By Drew Butler
dbutler@cherryroad.com
Julie Maher was recently named the Ardmore Main Street Authority Board Member of the Year, but that’s just one way she helps out in the community.
As Executive Director of the Ardmore Beautification Council, Maher stays busy keeping the city looking beautiful and promoting the arts.
An Ardmore native, Maher graduated from Ardmore High School, went away to college and lived in Florida for a time before meeting and marrying her husband. The pair returned to Ardmore to raise their family, and Maher began working for ABC at the end of 2013.
“I really enjoy what I do,” she said. “I have the best job ever. I enjoy all the people I work for and work with.
“The Ardmore Beautification Council is a great organization that does so much for the public. We do a lot of landscaping around town and lots of public art and recycling.”
Maher said she’s especially proud of the recycling program ABC does in collaboration with Replenysh every other Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Items collected include Plastics #1, Plastics #1 thermoforms, Plastics #2, Plastics #5, aluminum cans, steel cans (no cat food cans), cardboard, and glass bottles and jars.
“I’ve got lots of wonderful people who help me,” she said. “The volunteers who help me at recycling are just incredible. They’re from everywhere in the community, and it’s a great thing to bring people together.”
Maher said she enjoys being active in the community, and she urges more people to get involved.
“People need to be informed about how things work in the community,” she said. “Sometimes people will see something that’s wrong or that they would like to fix, and then they’ll just complain about it online. That’s why you need to be involved. If you’re involved, then you can make change.”