This December, Hall celebrated 30 years as a village employee and reflected on her many years of service to the community, village staff and trustees. “Over the past 30 years, I’ve done a little bit of everything,” Hall said in a press release from the village.
During most of her tenure, only payroll and utility payments were computerized, so she relied on accounting ledger books to do her job. Two-way radios were used to communicate instead of telephones among field employees and the clerk’s office managed all of the day-to-day operations. “It was a different time, and the village population was much smaller, probably closer to 6,500 people,” she explained. As of 2021, the village's population was 13,812.
'Fond memories'
Hall had been working in St. Louis and wanted to find a job closer to home. Her long-time friend and previous Village of Glen Carbon employee, Danny Picarella, recommended her for a job opening to former Village Clerk Rita Ranek and former Mayor Ron Foster.
“Danny really helped me get the job at village hall, and I’m thankful for his referral,” she said.
Picarella retired from the village after 24 years and is currently working in the role of Edwardsville Township highway commissioner.
Hall’s official title is finance clerk but anyone who knows her will agree she excels at customer service, interacting with the community on a regular basis. As a self-declared “people person,” Hall truly enjoys getting to know residents and watch as their children grow up, start families of their own, and share stories and life updates with her.
“I’ve been here long enough to really see the circle of life unfold, getting to know entire families in the village. There are so many fond memories to list, and I’ve been able to talk, laugh and sometimes cry with the residents that visit regularly,” said Hall.
It's obvious that Hall has made a lasting impression on Glen Carbon residents and she recalls a story that happened a few years ago.
“I was out of the office on vacation for several days and the ladies covering for me upstairs kept getting asked where I was. After repeatedly having to answer I was on vacation, they posted a sign that read Karen is on Vacation at the front desk,” said Hall.
Smiling, she goes on to say, “There was only one resident that came in to pay his bill and confusingly asked, ‘Who’s Karen?’ We still laugh about it.”
Hall is fun-loving and well-known in the community for her home’s Halloween decorations each year. If you have yet to trick-or-treat at Karen Hall’s house, make sure to stop by in 2024 to enjoy her wonderful display, which includes a 12-foot skeleton in the front yard. She begins planning months in advance and decks out her home, inside and out.
Mayor Bob Marcus said he is extremely thankful for Hall’s decades of service and knows how important her role is in the village.
“Karen is kind and thoughtful to the residents of Glen Carbon as well as (to) the employees,” said Marcus. “She is a pleasure to know and we are lucky to have her as a member of our staff.”
