Lona Rae Konold, administrative assistant for Marshall Public Works, says she’s gone from working with electric typewriters to computer databases over the course of her career. Konold was recently named the city of Marshall’s Employee of the Year for 2024.

MARSHALL — She’s been a familiar face in the Marshall city offices for more than 30 years. Lona Rae Konold said being there to support her coworkers and the public has been one of the great things about her role as an administrative assistant.

“I’m a firm believer that we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be,” Konold said of her work.

Konold, the administrative assistant for the Marshall Public Works Department, was named the city of Marshall’s 2024 Employee of the Year. Konold has worked for the city since 1993, starting out as a secretary for city engineering.

“It is truly an honor,” Konold said of the award.

“Lona Rae is a true team player, one who often makes others feel at ease just by being around her and is a person who can stay calm in any situation,” said Marshall City Administrator Sharon Hanson.

“Lona Rae’s energy is so positive, and we can feel her presence in our office every day,” said Marshall Public Works Director Jason Anderson. Anderson said Konold’s dedication, experience and knowledge were “critical” to the success of public works functions. “We are grateful to have Lona Rae on our team.”

Konold said she had wanted to be a secretary from the time she was a child. She got some of her inspiration from a sibling.

“My older sister was a secretary for Marvin Schwan,” she said. “We would play office at her house.”

When Konold grew up, she pursued her dream to college and a secretarial job in the Twin Cities. But accepting a position with the city of Marshall brought her and her husband back to their roots in southwest Minnesota.

“It’s been a good fit ever since,” she said.

When Konold started working in the city office, Duane Aden was city administrator and Rich Victor was the city engineer. Later, Glenn Olson would be the city’s first public works director, she said.

Konold started her work with the engineers at an eventful time. In 1993, Marshall saw damage from major flood events, and Konold was wondering if there would be more.

“I remember the first spring thaw of 1994,” she said. “Just the stress of, ‘Oh my goodness, is this going to be happening again?'”

“There have been a lot of changes,” Konold said of her work over the years. Office technology was one thing that’s changed a lot. When she first started working for the city, “We typed up permits on the typewriter,” she said. Over time, the city moved from paper documents to computer technology like spreadsheets. “Now, we have a full-fledged database,” she said.

In addition to supporting the engineers and public works office, Konold also interacted with the public as a secretary. She said that was a bigger part of her job earlier in her career.

“At the time, we were front and center, and the building was a lot more open,” she said.

Konold enjoyed getting to meet Marshall community members who came to the city office for things like building permits. “I liked seeing new families come in and move to town,” she said.

Over time, it’s also been nice to see different city projects come together, and to see city departments work together, she said. Konold said for her, it’s important to be able to know everyone’s strengths, and help everyone work together on common goals.

“It’s always been good to have a work family,” Konold said.

Konold said the Employee of the Year award was a surprise to her, but she had a clue as soon as presenters announced when this year’s honoree stared working with the city. Konold’s family had been told about the award ahead of time. As part of the ceremony, she got to see a video with her three daughters and her grandson.

“You hear those words, and it’s kind of humbling,” she said of the recognition. “But I am thankful, and grateful, and honored.”