City’s outstanding citizens know few boundaries when serving community

    The 2022 Imperial Outstanding Citizens have known few limits when it comes to their service to the community.
    While they were announced earlier this year, Kendra Burke and Jana Pribbeno were formally recognized June 20 when awards were presented at the start of the city council meeting.
    Burke earned the recognition in the youth division, while Pribbeno was honored posthumously in the adult division.
    Council member Chad Yaw initiated the Outstanding Citizen Awards about six years ago, and said last week it’s a “pet project of mine.”
    He read the nomination letters received on each winner.
    Burke, a 2022 Chase County Schools graduate and the daughter of Josh and Courtney Burke, is one of the youngest members of the Imperial Emergency Medical Services. She regularly attends EMS conferences across the state  for further training.
    She also organizes the Red Cross Blood Drives at CCS and recruits volunteers and blood donors for them. She serves on the Lied Imperial Library board as a student member.
    “Kendra’s selfless volunteering and dedication to helping her community has made a lasting difference in the lives of so many,” reads her nomination letter.
    Tyler Pribbeno accepted his mother’s award at the meeting last week. Jana Pribbeno died in 2021.
    She was a force behind the establishment of the Chase County Veterans Memorial on the courthouse grounds, the annual Smokin’ on Broadway event and the Traveling Vietnam Veterans Wall that spent a week in Imperial in 2015.
    As member of the Veterans Memorial committee, she was  involved in fundraising and coordinated the collection of Chase County veterans’ names for the directory on site.
    She served many years on the Chamber of Commerce board, and was its president twice. In previous years she coached various teams, led a Boy Scout troop and taught Sunday School.  
    “Jana was very good at making things happen from behind the scenes. She didn’t want the spotlight. She just wanted to see things get done,” reads her nomination letter.
    The two honorees will be recognized again on a special city-sponsored float at this year’s Chase County Fair Parade.
    Each December, Imperial residents are asked to submit nominations for the annual awards. The young citizen nominees are to be 18 years and younger, while the adult division residents who are 19 and older.