Kerr County Treasurer Tracy Soldan Earns TAC Iris Stagner Award

20230508 Tracysoldanaward — Kerr County Treasurer Tracy Soldan, left, accepts her Iris Stagner Honorable Mention Award from TAC Wellness Consultant Mark Zollitsch, M.Ed., during the May 8 Kerr County Commissioners’ Court meeting. The award honors Soldan’s commitment to preserving the health of all county employees through the use of the TAC Healthy County program and services. – Photo by Lisa Walter/Kerr County Public Relations

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Kerr County Treasurer Tracy Soldan was honored recently with an award recognizing her commitment to worksite wellness and for creating a good-health culture for the employees of Kerr County, Texas.

Soldan was recognized Monday, May 8, before the Kerr County Commissioners’ Court as an honorable mention recipient of the Iris Stagner Award.

Texas Association of Counties Wellness Consultant Mark Zollitsch, M.Ed., made the presentation on behalf of the TAC Health and Employee Benefits Pool “Healthy County” program.

Soldan has served for five years as the Healthy County wellness coordinator for Kerr County and, before that, was the wellness sponsor for 7 years.

To receive the award, she was evaluated on her ability to meet the vision of TAC’s Healthy County program, which is to optimize the health and well-being of county employees. Also evaluated was her ability to motivate employees to participate in the Healthy County programs, her skills related to organizing and planning health-related activities and her ability to get local leaders onboard with supporting the wellness programs throughout the county.

County employees have access to Healthy County, a comprehensive and results-oriented wellness program that offers a variety of ways for employees to get (and stay) healthy, which translates into lowered healthcare costs for the county and an end-savings to county taxpayers.

The program features everything from a voluntary program for quitting the use of tobacco and steps challenges to non-invasive pain management strategies, weight loss/control, and much more.

The award is named for the former Palo Pinto County Wellness Coordinator Iris Stagner and it recognizes a county coordinator or sponsor who embodies the qualities and enthusiasm she possessed. Stagner served as wellness coordinator for four years, was a member of the Bike Texas board of directors and was a longtime promoter of bike safety and education before she died Sept. 18, 2012, after being hit by a pickup during a training ride on U.S. 180 outside of Mineral Wells.

Before her death, Stagner worked tirelessly to establish a county fitness center so that county employees would have a place to exercise and improve their health. Her “firecracker” spirit and ability to motivate others is honored in the award presented each year to the most enthusiastic and innovative of Healthy County leaders.

This year’s Iris Stagner Award recipients were named during the 2023 Healthy County Boot Camp held Feb. 8-10 in Denton.

For 2023, Glenda Moody, wellness coordinator for Medina County, earned the top Iris Stagner Award. Joining Soldan as honorable mention recipients were 7 others from across the state, including: Cara Kettrick, Cherokee County; Kelly Kaslon, Hopkins County; Cindy Irwin and Shevon Watson, both of Hutchinson County; Carolyn Huelster, Irion County; and Taylor Chandler and, Kayleigh Pursley, both of Walker County.