Adair honored with LCSC Crystal Berry award for staff
'We lied to you,' Logansport Community School Corporation superintendent Michele Starkey gleefully said when Jeannie Adair walked into the board room, paused and looked with confusion at the colleagues, friends and family members assembled.
And then her three grandchildren ran across the room and leapt into Adair's arms.
The reason for the surprise gathering was to recognize Adair as the winner of this year's staff Crystal Berry Award.
At the end of each school year, LCSC honors a teacher and a staff member with an award. This year's Crystal Berry for teaching went to Fairview Elementary's Holly Miller.
'Jeannie epitomizes what it means to be a Logansport Berry,' said Starkey. 'When people first come to work at Logansport, she is the first person they meet. She's there to help them do a lot of different things. She would do anything to help anybody.'
Adair has been part of the school corporation for nearly 31 years. She started in migrant education before moving into human resources. In that role, she works with new teachers and employees, oversees teacher licensing and other credentials and paper work.
She was born in Logansport, went through the LCSC school system and is a Berry fan.
'This is amazing because I love Logansport so much,' Adair said. 'I think it's a great award for the staff—both the certified and the classified—because everyone puts in a lot of hours to make sure our kids have the best education. (People) don't see the business side of that.'
Adair said that at this time of year many people congratulate her for making it through another school year, however, for human resources they are entering their busiest season as teachers and staff join the school corporation or transition into new roles.
'I can't say enough about the people who work in this corporation,' she said. 'It's been an amazing journey to work with some of the best educators I've been around who really care for students and administrators. And I can't say enough about Michele. She is by far the best. The way she cares for the students in our corporation and the staff is amazing. She has our backs. She always has our backs.'
Adair will retire at the end of the year. Christi Owens and Lori Lange will take over in the HR department.
'They are going to do a great job but they have big shoes to fill as they know,' Starkey said.
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