Post-meeting Release, May 30, 2024

Seneca County Commissioners honor longtime county employee Sharon Skeel

By Sheri Trusty, Seneca County Media Relations Coordinator

During the May 30 commissioners’ meeting, the Seneca County Commissioners honored Sharon Skeel for 44 years of service to the county. Throughout the years, she served as a criminal and juvenile clerk, paralegal and, most currently, office administrator. Skeel retires on May 31.

Seneca County Administrator Barb Patterson expressed deep gratitude for Skeel’s impact on the county and on her.

“I just want to say thank you for everything you’ve given me as I’ve worked for the county,” Patterson told Skeel. “You’ve done so many good things for me, and I’m glad to call you a friend.”

Commissioner Tyler Shuff read a proclamation from the commissioners honoring Skeel and called her a “true definition of a public servant.”

Seneca County Auditor Julie Adkins thanked Skeel for always going “above and beyond.”

“You work diligently for the taxpayers. People don’t realize the effort and time you put into the job,” Adkins told Skeel. “You have been so wonderful. You’re a treasure, and you’ll be missed.”

Commissioners Anthony Paradiso and Bill Frankart expressed their appreciation for Skeel’s dedication and fiscal responsibility.

“We really appreciate that you stretch a dollar as far as you can. You stuck by your values,” Frankart said.

Skeel was emotionally grateful for the recognition. Stepping away from a job she loves will be difficult, but she is ready to spend more time with family. She plans to seek a different job that will allow her to stay connected.

“I want to find something part-time. I want to be fruitful but not busy,” she said.

Great Lakes Community Action Partnership (GLCAP) President and CEO, Ruthann House, attended the commissioners’ meeting with several employees and community members whose lives have been impacted by the organization. GLCAP has a wide-sweeping impact on the community, meeting many needs from early education to housing.

House provided an update on GLCAP programming and said there are 1,000 similar community agencies across the country.

“We’re in the same network but very different,” House said. “We are one of the more assertive community agencies. We’re in a rural community, so we have to work harder to bring dollars in.”

Among the community members who joined her at the meeting was Kalene Sampson, who shared the story of her family’s journey from employment to homelessness. A series of difficult events, beginning with losing their housing two years ago, left Sampson and her husband unexpectedly homeless while she was pregnant with their first child. They were living in an unheated garage when a friend suggested she contact GLCAP.

Today, Sampson is in nursing school, her husband recently earned his first promotion at work, and their child is happy and healthy.

“We put in the hard work every day, but GLCAP was the backbone until we were able to stand on our own two feet,” Sampson said.

During the commissioners’ reports, Frankart said his week included a seven-hour deposition with attorneys representing the WIN Waste of Seneca County landfill, also known as Sunny Farms Landfill. The deposition related to a lawsuit filed by WIN Waste against the Ottawa Sandusky Seneca (OSS) Solid Waste District. More information can be found at https://senecacountyohio.gov/resilient-in-battle-commissioner-bill-frankart-endures-seven-hour-win-waste-deposition/.

The commissioners approved one supplemental appropriation and passed three resolutions, including resolutions appointing Dennis Snay and Mary Burgess to the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wyandot Cou