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Highmark West Virginia rep among 12 to receive recognition

Photo Provided Cheri McCollum of Highmark West Virginia poses with the Jefferson Award for Public Service from Highmark Health. The award honors volunteerism.

PARKERSBURG — A customer service representative from Highmark West Virginia has received one of 12 Jefferson Awards for Public Service from Highmark Health.

Cheri McCollum of Albany in Meigs County is a senior customer service representative and a volunteer emergency medical technician with her local fire department, responding to 911 calls and involved with grant writing, reporting, fundraising and attending parades.

Her township of residence is 20 minutes away from the closest paid emergency medical services crew. By responding as volunteers, her squad can reduce the response time of emergency calls to about 10 minutes.

One of McCollum’s proudest moments was when her friend posted on Facebook declaring her as one of the people who had saved her life. “Knowing a little girl gets to grow up with her mom because I was there is an amazing thing,” she said.

The Jefferson Awards were created more than 40 years ago by a group of public figures, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

“Each year, when we honor employees through the Jefferson Awards, I am always left simply amazed and inspired by their passion and dedication to public service,” said Dan Onorato, executive vice president, Highmark Health. “At Highmark Health, we believe that we share a responsibility to give back to, reinvest in, and strengthen our communities. These employees have shown what it means to be committed to that belief. We congratulate and applaud them for making such a powerful difference in their communities and beyond.”

Jason Holman of Orlando, Fla., an optician at Visionworks, was selected as Highmark Health’s overall winner and will represent the company at the National Jefferson Awards Conference in June in Washington, D.C.

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