The Perry Community School District honored 36 faculty and staff members at the Perry Performing Arts Center Wednesday, some for reaching career milestones and other for crossing career finish lies.
Honorees at the annual End-of-Year Awards and Retirement Recognition event represented 435 years of collective labor in service to the students and families of the Perry area.
PCSD Superintendent Clark Wicks welcomed the district employees to the assembly, congratulating them for bearing up under the circumstances of a very difficult, COVID-19-deranged school year and providing a full year of in-person learning.
Wicks repeatedly praised the “perseverance and flexibility” of the faculty and staff.
Perry Rotary Club President Dirk Cavanaugh then presented the Rotary Teacher of the Year Award to Shaylena Bell, who is completing her seventh year as the general music/choir director at Perry Elementary School.
Milestone awards were presented to 14 district employees who reached their five-year mark in 2021: Courtney Bahney, Savannah Belgarde, Marlene Borjas, Jessica Brocka, Courtney Deuel, Daisy Diaz, John Fulton, Gerry Garnes, Barbara Hackett, Christine Krohn, Christopher Marks, Juana Murillo, Kolin Ross and Mark Weber
Touching their 10-year milestone were: Kent Bultman, Tina Gough, Kristine Ivory, Ryan Lohman and Richard Wilcox
Receiving certificates for 15 years of service were: Kamel Heitz, Nathan Horgen, Sidney Meier, Ned Menke, Faye Southward, Jennifer Sprung and Michele Thompson
Twenty-year employees were: Angela Beaudet, Jamison Blum, Sean Brix, Leslie Mayhugh, Peter Meis, Thomas Mertz, Dorothy Muir and Colleen Weir
Honored for 25 years of service were: Nancy Kiefer and Rich Nichols
Four early retirees were also noted for the 2020-2021 academic year included:
- Barbara Burket, Title I Reading Teacher, 36 years
- Nancy Kiefer, Accounting Specialist, 25 years
- Janel Menz, Elementary Cook, 23 years
- Martha Stetzel, At-Risk Para, 9 years
