Photo by Botetourt County Communications
By Matt de Simone
During the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors’ December meeting, many county employees were recognized for their tenured services to the county.
County Administrator Gary Larrowe and Deputy Administrator David Moorman recognized these employees and presented each with certificates of appreciation. Each year, the board recognizes those employees whose employment anniversaries occurred in the previous year. The 2022 Employee Recognition awards were presented to:
5 YEARS—Susan Blaylock, Jake East, Gary Fisher, Angela Veldhuizen, and William Wrenn
10 YEARS—Justin Bunn, Penny Firestone, Thomas Holdren, and Debra Wilson
15 YEARS—Brandon Golla
30 YEARS—Tommy Moore
Additionally, Buchanan board representative Amy White presented an award of recognition to Mill Creek Child Care’s Cherry Ramsey and Debbie Mowles for 40 years of dedicated service to Botetourt County.
White expressed her appreciation for Ramsey and Mowles for their years of dedication to child care services.
“What I think is really meaningful here is that we have so much to be thankful for about our community,” White said. “I think [Ramsey and Mowles’s] story really exemplifies the heart of our community. Who else gets to grow up with someone… and run a lifelong business with someone all the while caring for the community.”
Before reading the resolution, White noted that Ramsey and Mowles are “visionaries” for their work in child care services, filling “a need and a void” for families throughout Botetourt County. The board and meeting attendees applauded Ramsey and Mowles for their service to the community.
On behalf of the board, Chairman Dr. Richard Bailey recognized Andrew Seibel, who was recently announced as the 95th 2023 FFA National President. Seibel is a graduate of Lord Botetourt High School and currently a sophomore at Virginia Tech.
“We’re certainly proud to have a representative from our county [becoming FFA National President],” Bailey said. “It’s quite an honor.”
Seibel thanked the board for the recognition and updated them on his current goings on since becoming president. A few of his early highlights included meeting with President Joe Biden and Governor Glenn Youngkin talking about the importance of career and technical education. In the next few months, Seibel will travel about 120,000 miles representing the FFA both domestically and internationally.
“This is a privilege that very few people get,” Seibel said during his recognition. “It’s something that I’m very honored to have.”
Seibel spoke about what it means to hold his new position and how much he looks forward to working with individuals all around the world.