At the Board of Commissioners meeting on Thursday, Sept. 20, the 2023 recipients of the Joanne Konkle Leadership Award were recognized with a proclamation. The recipients are Mary Jo Byrne, Executive Director of the Fountain Clinic, and Robert “Spence” Spencer, a Volunteer Construction Supervisor for Battle Creek Area Habitat for Humanity since 1993.  

Mary Jo Byrne, Executive Director of the Fountain Clinic, is receiving the 2023 Joanne Konkle award in recognition her service to seniors and others in the community. She has been a strong advocate for those in need and regularly goes above and beyond to find emergency assistance for those in need. Mary Jo has spent many years volunteering for various assistance agencies including Mobile Meals, Board of Health, Women’s Philanthropic Circle, the League of Women Voters, and the Free Clinics of Michigan. She was also instrumental in bringing COVID vaccinations to seniors and others in the community. Mary Jo has been a dedicated fundraiser and advocate for the Fountain Clinic both in her professional role as executive director, as well as in volunteer roles of past board member and fundraising committee member. Mary Jo Byrne is featured in the photo above with family and supporters from the Fountain Clinic.

Robert “Spence” Spencer retired from General Motors in 1993 and wanted to impact people and the community with the love of God, so he began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. He has helped supervise the building of around 100 houses for people of low income, and he has helped supervise the construction of several hundred wheelchair ramps over the years, mostly for seniors. “Spence,” as he is fondly called, truly loves people. He helps guide the “regular volunteers” of Habitat, who are generally retired workers from a wide variety of careers. He teaches new volunteers and supervises younger groups of volunteers who often come from out of town to build homes or ramps. In the past year, Spence has developed a minor home repair program for Habitat. This program works with older homeowners who can no longer perform small repairs on their own. Spence is pictured between Commissioners Kathy Sue Vette (Board Chair) and Derek King, as well as family and Habitat for Humanity coworkers.

This award which recognizes sustained community service to Calhoun County older adults, age 60 and over, by professionals and volunteers, was established in 2017 to honor the lifetime work of Joanne Konkle (1934-2018) who retired as the Administrator of the Calhoun County Medical Care Facility after 19 years in 2003. She then gave many years of exceptional volunteer service to the Calhoun County Senior Millage Allocation Committee, the Forks Senior Center in Albion, and the Marian Burch Adult Day Care Center in Battle Creek. When Joanne started her career in Social Work, she helped establish the Marian Burch Adult Day Care by writing a grant to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In the 1970s, Joanne was a Calhoun County Board Commissioner. This award recognizes professionals and volunteers who have provided service to the aged that have followed Joanne Konkle’ s example of providing public service with compassion, commitment, and generosity.

Winners of the Joanne Konkle Leadership Award are determined by the Senior Millage Allocation Committee (SMAC), which is a 13-member volunteer board that oversees the administration of Calhoun County Senior Millage. Renewed for 10 years in 2020, Senior Millage funds 21 programs to serve older adults, age 60 and over including important programs administered by nonprofit organizations including CareWell Services, Community Action and Milestone Senior Services.

Lucy Blair, Communications Director

269-781-0926, lblair@calhouncountymi.gov