Worth his weight in gold

The Fulton County Commissioners hoped hiring a new Emergency Medical Service Director could potentially result in the recovery of about $400,000 to $500,000 in uncollected, unpaid bills. The new director - on the job for a mere nine months - has far exceeded everyone's expectations. Chock it up to smarts, hard work, long hours, savvy, experience, and team building skills.

Brett Kolb hit the job running. His team (including assistant director Rod Cheney, billing coordinator Jodi Tuckerman and LifeStar; a Toledo-based company specializing in medical billing) has recovered nearly $700,000, with the potential for an additional $100,000 or more in emergency and non-emergency payments.

We've come to think of this mild-mannered man as the county's "MacGyver of Public Service"... the guy who works his way over or around overwhelming challenges to save the day. And, as far as we know, he has never used duct tape.

Kolb is a former volunteer Wauseon fireman, served on the county's Board of Developmental Disabilities (an unpaid position) asking tough questions and helping resolve a wide range of issues, was a Clinton Township Trustees and, most recently, served as Director of the Fulton County Board of Elections (making our county one of only a handful in the state to seamlessly transition to electronic voting machines).

The commissioners get credit for their selection, but the true hero is Brett Kolb and his team.