STAUNTON – During its 2020 Rural Telecom Industry Meeting & EXPO (RTIME) in Phoenix Arizona the Rural Broadband Association recognized nine rural telecommunications industry leaders for their achievements and service to the industry, their companies, and their communities by awarding them an NTCA Excellence Award.
Madison Communications is proud to announce that the winner of a Heroism Award was Jill Kohlhaas, senior dispatcher and plant records clerk at Madison Communications. Kohlhaas received the award for her quick thinking and compassion to save an elderly woman from distress. NTCA’s Excellence Awards are selected by the association’s Awards Committee comprised of NTCA members. NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield presented the Awards during the 2020 RTIME Excellence Awards Ceremony on February 19th, 2020.
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Kohlhaas was nominated for the award by Kim Harber, Senior Vice President at Madison Communications and Mary J. Schwartz Westerhold, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at Madison Communications. Part of the nomination reads:
“Simply put, Jill is one of the kindest individuals that you will meet in your lifetime…. In May 2019, Jill was returning to the office from her lunch hour when she saw a box turtle in distress near White City, Illinois. Her instinctive kindness and caring for all living creatures made her turn her personal vehicle around, park safely on the side of the rural road, so that the risk of the little turtle being hit would be averted. Jill picked up the distressed turtle and relocated it to the other side of the road. Jill’s action was one of being an animal lover, not a hero. Those of us that believe in miracles know why it was that Jill was sent to rescue this particular turtle on that particular day.
Returning to her vehicle, Jill heard a scream come from a tall, grassy area close to where she placed the turtle. She investigated where the scream came from and discovered a 72 year old female lying on the ground alongside the roadway. The individual was bleeding from a head wound and was unable to regain her balance, nor had the strength to get up. Jill immediately assisted the individual by calming her and then guided down her long driveway and back inside her home. Jill then discovered that she was home alone…. Jill was able to secure a relative’s contact information. Wasting no time, Jill called the relative and waited until they arrived at the home. The elderly resident was taken to the hospital and Madison is happy to report she did not suffer any broken bones or life threatening injuries. After making a full recovery from the contusion and bruising, our hero Jill continue to display her kindness, caring, and giving nature by stopping at the individual’s home over the next couple of weeks to make sure she was recovering and didn’t need anything.
Jill’s efforts to save the life a turtle turned into saving the pain and suffering of a seventy two year old woman in distress.”
Kohlhaas consistently exemplifies professionalism, sensitivity, and kindness in her daily interactions. Those actions personify her exceptional commitment to care far beyond expectations. Jill has been with Madison Communications for 17 years. She resides in White City, IL with her husband Ray, and her beloved yellow lab, Grace. Jill loves staying active and being outdoors, but Jill’s greatest love is for her 3 daughters, and 7 grandchildren.
Madison Communications is a fully integrated service provider of high-speed Internet access, digital phone, HD entertainment programing, and other IP solutions to residential and business customers in Southwestern Illinois. For questions regarding services available in your area please call Madison’s business office at 1-800-422-4848 Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Additional information is available at gomadison.com.
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