By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

Office Manager Kathy Oestmann was recently named Employee of the Year for the Livingston County Probation Department.

Director and Chief Probation Officer Ron Baker gives some of the reasons the 22 year veteran of the department received this honor.

“Kathy has been a fantastic part of the office for the entire time she’s been here. She is one of the people who everyone encounters as they come in the front door and is always a smiling, positive presence and really helps diffuse whatever is happening or makes sure work is something we can get done. She recently promoted a year ago to a management position and has just done fantastic with that. Given more responsibilities, duties – she grasped that with a lot of energy, did very well with it and is really a positive part of the office that is really a cornerstone of a job that helps. It’s a job that sometimes can be very negative and she’s always a smiling, positive part of what’s going on here, and that’s very important,” Baker said.