By Aaron McKrell

Butler Eagle Staff Writer

Pamela Ambrose and Gerri Paulisick have their hands full as mothers, wives and workers.

Somehow, they still make time to volunteer, whether its by organizing a field trip, coaching a mock trial team, or a number of other important tasks these two have taken on in the past 15 years.

For their efforts, Pamela Ambrose was the junior recipient and Gerri Paulisick the senior recipient of the 67th Annual Distinguished Service Award on Wednesday at the Butler Country Club.

The awards are given for outstanding volunteer service. The senior award goes to a person older than 45, and the junior award goes to someone younger than 45.

“I'm very excited,” said Ambrose, 43, of Cabot. “I feel very proud.”

For Paulisick, who is originally from Coroapolis but has lived in Butler for 23 years, the award cements the town as her home.

“When I looked at the list (of past winners) and saw the names, especially not being from Butler, to me it was such an incredible honor,” said Paulisick, 46. “And feeling like after 23 years here, it really now is my home.”

The Distinguished Service Award is sponsored by The Butler Eagle and The Rotary Club of Butler.

Master of ceremonies Ron Vodenichar, general manager of the Bulter Eagle, honored the past recipients at the event, including 16 who were present.

Both winners thanked their parents in their acceptance speeches.

“Their motivation and stability in their own lives led me to where I am today,” Ambrose said of her parents, Ron and Shirley Bergbickler.

Paulisick spoke about the generosity of her parents, Jerry and Judith Volchko.

“Every time someone needed help they came to my mom and dad,” she said. “Even if it was the last dollar in their pocket they gave it to you.”

Ambrose, a maintenance clerk for the Butler County Facilities and Operations Department, was honored for her work with the Girl Scouts. She began working with the Girl Scouts 14 years ago when her daughter, Darian, started with the organization.

Even though Darian has now graduated, Ambrose is still enthusiastically involved with the Girl Scouts.

She is in charge of two troops consisting of 31 girls ranging from kindergarten to 10th grade. She plans field trips and camping trips for the groups.

Ambrose also is the treasurer of the Service Team of the Girls Scouts. That is a group of seven leaders who plan events for all 36 Girl Scout troops in the Butler School District.

She sets up and deals with all scout checking accounts and other financial matters.

Ambrose has an annual father-daughter bowling event for the scouts that attracts from 300 to 350 participants.

“(Girl Scouts is) kind of like an addiction,” she said. “I get real excited when I'm working on it, which gives me the drive whenever I have to do a spreadsheet with 200-plus people. That's like a challenge for me, which I love. I have a very dedicated husband (Jeff Ambrose) who doesn't mind whenever I'm spending multiple hours on the paperwork.”

Ambrose also credited the Girl Scouts.

“I'd like to thank the Girl Scout service team, where I have made great friends, and they share the same passion about Girls Scouts that I do,” she said.

Paulisick is a founder and a managing partner of the law firm Boyer, Paulisick & Eberle, and has worn many hats as an attorney and volunteer.

She is a member of the Collaborative Law Association of Southwestern PA, The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, the Butler County Bar Association and the Butler County Family Court Rules Committee.

Paulisick also is counsel for the Butler County Mental Health agency.

She served as a room mother for 12 years at Emily Brittain Elementary School, assisting with kindergarten classes in the afternoon. She has sponsored Olympic Day at the school for eight years, chairing the event in 2014.

Paulisick has been a board member for several years of the Visiting Nurses Association, once serving as chairman.

She was a board member of Candle Inc., which is a nonprofit drug prevention organization. She also worked on the Lighthouse Foundation committee hats and handbags project.

She is a parent representative on the Butler School District's Community Advisory Panel for the realignment of students and schools districtwide.

While all of her duties are important to her, being an attorney adviser and coach for the Butler School District Mock Trial team caught her most by surprise.

“I volunteered because I wanted to get involved in a more hands-on way,” she said. “But, oh my goodness, I will tell you, watching these very shy girls stand in front of a group of over 100 people and deliver a closing statement is incredible.”

Paulisick credited her husband, Joe Paulisick, and children, Cullen and Chloe, while poking fun at herself during her speech. After that, though, she said, “Here's the other truth about me. I wake up every day of my life, and I try to be better.”