H. LaPlante, 82    
R.E. LaPlante Construction   
Strategic Supply Manager
East Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Building a life in his community

Albert LaPlante, 82, has been working in the building and construction trades industry for over 74 years. He began learning the carpentry trade at his father’s side when he was eight years old and continues to work with his family in the industry today. 

After graduating from high school, Mr. LaPLante spent a couple years working with his father, a residential homebuilder, until he enlisted in the Navy in 1942.  Involved in every invasion in Italy and North Africa with the exception of Normandy, Mr. La Plante earned 5 battle stars for his service.  He returned home in 1945 and worked with his father in the family business for 21 years.  At the age of 45, he took over the business until he retired in 1995. 

However, Mr. LaPlante did not enjoy retirement. He decided to go back to work in 2000 with his brother and nephew who were then the owners and operators of R.E. LaPlante Construction.  Thrilled to have him back with the business, they believe that Mr. LaPlante’s conscientiousness, integrity, and extensive background in the building trades make him an invaluable asset.  The Greater Springfield Homebuilders Association agrees with that assessment honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Although described as “layed back,” Mr. LaPlante stays busy.  When he is not working, he uses his skills in the community by providing leadership and expertise to rebuild a summer camp for underprivileged children and building special furniture for physically challenged children.  He has also cared for his ailing wife for the past four years.          
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Michigan
Leona Brasseur, 81
Customer Survey Coordinator
Wheeler Motors, Inc.
Cheboygan, Michigan

Always willing to learn in life

Leona Brasseur, 81, has worked for Wheeler Motors, Inc. as a customer survey coordinator for the last 12 years.  After leaving a 22-year career at Proctor and Gamble to take care of her daughter with special needs, she found that she was unable to stay at home so she worked part time as a home-health aide before applying to Wheeler Motors, Inc.

The Coordinator position was fairly new when Ms. Brasseur was hired to work two hours a day.  She helped develop and streamline the customer survey process and the position was expanded to 22 hours per week. She is responsible for customer contact after service and resolving any problems that may arise. At age 69 she had never worked on a computer, but with a manual and help from the office staff she managed to become very capable on the computer. She now uses the computer to generate and track the phone surveys. 

After high school graduation, Ms. Brasseur attended Central Michigan College for three years.  She dropped out when she married and began teaching school.  She taught for 15 years before she went to work for Proctor and Gamble.  In addition to working and caring for her special needs daughter, Ms. Brasseur has volunteered for 20 years to help people with substance abuse issues.  She was the recipient of the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Department Volunteer of the Year Award. Ms. Brasseur enjoys bowling, but her favorite hobby is hunting. 
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Minnesota
Margaret Nesheim, 77
MTO Custom Specials Craft Worker
Marvin Windows and Doors
Warroad, Minnesota

Setting a positive example

For 38 years, Margaret Nesheim’s steadfast loyalty, dependability, competence and strong customer-service skills have provided an essential ingredient for success at Marvin Windows and Doors.  Valued for her performance, she has been recognized as Employee of the Month and recently an Award of Excellence for suggesting different lighting, flooring and countertops that made a manufacturing procedure easier for workers.

Mrs. Nesheim oversees the fitting of screens into windows.  Through the years she has trained hundreds of employees.  She trains by example, demonstrating a strong work ethic, high quality standards, self-motivation and a can-do attitude.  Her employer says Ms. Nesheim can be trusted with special orders because she is committed to completing the work on time and getting it right the first time.

When she isn’t working, Mrs. Nesheim fills in for her daughter and granddaughter, who operate a daycare.  She tends a large vegetable and flower garden and runs a home business making woodcrafts such as birdhouses, angels, and planters.  When her church needs baked goods or servers, they know they can count on Ms. Nesheim.

Mrs. Neshiem believes work helps her stay healthy.  She plans to continue working until she is no longer able.  Until going to work at Marvin Windows 38 years ago, she had been home raising her children with the exception of serving as a waitress for a year in 1962.    
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Missouri
Dale Ellis, 85
Coordinator of Maintenance, Repair and Operations
Omnium, A division of Agrilance
St. Joseph, Missouri

Benefits of experience

For 84-year-old Dale Ellis, change is something he welcomes at his full-time job at Omnium, Inc., a manufacturer of pesticides and herbicides for agriculture. He retired as production manager at Omnium in 1982, but after his wife passed away in 1998, he returned to the company as maintenance, repair and operations coordinator.

He is responsible for managing a spare part inventory valued at $800,000. He negotiates with vendors, tracks inventory, and generates purchase orders.  He works with vendors to find lower cost alternatives by finding counter parts to replace customized parts needed for production equipment.  Mr. Ellis says he thinks the mechanics appreciate his knowledge of the business.

Mr. Ellis has worked at a variety of jobs over the years. He attended Platt-Gard Business College in St. Joseph and earned a business and secretarial certificate. He worked as a bookkeeper and teller at a bank before working as a ticket agent for the Burlington Transportation Company bus line. He worked there until entering the Navy in 1942, where he served as a sonar man until the end of World War ll.

Mr. Ellis has been active in his community through the Wyatt Park Christian Church, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Elks. He keeps healthy by walking for 30 minutes six days a week.
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Montana
Hilda Zouhar, 72
Community Health Assistant
Montana Breast and Cervical Health Program-Partnership Health Center
Missoula, Montana

A lifetime of nursing

A Registered Nurse since 1955, Hilda Zouhar, 72, began her nursing career working in the emergency room at Cleveland City Hospital. After only three years, she was offered the position of head nurse on the female medical ward. 

From there, she worked at a number of hospitals and medical centers. She started as a delivery room staff nurse at Los Angeles County Hospital.  She then returned to Cleveland City Hospital to become head nurse of the surgical intensive care unit, and then moved to Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, N.M., where she served as staff nurse.  Finally, she served as nurse manager in the gastroenterology clinic until her retirement in 1993.  She is nationally certified as a Gastroenterology Nurse Clinician.

After several years of retirement, Ms. Zouhar decided to re-enter the workplace.  As a retired RN, she was assigned to Montana Breast and Cervical Health Program-Partnership Health Center (MBCHP) through the Experience Works Senior Community Service Program.  Although she had experience in the health field, she had little-to-no experience working with computers. She says that the computer competency she gained enabled her to get back into the work force.  She was later hired by MBCHP as a community health assistant.

In her free time, Hilda enjoys doing crossword puzzles and art projects with her granddaughter. She is president of the resident council at her apartment complex, where she coordinates activities such as a kitchen band, a volunteer recognition dinner, a talent show and lots of parties.
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Nebraska
Gilbert L. Poese, 80
Announcer
KBRX AM-FM Radio Station
O’Neill, Nebraska

A voice of the community

Gilbert Poese moved to O’Neill, Nebraska, 45 years ago when he purchased a small AM radio station.  His life’s ambition was to be in radio and he had a vision for this station that it would be the hub of the community and that every listener would feel like it was “their station.”  Today, focusing on local community news and events, Mr. Poese attends and reports on every city council and school board meeting, as well as reporting live from rodeos, track meets, local celebrations, parades, and sporting events.

But the station does more than inform.  In times of need, Mr. Poese reaches out to raise funds for local projects like road repaving.  During times of crisis, he does even more,  like raising $50,0000 for victims of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks.  Members of the community in need are also assisted by funds raised by the station.

Mr. Poese is a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict.  He serves on the American Legion color guard/firing squad at veteran’s funerals.  He was president of Friend’s of the Library.  An elder at the First Presbyterian Church, he takes communion to the homebound and hospitalized members.  He is a Rotary Member, a member of the Greater Nebraska Workforce Board and the Nebraska Workforce State Committee.  He has also served on the O’Neill School Board, the O’Neill Chamber of Commerce, the Nebraska Broadcaster’s Association, the Gideons, and the Eagles. 
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Nevada
Ann Marie Jerdan, 82
Financial Planner and Insurance Agent
Pinnacle Taxx Advisor, LLC
Las Vegas, Nevada

Helping people have a solid future

Ann Marie Jerdan is currently a financial planner and insurance agent, but before she entered the business world, she had a career as a concert pianist. When she began taking piano lessons in 5th grade, her parents could not afford the $18.00 per year fee, so the teacher allowed her to pay 50 cents a lesson. Within the first 6 months, she was granted a scholarship to take lessons with a Juillard School teacher.  These scholarships continued through high school while she studied under a Juilliard teacher.

After high school, she attended Juilliard School of Music and Columbia Teachers College and worked in a tax office. Following her studies, she was asked to teach piano at public school in New Rochelle, which she did for 10 years.  In 1952, she married and stayed home to raise her three children, but continued teaching private piano lessons. 

In 1969, Mrs. Jerdan met her second husband who urged her shift her professional focus to business.  She was hired by John Hancock and worked her way up to top insurance agent.  Because many insurance companies began expanding into financial planning, Mrs. Jerdan branched into the field herself, which led her to work for Pinnacle Taxx Advisor, LLC. 

Mrs. Jerdan says she loves helping people with their insurance and financial planning because it makes their life happy. Still learning the business, she recently enrolled in a tax preparation course.  
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New Hampshire
James Fabiano, 85
Sports Analyst and Sales Associate
MetroCast Cablevision
Rochester, New Hampshire

An active, energetic life

James Fabiano’s dream as a young man was to become a professional baseball player.  He received athletic scholarships to attend college, and tried out for a professional baseball team the Boston Bees.   He made the team, but World War II altered his plans.  In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy becoming a Radio Man.

During his military service, Mr. Fabiano met and married his wife, who was serving as a WAVES.  After the war, they moved to New Hampshire and Mr. Fabiano began working selling tires for Goodrich. He sold tires for the next 32 years for companies including General Tire and Bridestone.   

In 1984, Mr. Fabiano retired.  A year later his wife became ill with cancer and he needed health benefits, so he re-entered the workforce.  He was hired as a sports analyst and sales associate at MetroCast Cablevision, where he has worked for 29 years selling advertising and announcing the local high school baseball, basketball and football games.

Every Thursday for the past 13 years, Mr. Fabiano has delivered the Rochester Times to residents of the Rochester Manor Nursing Home. He gets great joy from reading to those whose eyesight is too poor.  He is a member of the American Legion and Elks Club. He also stays physically active by doing calisthenics every morning.  He believes that self-discipline both physical and mental is instrumental in success.    
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New Jersey
Laura DeSantis, 77
Secretary/Assistant to the Mayor
Township of North Bergen
North Bergen, New Jersey

Seeing work as community service

As secretary and assistant to the Mayor of New Bergen, New Jersey, Laura DeSantis handles the correspondence, prepares proclamations and resolutions, arranges transportation for activities and events, maintains the files, and supervises the office assistants and summer interns.

The daughter of Italian immigrants and the only one in her family to graduate high school, Mrs. DeSantis began working as a stenographer at Duchess Jewelry Manufacturing.  She took on more and more duties and when she left to have a baby, the company had to hire three different people to handle all of her responsibilities. She was a homemaker until her daughter was 16 years old when she returned to the workforce.  

Her productivity and work ethic have not decreased over the years.  Her co-workers, many of them much younger, marvel at her efficiency, her level of activity, and her eagerness to continue to learn. Mrs. DeSantis accomplished her duties without a computer until just a few years ago, when she was approached with the idea of automating the office.  At the age of 73, she enrolled in the local technology school to take computer classes.  

She sees her job as one of community service. She feels that her biggest contribution is helping the people of North Bergen, which gives her a great sense of accomplishment.  Mrs. DeSantis also believes that work gives her life meaning and purpose, and a reason to get up in the morning. 
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New Mexico
Harriet Black, 88
Director, Teacher, Founder
College Heights Kindergarten
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Dedicated to educating children

Harriet Black wanted to work with children from an early age.  She attended the University of Nebraska, but the college did not offer a degree program in early childhood, so she majored in home economics. She taught high school English and then became a home demonstration agent.  In 1946, she was finally able to teach kindergarteners.

When Mrs. Black married, she and her husband moved to Las Cruces.  Discovering that there were no kindergartens in the schools, Mrs. Black started a kindergarten in her home enrolling 26 students.  Enrollments increased each year until in 1965 they built a separate building to house the growing preschool and kindergarten. To fill another need in the community, Mrs. Black started an elementary school with first and second grades. It grew to become a full K-12 school, with an enrollment of 500 students.  It has since incorporated and has its own board. Mrs. Black continues to serve in an advisory capacity there.

Mrs. Black’s desire to teach children has extended beyond the schools.  A 4-H leader, she has taught many young girls and boys cooking, sewing, canning, painting and other home-making skills.  She started reading clinics to help children with reading, writing, and math skills and has trained young teachers. Mrs. Black has been active in her church, and for years she and her husband have shared their home with homeless people, transients, and college students in need of a temporary home.
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New York
Elizabeth “Betty” Paine, 85
Town Clerk
Town of Lee
Taberg, New York

Serving her community

Elizabeth Paine is a quiet, detailed-oriented woman who prefers to work diligently in the background.  As the town clerk, she issues licenses, building and burial permits, schedules all the meeting in the Town Hall, takes the minutes of key meetings, coordinates the senior citizens meeting and function schedule, and manages accounts receivable.  She also assists other departments and answers citizen inquiries. She helped with the planning and building of the current Town Hall.  In her 70’s, she took computer training.
 
After graduating from the Utica School of Commerce in 1939, she worked for seven years for the New York Telephone Company as a Special Clerk to the District Manager.  In 1946, she married and left the telephone company to raise their family. She and her husband spent the next 26 years working their dairy farm and being active in the community.  When Mr. Paine became the Town Supervisor of Lee, New York. Mrs. Paine’s interest in working for the town was sparked.  She assisted her husband with the volumous bookkeeping and clerical tasks. In 1978, Mrs. Paine was elected to her current position of Lee Town Clerk. 

Although Mrs. Paine lives with advanced arthritis and uses the assistance of a walker to maintain her mobility and independence, it doesn’t slow her down.  For the last 25 years, she has been the maintenance fund secretary for her church and secretary for the Point Rock Cemetery Association.
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North Carolina
Lois Hardee, 87
Cashier
The Todd House Restaurant
Tabor City, North Carolina

An optimistic approach to life

Lois Hardee is an optimist who derives pleasure from her work and from serving others. At age 87, she still has enthusiasm for her work, each day operating the cash register and greeting people at the Todd House Restaurant. In 2002, she was voted the Tabor City Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Professional Woman.

Mrs. Hardee began working in her teens as a salesperson for Lee’s Dime Store and then at a ladies’ shop until her husband joined the military during World War II. During the war, she worked as a bookkeeper for her uncle at his Pontiac dealership and Shell service station. In 1950, she began working part time at Ruey’s Clothing Store while she raised her family.  She was employed there until the store closed in 1983. She then worked part time at the Tabor City Baptist Church Day Care Center.  In 1988, the owner of Todd House asked her to come to work as a cashier in the restaurant.

Mrs. Hardee has been an active volunteer at the local nursing home and taught Sunday school there.  She is the oldest member of the Tabor City Baptist Church where she sings in the choir and has been named a lifetime Deacon. For many years, she has visited the home of every church family when they have a new baby. Mrs. Hardee’s optimism has served her well through times of crisis.  A cancer survivor, she was also widowed 18 years ago.  
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North Dakota
William “Bill” Reynolds, 85
Commercial Artist
Self-employed
Washburn, North Dakota

Preserving history through design

Bill Reynolds, a multi-talented commercial artist, designer, published author, planner, historian, humorist, speaker, poet, and community activist and preservationist, enriches the lives of many people.  His designs in towns across North Dakota beautify the landscape and coincide with his desire to help preserve and enhance communities. 

Some of Mr. Reynolds’ work includes a mural celebrating the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, sculptures of Lewis and Clark, a tower that depicts the Northern Lights, a veterans memorial in Washburn, and a Medal of Honor memorial in Minot.

Mr. Reynolds attended Carleton College earning a Bachelor of Art’s degree before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps as an aviator. During World War II, he kept a diary recounting his experiences and encounters. The diary became the basis for his recently published book, “Diary of a Lucky Leatherneck Throttle Jock.”  After the war, he attended Los Angeles Art Center College of Design. He worked from 1953 to 1975 as plant superintendent and designer for JW Bacon, Inc. Outdoor Advertising. To provide more freedom for his creative pursuits he established his own commercial art business in Washburn.

Mr. Reynolds participated for many years in barbershop singing groups.  He has been involved with various museum and gallery groups, the Episcopal Church in Bismarck, the American Legion, and the Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation.  He has been an active preservationist of North Dakota history. 
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Ohio
Barbara M. Britsch, 78
Professor
Lourdes College
Toledo, Ohio

A dedicated educator

Barbara Britsch, a full-time faculty member in the language and literature department of Lourdes College near Toledo, teaches four literature courses and instructs future teachers on reading and children’s literature.  For the past 25 years she has also volunteered as a professional storyteller, visiting elementary school students in Ohio, Michigan, North Dakota, North Carolina and Massachusetts.

Dr. Britsch has been involved with Arts Unlimited as a teaching artist through Bowling Green State University and the summer aesthetic education program for elementary school teachers.  She initiates classroom visits and works with the children of these teachers. In addition to her teaching duties, Dr. Britsch stays active in professional organizations and attends conferences.  She supervises and guides the graduate school’s student speaker program and arranges the undergraduate speaker for the campus graduation.

For 15 years, Dr. Britsch has been a member of the International Reading Association and is a 15-year member of the National Council of Teachers of English.  She is currently creating artists books and taking classes at Hollander’s School of Book Arts in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Beyond the classroom Dr. Britsch sings in the Lourdes College chorus.  She was co-director of the Franciscan Follies and helped organize the college’s fall Arts Festival.  For more than 50 years Britsch has been a community volunteer for the Toledo Board of Education, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the public radio and television station.
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Oklahoma
Emmeline Sue Garrett, 84
Administrative Assistant
B.C. Clark Jewelers
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

A precious career

Sue Garrett has enjoyed her work in jewelry stores spanning seven decades.  She had her first experience working in a jewelry store when her husband was drafted into the military during World War II.  He had been working at B.C. Clark Jewelers and when he went to tell the owner that he had been drafted, she was offered a job.

After the war, Mrs. Garrett and her husband opened their own jewelry store, Garrett Jewelers, which they operated until 1973.  Mrs. Garrett was responsible for customer relations, sales, collections, bookkeeping, inventory, window display and gift-wrap. In 1974, she returned to work for B.C. Clark as an administrative assistant balancing receipts, tracking accounts receivable, assisting with inventory, customer relations and service. She has kept pace with technology, learning the computer systems used in her office. She had hip surgery in 2004, which kept her away from work while she was in rehabilitation, but she loved her work and the customers and was eager to return four days a week.

Mrs. Garrett is a member of Grace United Methodist Church serving as Sunday school officer. She has been an active member of Phi Tau Omega, a national professional business sorority and in 1974 was awarded “Member of the Year.” Through her sorority, she organized and implemented the monthly birthday parties at a local nursing home for its residents and supports a local nonprofit organization devoted to assisting developmentally disabled citizens.
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Oregon
Roberta Kronser, 88
Head Cook
Senior Townhouse, Inc.
Salem, Oregon

Serving meals to seniors

Roberta Kronser, 88, really knows how to feed a crowd she has been doing it for 43 years.  As the head cook for Senior Townhouse, Inc., she makes sure her kitchen runs smoothly preparing 175 to 200 meals for the Meals on Wheels program in Salem, Ore.

Mrs. Kronser became a homemaker after marrying at age 19.  Her life was focused on raising six children until 1962, when her husband became disabled and she had to become the breadwinner for the family. She had never worked outside of the home and did not know how to go about gaining employment, when a friend suggested applying for a job at the local elementary school cafeteria.  She started out as a dishwasher and worked her way up to manager.

In 1978, she began working during the summers as a cook for the Meals on Wheels program. After retiring from the school district in 1982, she became their head cook. The daily challenges of meeting her goal of preparing nutritious, but palate and eye-pleasing food keeps her on her toes.  She prepares and oversees preparation of 200 meals a day, does menu planning, food ordering, and supervises both paid and volunteer co-workers.  She has trained and mentored every cook the company employs.

When she is not working, Mrs. Kronser tends her rose garden.  Throughout the blooming season, the dining room, hallways, and rooms of the Senior Townhouse complex are filled with her fresh bouquets.
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Pennsylvania
Delbert I. Pavlick, 77
Registry Clerk
U. S. Postal Service
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Overcoming challenges through work

Delbert Pavlick has been a registry clerk on the night shift at the U.S. Post Office in Pittsburgh, Pa., for 49 years.  He works in a high security area where remittances, passports, and money are processed.  He served as the weekend supervisor until that position was eliminated, and while he has been offered other supervisory positions, he prefers to remain in the registry room. 

When Mr. Pavlick was in high school, he worked at the famous Kenneywood Amusement Park. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict and upon his return to civilian life, he chose to attend a business school and then take civil service tests.  For 20 years, he worked nights at the Post Office and operated an awning installation business during the day.

Mr. Pavlick has faced some challenges in recent years with the lingering illness and death of his wife followed by the death of his granddaughter from cancer. He has also learned to deal with a debilitating neurological disease affecting his feet and hands. His job allows him to sit, stand, or walk as needed to remain comfortable. 

Mr. Pavlick believes that work is necessary and that a job is a valuable asset, but he has other motives for working.  He provides continuing financial support to his daughters and their children, something he would not be able to do without his job.  He is a dedicated member of his church, serving on the council. 
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Puerto Rico
Manuel De Jesus Ramos, 73
Public Accountant
Self-Employed
Aguada, Puerto Rico

A community-minded accountant

Manuel De Jesus Ramos, a self-employed accountant, has provided tax consultations to companies and individuals for more than 50 years. He has worked hard to give back to his community, helping those less fortunate with tax preparation and the chance to obtain formal education.

After graduation from the University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management, Mr. Ramos worked as an auditor with the Internal Revenue Service. In 1964, after gaining several years of experience, he opened is own public accounting firm. Almost immediately, he was overcome by the economic and educational problems of many in his community.  He committed himself to providing his services for free to those who could not pay.  His client list grew and he opened a second office. Mr. Ramos also wanted to help young people who did not have the resources to get a formal education, so he initiated a scholarship program to provide funds.

Mr. Ramos founded the Aguada Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants Association. He has been honored many times by being named “Citizen of the Year,” and “Family of the Year,” by Aguada, and “Humanitarian of the Year by the University of Puerto Rico. Proud of his heritage, Mr. Ramos became a collector of regional antiques dating back to the Taino Indians. In 1981, he opened the Aguada Museum, which he later donated to the Municipality. Today, this museum houses over 100 years of Puerto Rican history.
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Rhode Island
Pat Castagna, 84
Property Manager
Grandview Bed and Breakfast
Westerly, Rhode Island

A lifetime of community service

Pat Castagna has worked for the Grandview Bed and Breakfast for 18 years.  As property manager he keeps the house, the grounds and the office running smoothly. He likes his job and enjoys the diversity of international guests that have stayed there since the Bed and Breakfast launched a website.

The property manager job is not Mr. Castagna’s first career. He was a community postman for the U.S. Postal Service for 34 years.  In 1973, he was honored with a citation for “recognition of efforts beyond the call of duty in bringing credit to the postal service.” Freelancing after retirement from the postal service, Mr. Castagna became a property manager for two homes in Watch Hill, R.I. before joining the staff of the Grandview Bed and Breakfast in 1987. 

Pat Castagna’s community service in Westerly is legendary. He was cited for most consecutive years of community service for his work on the Westerly Town Council. He also helped plan the Columbus Day Celebration for 25 years and was a member of a committee to memorialize those who died serving our country during war times.

Mr. Castagna says, “Working at an older age allows me to apply the experiences that I gained as a younger worker.”  He also jokes that he needs more naps.  Mr. Castagna has survived several heart surgeries and believes that working keeps his mind and body strong. 
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South Carolina
H. Evans Townsend, Jr., 90
Advertising Account Executive
MAC Advertising, Inc.
N. Charleston, South Carolina

A trailblazer in his community

Ninety-year-old Evans Townsend has been an advertising account executive with MAC Advertising, Inc., for 33 years.  He has survived a number of ailments including skin cancer, open-heart surgery, knee-replacement surgery, and removal of a kidney.  Despite these health challenges, he still drives the 45 minutes to work where he sells and designs ads.

While attending the College of Charleston, Mr. Townsend’s first job was recording payments on iceboxes for Southern Ice Company.  After he graduated, he was promoted to Chief Accountant and remained there until 1951 when he joined the accounting department of the Charleston Housing Authority. In 1955, he entered the world of advertising as an account executive for WUGN-TV, where he worked for 17 years.  Mr. Townsend joined MAC Advertising, Inc., in 1972.  

Involved in political and community affairs, Mr. Townsend has been a member of the Charleston Lions Club for more than 55 years. He was elected to the first county council of Charleston in 1948 and was one of the first to be elected through the use of voting machines in South Carolina.  He received the Silver Medal Award from the Advertising Federation of Charleston in 1999. He has also president of the Charleston Jaycees.

Mr. Townsend says it is important to keep a positive attitude and enjoy the work that you do.  He suggests, “Work hard as if the company belonged to you.” 
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South Dakota
Joe Doyle, 73
CDL Third Party Examiner
Western Dakota Technical Institute
Rapid City, South Dakota

Focused on roadway safety

Joe Doyle spends his work life making roadways safer for Americans and for the commercial drivers that he trains and tests.  As a Commercial Driver’s License Third Party Examiner for the Western Dakota Technical Institute, Mr. Doyle conducts classroom instruction to prepare people to take the written commercial driver’s license exam and conducts driving tests.

Although some of the training material involves presentation of rules and regulations, Mr. Doyle enlivens the subject with his broad smile and sense of humor.  Because his service area in western South Dakota is largely rural, Mr. Doyle responds to the needs of citizens and willingly travels many miles to provide training and testing in remote areas.  His flexibility and strong service orientation benefits the state’s farmers, ranchers and school bus drivers.  He was instrumental in establishing the Professional Truck Driving Program at Western Technical Institute. 

Mr. Doyle has served his community as one of the original coordinators of the annual Black Hills PowWow celebration.  He started a motorcycle-safety training course and youth training programs for the YMCA and Boy Scouts to teach youth to properly operate and maintain dirt bikes.  He is on the board for the Rapid City Medical Federal Credit Union and belongs to the Isaac Walton League, the American Motorcycle Association, and the Black Hills Personnel Association. 
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Tennessee
Max Jerry Taylor, 74
Veterans Service Officer
Decatur County Veterans Services
Decaturville, Tennessee

Making life better for veterans

Born in 1931, at the beginning of the Great Depression, to poor, but hard-working parents, Max Jerry Taylor was determined to make a better life for himself and his family. Drafted into the U.S. Marines to serve in the Korean Conflict, he was discharged after two years. He attended West Tennessee Business School earning a degree in accounting. He and his wife, a teacher, bought a small farm and worked to build a new house for his parents.

Mr. Taylor worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 34 years. He received the Million Mile Safety Award for delivering mail without having an accident. He has been a delegate to state and national Rural Letter Carriers Association conventions.

Today, Mr. Taylor is employed as a Decatur County Veterans Service Officer, where he has assisted many veterans in receiving benefits that they had been formerly denied.

Over the years, Mr. Taylor has been involved in civic organizations that benefit his community. Since his youngest son is a victim of juvenile diabetes, he has joined the American Diabetes Association and helps raise funds to find a cure.
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Texas
Jeanna Vaughn, 80
Portfolio Property Manager
RTI/Community Management Associated, Inc.
Garland, Texas

Helping communities grow

Jeanna Vaughn’s 35-year real estate development career has covered market research, feasibility studies, land development, construction and sales. She has focused her efforts on multi-family communities, condominiums and town homes.

Ms. Vaughn started out in apartment management in the 1960’s working for Carlton Ney Management in Dallas.  The company sent her to Albuquerque to establish a luxury apartment market. Then she was sent to Santa Monica, California, to work on a high-rise development. She returned to Texas and joined Aegis Limited Partnership in Houston to develop income-producing properties and attended the University of Houston to obtain her broker’s license.  She also took special courses from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) to become a designated Certified Property Manager.   

In 1977, she started Vaughn Properties Corporation, which she headed until its sale in 1994.  She joined the firm who had purchased the company through its transition and then retired, but found she did not like retirement so she talked to friends who operated management companies and was hired by her current employer. She also operates a real estate office for the sale of single-family homes.

Ms. Vaughn is a widow with two children.  She is involved with her church and donates regularly to several charities including Happy Hill Farm (a children’s home), Feed the Children and the Salvation Army.  A cancer survivor, she also gives to cancer foundations. 
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Utah
Paul E. Anderson, 71
Surgical Technician/Scheduler
Salt Lake Regional Medical Center
Salt Lake City, Utah

A surgeon’s critical support

Challenge is a daily part of Paul Anderson’s job. A surgical technician and scheduler at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, he manages the constantly changing surgery times, procedures, and dates while maximizing the use of hospital staff and facilities. He believes that his work skills and attitude have led to improved relationships with the surgeon’s office schedulers, the surgeons, and the surgery staff. 

After high school, Mr. Anderson enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He completed his 3-year tour and then served in the U.S. Air Force for 9 years.  He fought in the Korean Conflict, where he was wounded and decorated, and was stationed in England and Japan.  He was honorably discharged and returned to Japan for a year to continue his Judo studies. He achieved the third degree black belt in 1964, becoming one of the first Americans to serve on a local Japanese Judo team.  He taught Judo for many years. 
     
In 1963, Mr. Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from New York University and in 1970, earned his certification as a Surgical Technologist from Springfield Medical Center in Missouri. He spent the majority of his career as a Surgical Technologist working in operating rooms, where he set up equipment and maintained the room’s sterile integrity. He has completed extensive training in the latest computer software and plans to continue to increase his skills. His current project is to assist a surgeon opening a small surgical center.
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Vermont
Lynn Martin, 70
HIV Prevention Specialist
AIDS Project of Southern Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont

Passionate for her cause

Lynn Martin believed she was destined to work in a factory, until she found out she could afford to attend Newark State Teacher’s College in New Jersey.  It was not easy for her to get to the school, but the liberal arts education she obtained provided the foundation for a lifetime of learning.  She went on to get a master’s degree in creative writing.

In 1987, Ms. Martin joined a fundraising event for a local AIDS project.  A mother of three teenagers, she realized her children could be affected by the epidemic and volunteered to compile a library for the families of those affected by HIV.  In 1991, she was hired by the project to coordinate their volunteer program. She designed and facilitated an eight-week training program for volunteers that connected more than 100 volunteers each year to the project. 

In 1995, Ms. Martin laid the foundations for a peer education HIV prevention program for users of injection drugs.  In the nine years this program existed, Lynn recruited, trained and provided support for many former drug users to educate their peers on how to prevent HIV in those still using injection drugs.  In 1999, she was instrumental in advocating for a law that allowed the Project to set up a legal syringe exchange in Brattleboro. 

Ms. Martin writes passionate prose about her work for newspaper editorials and in various newsletters devoted to the AIDS epidemic.  She even published a book, “Visible Signs of Defiance.”   
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Virginia
Margaret M. Hope, 78
Client Services Accountant
Robinson Farmer Cox Associates
Stanardsville, Virginia

Staying on top of finances

73-year-old Margaret Hope, a client services accountant for Robinson Farmer Cox Associates, believes that an employer is entitled to full-time attention, honesty and integrity from its employees.
So it is not unusual that Ms. Hope can often be found eating lunch at her desk.  She processes weekly, monthly and semi-monthly payrolls for clients, as well as quarterly and annual IRS and state payroll returns. In addition, she was recently trained on reconciling retirement plans and working with stocks and bonds.

Ms. Hope has had a varied career.  She started out in accounting then became a real estate agent and broker. She expanded into property management for a couple of years and then went back into accounting. She focused on computerizing accounting processes including computerizing the general ledger for a circus -- she jokes that they misplaced one gorilla.  In 1981, she became the chief financial officer for the National Apartment Association. In 1992, Ms. Hope took a break from accounting and trained to be a Certified Nurses Assistant to work with the elderly in nursing homes.  After six years, she went back to accounting, working with a CPA through tax season. She did payroll and accounting for a game and toy store before joining her current employer.  

Ms. Hope is currently the Stanardsville Town Council Vice Mayor. In addition, she is the chairperson of Stanardsville Pride With Action and volunteers with the Greene County Historical Society.  She loves to cook and frequently brings dishes to share with her colleagues.
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Washington
Fred Martin, 86
Pharmacist
La Conner Drug Store
La Conner, Washington

A trustworthy citizen

Fred Martin has been the owner of a pharmacy in his home town of La Conner for 49 years. He reactivated a store in 1956 that had been closed after the former owner passed away and has been there ever since.  On a daily basis, he deals with the challenges of constantly changing regulations.  But he says it is worth it because he believes that he provides professional, ethical service to people in his community.

During World War II, Mr. Martin enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he was trained for the hospital corps in San Diego as a pharmacist.  He decided he liked being a pharmacist so after completing his military service he attended the University of Washington earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy.  Each year he is required by law to take 15 hours of continuing education.

Mr. Martin has taken an interest in his community outside of the pharmacy.  He was LaConner’s Mayor in 1970 and was president of La Conner economic study and the Private Industrial Council.  He is involved with the Skagit County Historical Society and as president of landmarks has helped to restore a historical mansion. In addition, Mr. Martin supports the local Salvation Army, the Rotary Club and his church. Mr. Martin enjoys gardening and traveling, recently taking cruises to Alaska and Hawaii.
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West Virginia
William D. McLean, M.D., 78
Dermatologist
Beckley, West Virginia

A physician of experience

Motivated by his mother’s case of psoriasis that began when she was a teenager and lasting until her death in her late seventies, 78-year-old William McLean has practiced dermatology for the past 42 years and still works 30 hours a week seeing patients. With 42 years experience, he is able to accurately diagnosis his cases and knows how to alleviate the trouble. His colleagues also appreciate his abilities, frequently sending him their more difficult cases.
 
When requested by other physicians Dr. McLean visits patients in nursing homes and provides treatment for those who are in need of his dermatology skills.  Though he works a reduced schedule, he still receives more than 50 hours of continuing medical education every two years and attends medical meetings of the local medical society. He is also a member of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. McLean earned his undergraduate degree from Hampden Sydney College.  He then attended Medical College of West Virginia and the Medical College of Virginia, earning his medical degree in 1954.  He then served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1959 as a paratrooper.  He was also in Special Forces, serving in Germany at the Grafenwohr Dispensary, where he says they trained the best medics in the U.S. Army.
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Wisconsin
Norman Gudmundson, 78
Production Laborer
Cardinal IG Tomah (TIG)
Camp Douglas, Wisconsin

Making beautiful music

Norman Gudmundson’s first career was a professional violinist. Today he works as a production laborer for Cardinal IG Tomah (TIG), a manufacturer of insulating glass units for residential and commercial industry. An asset to the assembly line, his supervisors say he constantly has ideas that save TIG time and money.

After 16 years of private violin lessons, Mr. Gudmundson won a state music competition and was considered one of the best violinists in Wisconsin.  He served for a year in the U.S. Army and returned home to his music. He received a full scholarship to the University of Miami to play in the University Orchestra.  He went on after college to play in the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Denver Orchestra, the Milwaukee Orchestra, and was the Soloist Concert Master for the Waukegan Philharmonic Orchestra. 

He retired from the Milwaukee Orchestra in 1976, but discovered he needed something to do.  
He worked as Santa Claus in department stores and also started an excavating business, which he later sold. He took a job with Toro, manufacturing lawn equipment and after six years there worked in Colorado installing and repairing telephone lines. Unable to acclimate to the Colorado climate, he returned to Wisconsin and found work with Ocean Spray inspecting cranberries.

Mr. Gudmundson would like to retire and work on a home business designing and building wooden toy airplanes for children, but he says he has too many great ideas for TIG to walk away yet.
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Wyoming
Jack O. Corsi, 81
Job Supervisor Quality Control
Rice-Kilroy Construction
Alpine, Wyoming

Happy to work

As supervisor of quality control, Jack Corsi finishes each job for Rice-Kilroy Building Contractors-Excavation Contractors making certain the job is done right. He loves the big machinery and enjoys teaching younger workers the right and wrong way to do the work. He says though the machinery used today is bigger, better and computerized, he is willing to learn anything to keep going. Running big equipment comes naturally for Mr. Corsi who was a farmer for forty years.  

After high school, Mr. Corsi worked for the U. S. Forest Service in Kamas, Utah, killing pine beetles, achieving crew boss when he was just 18 years old. Mr. Corsi proudly served in the U.S. Army infantry during both World War II and the Korean Conflict, earning two Purple Hearts. After serving in the military, he took up farming again. He also attended Utah State University.  He was a project manager for 20 years for Nevada Rock and Sand and C&S Company, and served four years as Vice President of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission under Governor Hathaway. 

Mr. Corsi believes the most important attribute an employee can bring to the workplace is the willingness to do any job to the best of one’s ability. He believes in hard work and discipline and says work keeps a person young.  In spite open-heart valve replacement surgery and a crushed disk in his back, he is happy to be working at age 81. 
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4401 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1100, Arlington, VA 22203
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