ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 23, 1996 TAG: 9611250053
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: MARY LOU BRUTON
Ron Secrist, Blacksburg's unflappable town manager, speechless?
It's true, say Sandy Gautier and Kellie Morris, two secretaries in the town's municipal office. That was his reaction when he learned he had been selected 1996-97 Executive of the Year by the New River Valley chapter of Professional Secretaries International. He was nominated by Gautier and Morris, both members of the group, who invited him to the recent awards dinner without telling him he had won.
"He was speechless. That was the first time I had seen him that way," Morris reported with a laugh.
"We kind of think a lot of him. He's really a great guy," Gautier said. "He's very open. He's very honest. If we ever have anything, either business or personal, that we need to bounce off somebody, we can go to him."
"I was completely caught off guard," Secrist confirmed. "It means a lot to me that they would take the time to put together a nomination."
Morris said Secrist is noted for his willingness to work alongside the town's 350 full- and part-time employees. Not only will he answer phones during lunch, he has been known to help with leaf pickup and snow shoveling. And he is earning a commercial drivers license so he can drive a Blacksburg Transit bus, if the need arises.
Secrist said he is earning the license because he wants to be part of the group of town employees who must undergo periodic unannounced drug tests.
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Linda Jilk of Roanoke has been named executive director of Literacy Volunteers of America - New River Valley.
Literacy Volunteers of America is a United Way agency that provides free, private tutoring for adults who read at or below the fourth-grade level and adults needing English as a second language. The agency also offers family literacy programs to address the problem of intergenerational illiteracy.
Jilk has a bachelor's degree in sociology and English from Bucknell University and a master's of education in teaching students with learning disabilities from Virginia Tech. She has experience as a teacher for the learning disabled and as a literacy program coordinator.
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Two Volunteer of the Year awards were presented at Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg. Donald Bryant received the resident volunteer award for his assistance to residents and staff. The community volunteer award was presented to the Monday Morning Sunshine Group for the fellowship service they have provided weekly for the last six years. Nita Little accepted the recognition plaque on behalf of the group.
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Eighteen volunteer leaders will serve on the governing board of directors at Warm Hearth Village for 1996-1997. They are: Herb Buhrow, Marilyn Buhyoff, Dr. Todd Davis, Marcella Griggs, Ruth Horton, Wybe Kroontje, Janette Newhouse, William Price, Jewell Ritchey, Dr. Karen Roberto, Joey Showalter, Mary Sim, Brian Smith, Raymond Smoot, Luis Warf, Scott Weaver, Tommy Williams, and Joyce Williams-Green.
Serving on the Warm Hearth Foundation board of trustees are: Dick Bohlin, Ann Carter, George Gray, Wybe Kroontje, Bill Lavery, Ray Murley, Annette Perkins, Wayland Overstreet, Mary Sim, Brian Smith and Kathleen Wampler.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. (headshot) Jilk. 2. Ron Secrist was selected 1996-97by CNBExecutive of the Year by the New River Valley chapter of
Professional Secretaries International.