Maries County volunteers accept awards at MRPC dinner Thursday

Posted 10/27/21

ST. JAMES — Eight Maries County residents were honored Thursday during the Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) awards dinner held at State Technical College in Linn.

Paige …

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Maries County volunteers accept awards at MRPC dinner Thursday

Posted

ST. JAMES — Eight Maries County residents were honored Thursday during the Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) awards dinner held at State Technical College in Linn.

Paige Breeding, Skyler Rice, Vicki Nelson and Wilma Stephen were honored as 2020 volunteer award recipients. Amanda Wieberg, Gracie Schultz, Stacey Kelly and Larry Kampeter were honored as 2021 volunteer award recipients.

MRPC honors residents, local agency representatives and organizations in the Meramec Region who contribute to their communities by volunteering their time, talents and support. With the cancelation of the 2020 dinner due to COVID-19, award recipients from 2020 were honored at this year’s event.

“It was so good to come together in-person and honor our volunteers,” said MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge. “We are only able to honor a few volunteers each year, yet we extend our gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers in our region who truly make our region such an amazing place to live, work and visit. We are successful because of our volunteers.”

Youth volunteers receiving 2020 awards were:

• Paige Breeding, daughter of Dawn and Scott Breeding of Vienna, was nominated by Maries County Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman. Breeding is a 2020 graduate of Vienna High School. She was an officer in several organizations, including Future Farmers of America, National Honor Society, FBLA and FCCLA. Breeding was involved in Students Against Drunk Driving and honor choir. In her work at the Eagles Club, she organized work schedules. She is an excellent speaker and has emceed events in the Vienna area.

• Skyler Rice, daughter of Michelle Gehlert and Michael Rice of Belle, was nominated by MRPC Chairman Steve Vogt. Rice is a 2020 graduate of Belle High School. She held the offices of president and treasurer in the Future Business Leaders of America where she achieved three levels of Business Achievement Awards, competing at districts, state and national contests. She was also active in National Honor Society, band, volleyball and basketball, Science Club and archery. Rice helped with blood drives, fundraisers, community cleanup events, scholarship dinner and the fair concession stand. Rice also served as student adviser to the Maries R-2 School Board in 2018 and 2019. 

Two individuals received outstanding volunteer awards for 2020:

• Vicki Nelson of Belle, nominated by Vogt, works many fund-raisers and volunteers for many organizations. She served seven years on the Maries County R-2 School Board, 12 years on the Central Workforce Development Board, and she was a founding member of the Meramec Regional Community Foundation and served two years as president. She also serves as treasurer for both the Maries County R-2 School Foundation Committee and the Belle Community Betterment Association. Nelson has also served on the Three Rivers Helping Hand Foundation for 10 years. Nelson volunteers at the Belle Fair and for school Archery Club events. With nearly 44 years in banking experience, she has served the Belle community for the past 14 years as the vice president of Belle branch of Mid-America Bank.

• Wilma Stephen of Vienna, nominated by Stratman, served on the Maries-Osage Ambulance Board since the mid 1970s and served as the board secretary for the majority of those years. She has been invaluable election poll worker for three years, going to whatever polling location requires. In addition to her work on the ambulance board and with elections, Stephen worked with homebound senior citizens to fill out their taxes at no charge.

Youth volunteers receiving 2021 awards were:

• Amanda Wieberg, daughter of Ruben Wieberg and the late Karen Wieberg of Vienna, was nominated by Stratman, She is a 2021 graduate of Vienna High School. She has been very active in Future Farmers of America, including holding officer positions. She volunteers at blood drives through the Methodist church and at the Vienna Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry. Wieberg volunteers at the Argyle Knights of Columbus and through various other activities.

• Gracie Schultz, daughter of Jamie Mercer and Jeff Schultz, was nominated by Vogt. Schultz is a 2021 graduate of Belle High School. She graduated from Belle High School as the salutatorian with a 4.2 GPA. She is a noted athlete, where she was a state champion in track and field finishing first in the triple jump. She also participated in basketball and volleyball. She is continuing her education at Columbia College. During high school, she served as an officer with National Honor Society and participated in events such as American Enterprise Day, March of Dimes and the Kiss-A-Pig contest to raise money for charitable causes. She is active in her church and was involved in the annual CROP hunger walk.

Two individuals received outstanding volunteer awards for 2021:

• Stacey Kelly, of Belle, nominated by Vogt is a quiet, unassuming leader who prefers to be in the background and out of the spotlight. She is a member of St. Alexander’s Church and works at Legends Bank in Belle. For the past eight years she has been a Hawkeye 4-H leader, a member of the PTO, and a booster club member. Her greatest accomplishment has been as a charter member of the Belle Community Betterment Association (BCBA), which was established four years ago. Kelly has been the chair of the Belle Swap Meet and Extravaganza all four years. She is in charge of contacting and registering vendors, setting up vendor sites and organizing volunteers to work the gate and concession stand. Without Kelly, the event absolutely would not be the success it is.

• Larry Kampeter, of Vienna, was nominated by Stratman. As a veteran, Kampeter has been very active in the local VFW, holding officer positions. He has also been active for five decades and held officer positions with the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. Kampeter has volunteered countless hours as an electrician, fryer-maintenance specialist and tower clock repairman along with countless assorted other tasks that no one knows about at his church. He makes sure that the American flags are put out before Memorial Day at area cemeteries each year. He has selflessly donated his time and expertise on numerous causes for decades, and the Vienna Community is blessed to have him.

Staff members were recognized at the 2021 awards banquet for years of service. Recognized were:

• Teresa Murdie, senior housing coordinator and inspector, 40 years;

• Bonnie Prigge, executive director, 30 years;

• Tammy Rigsby, senior housing coordinator, 30 years;

• Linda Loughridge, fiscal officer, 25 years;

• Kelly Sink, project development manager, 20 years; 

• Maria Bancrroft, business loans specialist, 15 years;

• Jill Hollowell, environmental programs specialist, 5 years;

• Anne Freand, planning manager, 5 years;

• Samantha Maddison, senior community development specialist, 5 years;

• Gary O’Day, senior community development specialist, 5 years;

• Linda Carroll, senior secretary, 5 years; and, 

• Mag Roberts, docudrama coordinator, 5 years.

Each year, MRPC employees are asked to select one staff member who performs above the call of duty, exhibits exemplary work performance, voluntarily promotes the organization and exhibits a positive work ethic and attitude. MRPC’s 2020 employee of the year was Kathryn Hawes, environmental programs specialist. Employees selected Housing Manager Donald Keeney as the 2021 Employee of the Year.