2012 Volunteer of the Year                    Mrs. Edith Geske has volunteered at the Tyler Police Department for the last five years and has worked more than 630 hours in Data Management. 

Mrs. Geske is a joy to talk to and to be around. Her uplifting spirit is an inspiration to those around her.  Her supervisor, Juanita McCoy, states, “Mrs. Geske is a faithful volunteer who knows her job and does it well.”  Mrs. Edith as we all call her is very pleasant to work with. She willingly accepts all duties assigned to her without any hesitation and with great enthusiasm.  She has come in to volunteer her services right after she has had surgery or has experienced an illness.  She definitely has perseverance and does NOT like to give up. 

Mrs. Edith is 91 years old and says that she loves coming to work because she loves people, everyone is so nice, and it makes her feel great!  She loves to get out of the house and feels that she still has much to contribute to others.  She has been a School Teacher, Pastor’s Wife, Dental Assistant, Mother, Beauty Operator, Secretary, and Insurance Check Writer.  Ms. Edith is a cancer survivor and was told she several times that she would not live past 35 years old, but she is a fighter and doesn’t give up easily (there’s that perseverance again)
 
Her duties in Data Management include putting files in order, purging old files, locating files for investigators and making copies for the Investigators.  She has been doing a lot of shredding lately due to a lack of volunteers.  She puts together driving under the influence packets for the officers to use.  She works on special projects as needed and does an excellent job in all she does.  She does everything right the first time.      

Mrs. Edith is lovingly known as “Machine Gun Edith,” a nickname she inherited when she attended the Citizen’s Police Academy several years ago.  During the course, Ms. Edith learned to shoot a machine gun, and she hit her mark perfectly not once, but several times.  The Chief of Police has often told his new recruits, “If we can teach Edith to shoot a machine gun, we can teach you rookies!”

Mrs. Edith feels that if all older people would contribute to their community doing what they are able to do, for as long as they are able to, there would be less people in Nursing homes.  She always says just because someone is old doesn’t mean they are stupid.  They have a lot of wisdom to impart to others and can do a lot of good if they are only given the chance. 

She feels that if God leaves you here, then He still has a job for you to do. She says that she would like to volunteer till she is 100!  Then she will think about retiring. Spending just a few minutes with this incredible woman will give you the motivation to do anything in this lifetime, and gives true meaning to the phrase “you’re only as old as you feel.” We hope that her enthusiasm and spirit will encourage others to volunteer for our City.

Shining Stars of the Month                 

March 2012: Bill Somogyi
Bill Somogyi is one of the many dedicated and genuine volunteers at the Tyler Public Library. His passion for libraries runs deep, having been a member of  “Friends of the Library” in Sonoma, CA, volunteered at the library in Port Angeles, WA and now volunteers 3 days a week for the City of Tyler.
“Bill is a wonderful volunteer for the library. He is very dependable, honest, and kind.  Bill volunteers on average 12 hours per week reshelving library books. Due to his assistance, the library is able to make materials more readily available for the public to check out again,”  said Malissia Meador, Library Circulation Supervisor.

Mr. Somogyi believes the library is a blessing for the tremendous free resources it provides to the public. He loves being surround by books, discovering new authors and enjoys working with the helpful library staff.
Mr. Somogyi has had many adventures, having traveled throughout the U.S. and internationally while he worked with Bell & Howell. He also become an amateur photographer and a marathon runner. Although he jokes that the years have caught up to him, he still stays very active taking long walks throughout the City and helping his daughter around the house.

Next time you are visiting the library, take a moment to say hello to Mr. Somogyi and ask him for a good book recommendation. Thank you Mr. Somogyi for the 310 hours of service you have provided to the Tyler Public Library this year!

February 2012: Katherine Nick
Katherine Nick, a U.S. Air Force Veteran and retired state government employee, began volunteering with the City of Tyler in 2011. She was intrigued by the opportunity to volunteer with the Tyler Police Department due to her military experience and saw it as a great way to make a meaningful impact on her community.

Ms. Nick assists the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) unit in purging old case files that can no longer be prosecuted. Nick says, “I really enjoy going through files and reading cases that are to be destroyed and checking the negatives for pictures of police officers or situations that can be archived for future use”.

These crime scene photographs she’s exposed to can often times be graphic in nature, yet she says this doesn’t bother her and only adds to her interest in the CSI process.

Even though the processing of evidence is left to the experts, she has found it fascinating to ask questions about the methods they use and to see how a real CSI forensic team differs from those that are portrayed on popular television shows. 

Her Volunteer Liaison, Sergeant Jeff Rackliff, says, “She is very engaging, personable, and a great person. She is very thorough and helps the unit accomplish assignments that are necessary to be done but that we don’t always have the time to complete”.

Thank you Katherine Nick for your dedication to the City of Tyler!

December 2011:Leonard Leifer
This month’s Shining Star is Leonard Leifer.  Mr. Leifer began volunteering for the Tyler Police Department in 2010, working 8 to 20 hours per month with the Vehicle Maintenance Division. He aids the staff by shuttling vehicles to and from maintenance facilities around the City.

His volunteer liaison, Elton Anderson, cannot say enough about how much his help means to him. “When my part time employee was out on medical leave, Leonard checked in or stopped by every day to offer his assistance,” said Anderson.

Although he enjoys working around patrol cars, Leifer’s favorite activities to
volunteer for are the Tyler Police Department’s special events. He takes pleasure in assisting the public and interacting with the community. This summer he had a great time volunteering at the Bicycle Safety Rodeo, where he assisted officers in performing bicycle check ups and educating children aged 4 to 13 on bicycle safety and etiquette tips.

Mr. Leifer is an example of a dedicated volunteer going above and beyond what has been asked of him. Thank you Leonard Leifer, The City of Tyler truly appreciates  the time and service you provide to the City and to our community! 

Semi-Annual Report

Volunteer Tyler is off to a great start. Stay tuned for the  2011-2012 report!

To view a copy of the                2009-2010 Semi-Annual Progress Report click on this link: REPORT