Two of City of Harrison’s longtime employees, Peggy Fitzgerald and Amanda Reardon, have retired with 39 combined years of service.
PEGGY FITZGERALD SETS SAIL
Peggy Fitzgerald began working in the City Utilities Department in 2004. Soon after, she moved the Finance Department, where she handled payroll and accounts payable for eight years.
Fitzgerald went back to Utilities, where she says she enjoyed the interaction with Harrison citizens. The department handles about 4,500 accounts.
“I came to look forward to seeing the same customers month to month,” she said.
Although she resides near the Community Center, she no longer makes the daily walk to work. Instead, she is devoting much of her time to her 97-year-old mother. She and her retired husband, John, are making trips to visit family in Nashville and to watch the Ohio Cardinals Senior Softball team. Her sister-in-law, Reenie, plays second base.
Fitzgerald is looking forward to a November Caribbean cruise with her two daughters, Chrissy and Robin. The three are avid cruisers.
At the June 21 City Council meeting, Fitzgerald was presented with a plaque for 18 years of outstanding and dedicated service to the City and the American flag that flew at the Harrison Community Center on her last day of work.
Pictured (L to R): Mayor Bill Neyer, Peggy Fitzgerald, and Public Works Director Jim Leslie.
AMANDA REARDON HANGS UP HER HELMET
“Firefighter Amanda” started out in the Explorer Program as a Harrison High School student. She retired recently with 21 years of service to the Harrison Fire Department and will be recognized at City Council August 2.
“I was never really a girly, girl,” Reardon said. “The other option I had in mind was to be a race car driver.”
Instead, she attended Scarlet Oaks for basic firefighter and EMT training and was hired part-time by the City in 2001. After working eight years and completing another year of medic training, she was hired as the City’s first female, full-time firefighter.
One of her favorite aspects of the job was educating scouts and students about fire prevention and careers. Interestingly, she inspired her husband Kenny. He became a firefighter in 2003.
Reardon is a “sports mom” to Dakota (a junior at LaSalle) and Carter (a seventh grader at Harrison). She would like to continue working in fire prevention education or explore a new career with animals. The family has two Great Danes.
Pictured: Amanda Reardon