We often recognize the work done by Warren Countians, the dedication they put into their lives and in their relationships built over the years.

Karen Foley, after nearly 30 years in city government and 25 spent with Neighborhood and Community Services, won’t work in a city government role after Dec. 31, when she will leave her job as neighborhood services coordinator to become executive director of HOTEL INC. She will replace outgoing head Rhondell Miller.

NCS is designed to “provide personalized customer service for the education, enforcement and information to all citizens of our community,” according to its outlined purpose on the City of Bowling Green website.

Its vision, also described on the website, is “to build positive relationships with local organizations, community leaders and the citizens to ensure that services are delivered effectively.”

An important role, no doubt, particularly in a city that has grown exponentially over the past several decades.

Foley has shown to have been an asset to Bowling Green. She described, through tears, her experiences working for the city during an interview with Daily News reporter Jack Dobbs.

“Getting to watch this community go through amazing progress and then also endure hardship, and through it all, seeing some things kind of come full circle is really rewarding,” Foley said, wiping away tears. “Being able to look back on 25 years in this role … it’s just such a blessing.”

She was on point in various capacities during a 30-year stretch as Bowling Green grew, sometimes through tragedy, to a magnet for those looking to move into a community that had much to offer.

She worked through the pandemic and also the tornado disasters of 2021. She was part of the glue that kept the city running. She was a 911 dispatcher on Jan. 6, 1996, when a fire at a Howard Johnson Hotel killed three people and left 15 injured.

“There were people in the hotel, and I was on the phone with a family,” Foley said. “The firefighters went into their room (and) basically walked them out. That was sort of a big, landmark thing for me, in my basically six months to the day on the job.”

Those who dedicate so much time to city servant roles are to be valued for their service and their energy in helping the city, both during good and bad times.

We salute Foley for her efforts over the years and wish her the best in her new position.