Stevens County Child Support Officer receives state award

MORRIS - Stevens County Child Support Officer Barb Gades has received the State Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Child Support by the Minnesota Family Support and Recovery Council.

Gades is currently on contract with Traverse County to provide child support services, as well as her work in Stevens County. This has proven to be a very successful and cost-effective collaboration between the two counties, in part, because of her dedication and commitment to her job.

Gades was nominated for the award by Traverse County Social Services director Rhonda Braaten-Antrim. In her nomination letter, Braaten-Antrim wrote, "Since I've known her, she has always been eager and willing to help her fellow colleagues out when in need. She's proactive, by providing resources, guides, and cheat- sheets that enable us to do our work more efficiently. She's also quick to react when we have a question or need a statute reference. Whether sitting in court or working at my desk, I know I can email her and I'll get a response quickly.

"Barb has also been willing to work in her neighboring counties as the need arises. I believe she started her employment in St. Louis County and has also worked in Pope, Douglas, Stevens and Traverse. Most recently she has been helping me get the child support case load caught up in Traverse County. She works efficiently and competently, exceeding standards. She's been willing to drive over on Saturdays and her willingness has been so appreciated."

Gades is also a contributor to Nimble Fingers on the Prairie, an organization that provides hats, scarves and mittens to children who live in poverty within a 12-county area of west central Minnesota.

"[Barb] is very giving of herself off the job to support children in need,," said Marybeth Potts, president of Nimble Fingers on the Prairie. "It's not just a job for her to see children benefit from her work efforts, it's also a way of life to support families in need."