In May 2019, Jill Kohlhaas, a 17-year veteran of the telecommunications industry serving professionally as a senior dispatcher and plant record clerk of Madison Telephone Co. (Staunton, Illinois), was returning to the office from her lunch hour when she saw a box turtle in distress while slowly crossing a road in rural Macoupin County near White City, Illinois. Her instinctive kindness and caring for all living creatures made her turn her personal vehicle around, park safely on the side of the rural road, so that the risk of the little turtle being hit would be averted. She picked up the distressed turtle and relocated it to the other side of the road. Her action was one of being an animal lover, not a hero.
Returning to her vehicle, Kohlhaas heard a scream come from a tall, grassy area close to where she placed the turtle. She investigated where the scream came from and discovered a 72-year-old female lying on the ground alongside the roadway. The individual was bleeding from a head wound and was unable to regain her balance, nor had the strength to get up. Kohlhaas immediately assisted the individual by calming her and then guided her down her long driveway and back inside her home. Kohlhaas then discovered that she was home alone.
Kohlhaas secured towels and applied pressure to the bleed on her head. As the woman gained composure and became coherent, Kohlhaas was able to secure a relative’s contact information. Wasting no time, Kohlhaas called the relative and waited until the relative arrived at the home. The elderly resident was taken to the hospital, and Madison Telephone Co. is happy to report she did not suffer any broken bones or life-threatening injuries. After making a full recovery from the contusion and bruising, Kohlhaas continues to display her kindness, caring and giving nature by stopping at the individual’s home over the next few weeks to make sure she was recovering and didn’t need anything.
What excellence means to me is going above and beyond to make a difference. Whether it’s your job or your home, it’s just going above and beyond.
Kohlhaas’s efforts to save the life of a turtle turned into saving a 72-year-old woman in distress. In July 2019, she was awarded Madison Telephone Co.’s “Madison Making the Difference Award” due to her actions/heroism. The “Madison Making the Difference Award” is a quarterly company award that exemplifies Madison’s mission to encourage and reward superior service above and beyond the call of the company on behalf of Madison’s customers and the communities they serve.
Kohlhaas consistently exemplifies professionalism, sensitivity and kindness in her daily interactions – “What excellence means to me is going above and beyond to make a difference. Whether it’s your job or your home, it’s just going above and beyond.” Those actions personify her exceptional commitment to care far beyond expectations. And for those reasons, she is being awarded the NTCA eXcellence Heroism Award.
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About the eXcellence Awards
The eXcellence awards are the highest recognition of individual achievement in the industry and pays tribute to individuals in eight categories. By nominating someone for an NTCA eXcellence Award, you help NTCA provide national recognition for those who have shown commitment to their community and our industry. You also promote awareness of rural achievements and highlight positive impacts on your community. Recipients receive recognition during the association's largest annual conference, RTIME, and in NTCA media.
