Toni Kania, left, chief nursing officer at Quality Life Services, and Julie Wahlenmayer, director of Glade Run Adventures, received the 2021 and 2020 Employee of the Year award, respectively. The awards were given at the Butler County Chamber of Commerce employee recognition luncheon Wednesday at the Atrium in Prospect.

FRANKLIN TWP — Two deserving women — one who works with senior citizens and one with horses and special-needs youth — were the recipients on Wednesday of the annual Butler County Employee of the Year awards.

Butler Chamber of Commerce hosted the luncheon and award ceremony at the Atrium, where Toni Kania, chief nursing officer at Quality Life Services in Butler, and Julie Wahlenmayer, director of Glade Run Adventures in Zelienople, were given the 2021 and 2020 awards, respectively.

Because the awards ceremony was not conducted last year because of the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, Wahlenmayer received her award on Wednesday.

The award winners are kept a closely guarded secret until the name is announced at the luncheon, so both women were stunned to find themselves holding the wooden mantle clock given to each year's Employee of the Year.

This is a breaking news report — read more about both women in Thursday's Butler Eagle.