Nominated by: Linda Harris, Sara Holmes, Ash Kumar, and Meredith Roark
"Gary Menard joined Decatur’s Fire Department five years ago. He came to Decatur from another jurisdiction where he was a Lieutenant with several years of experience. He chose to apply to Decatur because Decatur is progressive and has a strong commitment to community engagement programs. He was willing to start in Decatur as a firefighter in order to make the change. He rose first to Lieutenant and he now serves as a Captain.
Gary Menard embodies the Fred Rogers’s quote – “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers.’ You will always find people who are helping.” From the first day on the job, he looked for and/or created ways to help the community, others within the Fire Department, and those within the entire organization.
Gary regularly works shifts that are not his own so that other fire staff can be with family on special occasions and/or during the holidays. He recently worked alongside the Decatur Youth Council (DYC) on a successful food and toiletries drive. Gary made sure the collection barrels were checked regularly, that the donated items were weighed and then led a group of DYC members in the sorting and distributing process. His positive outlook and joyful assistance greatly contributed to the success of the drive.
Gary takes immense pride in being a public servant and leads by example. As a frontline employee, he works tirelessly to strengthen the bond between government and the community. He partnered with the Decatur Prevention Initiative’s Youth Action Team and the Georgia Burn Foundation to create a heartwarming pinwheel display in support of burn survivors. Gary supports the training and development of his staff and inspires everyone to be a better version of themselves. He is always the one to step up and volunteer for a task and quickly becomes the go-to person for every task he takes upon himself.
Each year the Active Living division partners with the Emory Medical University to host 5-6 first-year medical students for their yearlong community service program. The goal of this program is to connect future doctors with underserved populations. This year Gary and Active Living had the idea for the students to propose a fall prevention curriculum that could be taught at Decatur senior living facilities. Originally the idea was for the student, Active Living and the Fire Department to visit the facilities, teach the curriculum, and have one of the Active Living instructors teach Tai Chi. Students made modifications to include a digital version of the material so facilities could still view the course since they were unable to enter facilities safely during the pandemic. The plan is to facilitate the program in-person once it is safe to do so.
Gary is the City’s wellness champion, and he always has tips and suggestions on maintaining physical fitness while following a vegan diet. His commitment to wellness extends beyond employees to reach residents in the community. For example, he created a children’s obstacle course to help youth stay active and he regularly leads community walks and runs.
During the pandemic Decatur created a vaccine awareness campaign featuring posters with photos and quotes from employees in different departments. Gary volunteered to participate in the campaign and provided the following quote, “More than anything, it’s about taking care of other people. It’s what matters in life. I wish that’s how everyone would think, and that we all could work toward the greater good.”
The list of activities, collaborations and partnerships Gary has created is extensive and these are only a few but we feel they represent Gary’s commitment to the community he serves."