Boone County's top public service award

COLUMBIA, Mo 1/26/14 (Beat Byte) --
Know a firefighter, police officer, mail carrier, or snow plow driver who exemplifies the spirit of public service?  Someone like Ellen Schlie at Columbia's downtown post office.  Or the two Boone County roadworkers who reunited a man with his lost wheelchair. 

What about a city or university administrator who cuts through red tape to get the job done? 

If so, consider nominating your favorite public servant for the Dr. Edward H. Robb Boone County Public Servant of the Year Award.  

Now in its third year, "this annual award recognizes public employees who represent the best in public service," said C. Bruce Cornett, chairman of the Boone County Republican Party, which oversees the award process.   "Boone County has excellent public servants who year after year go unrecognized and underappreciated."

An economics professor, Missouri state representative, and Boone County Presiding Commissioner, Robb was known as a stickler for public service excellence.  He passed away suddenly in 2011.   "This is our way of remembering and honoring Dr. Robb and the service he provided for many years," Cornett explained.    

The award's first recipient, Bill Weitkemper retired in 2012 after nearly 40 years as a public works employee for the city of Columbia.  Weitkemper has taken extraordinary measures to inform the public about city utility billing inequities and budgeting for public works infrastructure projects.  After he retired, Weitkemper became a candidate for Columbia City Council. 

For his nearly 15 years of service to neighborhood crime prevention, Columbia police officer Tim Thomason received the award last year.   

Entirely non-partisan, the Robb Award is only given to full time, non-elected public employees in Boone County.  The general public, managers, and supervisors may nominate potential awardees. 

Pleased with the award's success to date, "Ed's family and I are really looking forward to finding out who the honoree will be.”  said Robb's wife, Rosa Robb.

Download the nomination form in Word Doc format.   Nominations are due February 28, 2014.  For more information, contact: 


C. Bruce Cornett
573-442-9604/999-5197
cbcnett at hotmail.com