Shirley Chumley, bookkeeper and office manager for Helena High School, was named the 2017 Support Professional of the Year at the seventh annual Support Professionals of the Year Awards Program on May 18.  which honoring support professionals from across the Shelby County school district on May 18.

The awards program honored support professionals from across the Shelby County school district as a way to recognize their hard work and dedication and to promote the importance of support operations in the educational process.

Chumley was also one of seven individuals recognized as a winner of the job classification category awards of Accounting, Custodial, Food Services, Instructional, Maintenance, Secretarial, and Transportation.  Chumley was recognized as the winner of the Accounting category prior to being named the overall winner.

Additional category winners who were recognized included Melinda Hooten, Oak Mountain Middle, Custodial category; Darlene Malinoski, Mt Laurel Elementary, Food Services category; Amanda Glass, Calera Intermediate Instructional category; Russell Bentley, Forest Oaks Elementary, Maintenance category, Jenny Franklin, Special Education/Special Services Center, Secretarial category, and James Hall, Calera school zone, Transportation category.

Others who were recognized from schools and system departments by category included:

Accounting:  Bethany Hutton, Central Office; Lacey Brackner, Chelsea High, and Karen Duke, Calera Middle

Custodial: Rodney Moore, Chelsea Middle School;  Bob Stricklin, custodian, Montevallo Elementary; Sue Brown, custodian, Shelby County College and Career Center; and Alfonza Bradford, Vincent Middle/High

Food Services: Tammi Taveres, Vincent Elementary

Instructional: Pamela Moore, Chelsea Park Elementary; Rebecca Bryant, Columbiana Middle; Beverly Vick, Elvin Hill Elementary; Susan Curtis, Helena Elementary School; Myia Vines, Linda Nolen Learning Center; John Hughes, Inverness Elementary; Cynthia Myers, Oak Mountain Elementary; Jami Burns, Montevallo Middle, Christi Ellison, Montevallo High; Amy Shirley, Shelby Elementary and Juanita Sharkey, Shelby County High

Maintenance: Ben Fredrick, Calera High School and Richard Horton, Maintenance Department

Secretarial: Julie Brane, Oak Mountain Intermediate; Lynn Faulkner, Helena Intermediate; Angel Harris, Wilsonville Elementary; Lynn Roberts, Helena Middle; Deann Scholl, Calera Elementary; and Wendi Griggs, Technology Department/Shelby County Instructional Services Center.

 

Devoted Employee: In her letter of support for Mrs. Chumley’s consideration of the overall award, Helena High School Principal wrote that she is a truly devoted employee who manages her duties with dedication and professionalism.

Ms. Brand also described Mrs. Chumley as an advocate for other support staff in the building, making sure they are taken care of by assisting them with navigating computers, helping them to make changes to their insurance or entering leave requests.

“As the Bookkeeper and Office Manager for Helena High School, Mrs. Chumley has a positive impact on the students, staff, and parents of our school community,” wrote Ms. Brand. “The caring, helpful atmosphere in Mrs. Chumley’s office is a reflection of Shirley’s disposition.”

Mrs. Chumley wrote in her essay that a “job is defined as a task, a piece of work done for a fee, a responsibility.”  She noted that while she gets paid to make purchases, compile reports, count money, and she does enjoy those duties, the reason she loves her job is so much more! She enjoys being a part of the special team that makes up the staff at Helena High.

Brand said that when she was named principal at Helena High, she was so relieved to know that she had a bookkeeper of Chumley’s caliber there.

“Mrs. Chumley plays an integral role in the daily operations of our school.  She is a great bookkeeper, but more importantly, she is a tremendous person, a team player, and a terrific example of how the staff at Helena High School works together to ensure student success.”

Chumley said she has enjoyed being a part of opening a new school and helping to establish its new traditions, all done in order for the students to have the most positive educational experience possible.

“Our principal has a standard by which all ideas are formed: “is it right for the kids?”  This commitment to our students is what sets Helena High School apart and will serve our community well for years to come. I am very blessed to work in a place that I call home and with people that I call family.”