By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Barton County received an unexpected Christmas gift five years ago when Lindsey Creamer was hired as a shared clerk for county offices. At Tuesday's Barton County Commission meeting, Creamer was honored with the Employee Recognition Award for the second quarter of 2024. Judith Castro with the county's Employee Engagement Committee read the nomination.
"Lindsey was phenomenal during the move to the Penney's building; not only our office but others, too," Castro read. "She was willing to help with anything and put her all into it. She is someone who is flexible and can jump from department to department, filling in where needed."
Creamer was hired by the county on Dec. 23, 2019. Commission Chair Barb Esfeld said the position can be daunting as it requires knowledge of various departments. Commissioner Donna Zimmerman, a long-time county clerk, seconded that opinion.
"I, luckily, got to work with her from day one when she came to work for Barton County," Zimmerman said. "She's such a quick learner. Oftentimes, you're just grabbing her and taking her from here to there and she's never, ever complained that I've known of. She's always so willing to go above and beyond."
Bev Schmeidler, current county clerk, called Creamer a hard worker who picks up on tasks very quickly. County Administrator Matt Patnzer reiterated Creamer's value to county operations.
"She has a great attitude and she's great to be around," he said. "Because she has so much exposure to other offices, she has a lot of knowledge. She's very valuable to us."
As Employee of the Quarter, Creamer received a certificate and an additional eight hours of paid leave this year.