Sixth Judicial District employees honored for service, dedication

CEDAR RAPIDS - Joel Snetzler works magic on a daily basis with 'ancient” courthouse equipment that breaks, pops or just shuts down until he finds an impossible solution, and 'does it all with a smile,” Senior Judge Nancy Baumgartner said last week during the Sixth Judicial District Awards ceremony.

Snetzler was honored last Monday with the Friend of the Court Award. He has worked for Linn County for 25 years and has been the senior facility worker at the courthouse since 1996. The Friend of the Court Award in the past has been given to law enforcement, victim's advocates and judges.

Baumgartner said Snetzler was the 'shepherd” throughout the rebuilding process after the flood and in many other crucial times - such as last month when pipes went bust after the boiler stopped working in the jail. The courthouse went without heat for several days amid bitterly cold temperatures.

Baumgartner said Snetzler worked about 36 hours straight during the boiler crisis, which didn't surprise her.

'Joel always has a smile on his face, except perhaps when the pipes blew, Baumgartner said laughing. 'He takes great pride in his work but he's very modest about his abilities and always credits the staff. It's not an easy job, the courthouse is primarily staffed by women who have varying rates of (body) temperatures but he never complains. He has a great sense of humor and he makes me laugh.”

Snetzler shared this year's award with Joyce Sramek, also a Linn County facility worker, who maintains the Juvenile Justice Center. Sramek has worked for the county many years and for the last three years has been at the juvenile center.

District Associate Judge Barbara Liesveld, in nominating Sramek, said she keeps the facility working at 'top performance,” and improves and maintains the overall appearance of the grounds and building, making it 'beautiful and safe.”

'She is the unsung hero working behind the scenes - planting flowers, spreading salt, plowing the parking lot and any other kind of maintenance,” Liesveld said. 'She is always polite and ready to help - a true friend of the court.”

The Sixth is the only district in the state that honors their employees this way. There are five main awards and all employees are recognized for their years of service with certificates, plaques and other small items. The state stopped paying for small tokens such as T-shirts, pins and plaques after the 2001 budget cuts, but the judges in the Sixth District decided to pay for those out of their own pockets.

Chief Judge Patrick Grady said during the ceremony that it's important to recognize the employees who work every day to keep the courts functioning. He added it's a nice event to have because it allows him and others to see employees from the other counties - Iowa, Jones, Benton and Tama - which are part of this district.

Other awards presented include:

l Teamwork Award: Juvenile Court probation officers

l Public Service Award: Brian Burroughs, former clerk in Linn County and current Benton County clerk

l Employee of the Year: Jennifer Kasal, clerk in Tama County

l Distinguished Service Award: Cynthia Forsyth, retired clerk of court for Benton and Iowa counties

Many Dedicated Service Awards also were presented to 36 employees who have worked 10 to 40 years in the courts.