Transitions honors staff, board at annual dinner

Transitions honors staff, board at annual dinner

6 months, 2 weeks ago

Cindy Freels wins organization's Williams Award

Transitions of Western Illinois held its annual dinner Thursday night to celebrate the agency’s accomplishments over the past year. 

Transitions of Western Illinois, the Adams County Mental Health and Retardation Association (Association), and the Transitions Foundation celebrated Transitions’ service to the area and jointly held their Annual Meetings.  Michael Rein, Executive Director of Transitions, hosted the event with about 140 people in attendance. 

During the program Board members and staff of the agency were honored. 

Rein welcomed guests and introduced the Chairs of the three Boards affiliated with Transitions.

Rein introduced Jim Rinella (The Rinella Company), Chair of the Transitions Association Board.  Rinella introduced the Association Board and named Kris Rueter (Design Mechanical) as Association Board Member of the Year.  Rueter has been on the Association Board for 2 years and has served on the Board’s Development Committee.   Rinella also recognized Gena Awerkamp and Mike Eaton (Winters Insurance Group) who are retiring from the Board.

Rinella introduced Pat Gerveler (Blessing Hospital) and Jim Rubottom (Knapheide Manufacturing) as new Association Board members. 

Rein introduced Terry Anastas (Mays Walden and Anastas), Chair of the Transitions Board and thanked him for his leadership as Chair of the Board.  Anastas introduced the Transitions Board and named Rich Marcolla (Merrill Lynch) as the Transitions Board Member of the Year.  Marcolla, who has served on the Transitions Board for 4 years, has served as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee.  He will be the Chair of the Transitions Board in 2013.

Anastas also recognized and thanked Clairice Hetzler (Advocacy Network for Children), Carl Adams, Jr. (Illinois Ayers), Harry “Bo” Eaton, and Jeff Mays (Illinois Business Roundtable) for their service to Transitions.  All are retiring from the Board.  

Anastas introduced three new members of the Transitions Board – Cindy Drieselman (Drieselman Manufacturing), Dave Rakers (First Bankers Trust) and Tony Sassen (Ameren).  

Steve Siebers (Scholz, Loos, Palmer, Siebers and Duesterhaus), Chairman of the Transitions Foundation Board, introduced the members of the Foundation Board and spoke briefly about the mission of the Foundation.

Staff years of service awards were given to staff who have reached milestone anniversaries with the agency. 

Recognized for 5 years of service with Transitions:  Shelly Beahan, Sandy Conn, Andrea Davidson, Amy Hasting, Liz Hoskins, Rick Jarvis, Bob Maas, CeCe McBride, Carolyn Reed, Elizabeth Starman, Dana Sutton, Reta Webster.

Recognized for 10 years of service with Transitions were:  Mary Doblado, Marcie Kramer, Pat Miller, Heidi Muegge, Jeff Noble, Cheryl Sowell, Susie Watkins.

Recognized for 15 years of service were: Mary Greenwell, Penny Holtschlag, Jessica Peters, Barb Seifert.

Recognized for 30 years of service were:  Lynn Priepot and Valerie Robinson.

Becky Frese was recognized for 35 years of service.

 Barbara Baker Chapin was recognized for 40 years of service.

Mike Rein announced the recipient of the Williams Award.  Annually, Transitions presents the Williams Award to a staff member who goes above and beyond in the performance of his or her job responsibilities, who quietly does his or her job, and whose efforts often go unnoticed.  This award is named for Dr. Keith Williams, a psychiatrist who served the agency for nearly 30 years.  The recipient is a staff person who has been nominated by his or her peers.  Rein presented the Williams Award to Cindy Freels, Administrative Assistant.  Freels has worked at Transitions for 16 years. 

“This year’s Williams Award winner is described by her peers as “the go to person” in our agency," Rein said.  "While Cindy is my administrative assistant … she is everybody’s administrative assistant.  When staff need help and don’t know where to turn, they tend to turn to Cindy.