Taylor Park Landscaping & Beautification Committee member Michelle Podhajsky, left, pictured alongside Traer Historical Museum board secretary Patty Suess on Thursday, March 26, during the museum’s annual meeting and ice cream social held at the museum in downtown Traer. Podhajsky, the meeting’s featured speaker, was surprised with the 2026 Volunteer of the Year award during the final moments of the meeting. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

TRAER – During the Traer Historical Museum’s annual meeting and ice cream social on Thursday, March 26, Michelle Podhajsky — a founding member of the Taylor Park Landscaping and Beautification Committee — was surprised with the museum’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year award.

“The Traer Historical Museum’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year is a 1986 North Tama graduate and a 1990 University of Iowa graduate, studying art and design. In 1994, she and two friends started a business in Kansas City called Chick Studios. Since then until presently, she has been a freelance graphic and art designer,” museum board secretary Patty Suess said near the end of the meeting as part of the award introduction.

As Suess read from a slip of paper, Podhajsky, seated in the audience, quickly began to realize she herself was the evening’s honoree.

Suess continued, “Coming back to her roots in Traer was rewarding for her as she met and married her husband Nick in December of 2017. She has spent countless hours helping our city and many organizations for their betterment. To name a few, they are Traer and Traer.com, Traer Chamber of Commerce, Winding Stairs festival, Traer’s Sesquicentennial committee and celebration, our own Traer Historical Museum, and a project currently ongoing – the beautification of Taylor Park.”

“With all these she has written grants for thousands and thousands of dollars for all of Traer. She currently serves on the Traer Community Foundation and the Tama County (Community) Foundation boards. Please put your hands together for our speaker and friend, Michelle Podhajsky!”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Prior to the award presentation, Podhajsky was the evening’s guest speaker, giving a presentation on the Taylor Park Landscaping and Beautification Committee’s ongoing work as both a founding and sitting member of the committee’s board. The newspaper will feature a story in next week’s edition on Podhajsky’s presentation which included details surrounding the new open air picnic shelter planned for construction in Taylor Park this May.

As part of Podhajsky’s Volunteer of the Year award, she will also be recognized this summer at the 2026 Governor’s Volunteer Awards (GVA) Ceremony. Per Volunteer Iowa, the GVA program provides a way to honor the dedicated people who volunteer their time and talent to help an agency or organization deliver on its mission. Recipients are not required to live in Iowa, but their service must have benefited an Iowa organization or community.

Following the meeting Thursday evening, Traer Historical Museum board members told the newspaper Podhajsky has not only been an outstanding volunteer with local Taylor Park efforts but also with the museum itself, providing graphic design work pro bono — including the museum’s sharp new logo — as well as other invaluable assistance.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER