Pittsburg Parole Office Employee Receives Pin for 40 Years of Service

Submitted to Hometown Girard

 

Pittsburg resident Carolyn Grillot was honored at the Statehouse in Topeka on Friday, Sept. 22, for having served the State’s corrections agency for 40 years. Grillot has been employed in the Pittsburg Parole Office since 1977.

Governor Sam Brownback awarded official service pins celebrating the longevity of each honoree who completed either 40 or 50 years of service during the past fiscal year. Grillot met Brownback and Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Joe Norwood, who thanked her for her service to the State.

Governor Sam Brownback and Kansas Department of Corrections Secretary Joe Norwood presented Carolyn Grillot with a pin for 40 years of service. Grillot has worked for the Pittsburg Parole Offices since 1977.

“The Department of Corrections is privileged to have people like Carolyn who have served the state faithfully for many years,” Norwood said. “Carolyn brings a great deal of experience and tremendous work ethic to the Pittsburg office, where she is able to pass on those qualities to her coworkers.”

Grillot, an administrative assistant in the Pittsburg Parole Office, began her career with KDOC on June 29, 1977, as a secretary doing administrative work for parole offices. She has seen numerous changes in her 40 years with the Department of Corrections. At the time she started, the only office equipment in the Pittsburg office was an electric typewriter. She was responsible for typing everything for all the parole officers in Pittsburg, Emporia, Ottawa, Independence and Winfield.

Grillot was honored as the Southern Parole Region Employee of the Year in 2001. She has helped train numerous parole officers and parole supervisors during her 40 years at KDOC.

“I’ve always loved helping people,” Grillot said following the ceremony in Topeka. “I’ve always found my work interesting, and I’ve always gotten to work with great people. They make it a pleasure to come to work each day.”

Grillot has been married to her husband, Dave, for 38 years. They have three sons, two daughter-in-laws and four grandchildren. When her children were younger, she spent 12 years volunteering as a 4-H leader as well as being active in the Pittsburg High School Band Boosters.

She served on the Crawford County Extension Executive Council for four years. For the past 10 years, she has been a volunteer with the Kansas Guardianship Program. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, crafts and spending time with her family.