DECATUR - Brian Townsend walked into the retirement reception for President Jan Kelsheimer on Tuesday afternoon at Easter Seals Central Illinois. Jan greeted him: "You hired me!"

Townsend was a member of the administrative group, the board of directors, 23 years ago. "We interviewed her; we guessed right," he said. "Jan far exceeded my expectations and the board's expectations."

Friday is her last day of work. The reception was a surprise. When she was ushered into the meeting room with tables and chairs in place and two cakes and green-colored punch on the main table, it was 4:45, 15 minutes before the starting time.

"Will anybody come?" she wondered. By 5:05, there was a good crowd sampling the refreshments and shaking hands. Kelsheimer's husband, Jack, was an early arrival. When Jan Kelsheimer opened the gift wrap of a digital camera, her husband quipped, "Now you can lose another one." Jan Kelsheimer explained, "I lost the camera on our honeymoon."

Since then, she's been an absolute winner. Carol Blackwell, a former colleague who now teaches chemistry at MacArthur High School, calls Jan Kelsheimer a visionary.

"The new building (2715 N. 27th St.) wouldn't have happened without Jan," Blackwell said.

"She's the perfect example of a professional who realized the importance of providing services to people with disabilities. She's top-notch," said state Rep. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion, a member of the current board of directors.

Lori Brown, an Easter Seals staffer, said, "She is an awesome leader."

Teri Moore, also a staffer, added, "She is leaving a good foundation for us to build on for another 23 years."

Terry Henkel, a part-time Easter Seals maintenance man, said, "She's one of the best people I've worked for."

Debbie England will be Jan Kelsheimer's successor.

"She's an excellent teacher. She has been showing me how to do it for two weeks," England said. "I look forward to continuing Jan's progress."

In retirement, Jan Kelsheimer is looking forward to weeding the garden, taking up golf for the third time and being a housewife.

"I'm joining a tap-dancing class, too," she said with a smile. "And I'll be volunteering at Easter Seals."

bfallstrom@herald-review.com|421-7981