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After a long holiday break including a brief jump off the fiscal cliff, the Knope of the Week is rested and ready to anoint the standouts in the local government arena for 2013. This year recipients will not only the incredible fame and glory associated with the award, but they will be recognized with a token of appreciation that will only be known by the recipients.
Before we move forward, take a look back at the 52 recipients from 2012. Each recipient will tell you that life has changed dramatically with the recognition, similar to a lottery winner minus the money and notoriety. ELGL proudly notes that before awarding a Knope of the Week we test the potential recipient for performance enhancing drugs. We also proudly note that those individuals have no idea that they’ve ever been tested.
Now onto the beginning of a new year, the 14th recipient for 2013 is …
Amber Mathiesen
City of Falls City, City Administrator
What a great start for Amber’s tenure as city administrator for Falls City, Amber has received formal and informal praise for her work in year one. The most recent praise came in the article “Work of Falls City administrator praised” in the Polk County Itemizer. Of Amber’s work, Falls City Mayor Amy Houghtaling was quoted as saying, “she’s a wealth of knowledge,” Houghtaling said of Mathiesen. “We talk almost every day. I rely on her a lot.”
ELGL echos those thoughts and has witnessed it first hand through Amber’s work on the ELGL Advisory Board.
Like with most job transitions, a certain amount of risk accompanied Amber in accepting her first city administrator position, it appears this gamble has paid off.
