In the Shenandoah Town Council Actions dated February 14, 2023, we learned that after 18 years of employment with the Town of Shenandoah, Joyce Fluharty will retire.
Her last day will be on Thursday March 9, 2023. Joyce has served as the Shenandoah Computer Center Supervisor, Administrative Assistant to the Shenandoah Police Department, and currently serves as the Town of Shenandoah Museum Curator/Supervisor and the Town of Shenandoah Art and Music Event Coordinator.
If you have lived in or visited Shenandoah in the past 18 years, you more than likely have seen Joyce performing one of her many duties around town. Some may have visited her in the computer center to use the computers or to get copies made. Lots of you may have seen her down at Big Gem Park at one of the many music events in the park. While others may have seen her recently while visiting the Town of Shenandoah Museum and Welcome Center.
Let’s take a look back at just a few of the accomplishments she has been a part of during her employment with the town of Shenandoah.
Joyce Fluharty started he employment with the Town of Shenandoah in February 2005 as newly opened computer center's fulltime supervisor and police administrative assistant. She was instrumental in bringing in numerous computer classes ranging from computer novice classes to more advance classes such as building webpages. She scheduled several Computer Seminars that offered help in creating web sites, logos, and banners for business.
She developed and implemented a full-service print shop to fill a void that the community greatly appreciated and used. Provided various printing services such as copy, laminating, printing calendars, business and greeting cards, custom booklets, flyers, brochures and invitations. Joyce turned several Shenandoah historic photos into greeting cards and helped create a DVD with dozens of historic pictures of people and events. Restored and colorized historic and family heirloom photographs. For Christmas she made calendars, Christmas Cards and ornaments. She also recorded home video to DVD and negatives and a full range of photo printing and restoration services.
In May 2010 Joyce teamed with local subject knowledge experts and held Town of Shenandoah Technology Seminar in the Shenandoah Community Center. Focused on “Operating, Expanding and Promoting Business with Computer Technology.” Giving business owners, civic clubs and groups tools to create a web presence utilizing tools such as email, websites, Facebook, Blogs and Google Docs.
In 2012 Joyce and Shenandoah River DAR and offered several genealogy workshops. These informative classes helped participants to be ready to research, organize, prepare and document their family history information. In 2017 provided another genealogy workshop, and she also started providing genealogy armchair research to assist others with their genealogy studies.
The Shenandoah Computer Center was winner of the 2015 Virginia Municipal League Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding work being done by local governments across Virginia, and to celebrate all that you do to make your city, town, or county a great place to live! Joyce accepted the award at the Achievement Awards at VML’S Annual Conference banquet dinner on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at 6:30pm at the Richmond Marriott.
Please click on link below to read our article about this award.
2015 Virginia Municipal League Achievement Award
In May 2017 the Shenandoah Computer Center won the Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver Award Category for Innovation in utilization. Computer Center Supervisor Joyce Fluharty and volunteer Instructor Bruce Arnold accepted the award at the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council Tech Nite Awards Banquet on Wednesday May 3, 2017. This award recognizes outstanding commercial growth and achievement by an established company that either produces or markets high tech products or services, or an established company or organization that produces/offers more traditional products and services (where technology itself is not the core business purpose).
Please click on link below to read our article about this award.
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver Award Category for Innovation in Utilization.
Joyce has authored several books to include Fields Methodist Church Cemetery; Milnes- Shenandoah City & Southern Page County; Shenandoah Iron Works 1836-1866. All books can be purchased at the Town of Shenandoah Museum and Welcome Center at 507 First Street, Shenandoah, VA 22849.
She performed grant writing duties for the town and Shenandoah Police Department after attending a two-day grant writing seminar in Loudon County in July 2016. Recently she wrote a grant for the ADA trail at Big Gem Park and was one of four grants that was awarded across the state of Virginia.
For many years she performing duties as webmaster administrator for the Town of Shenandoah website. Rebuilt a new website after the old one crashed, a task that was self-taught!
Joyce created a computerized subscription service that kept residents and visitors informed with up-to-date biweekly council minutes. She developed and published a PDF E-Newsletters that kept subscribers informed on events and happening around town.
On Friday February 11, 2022 the Shenandoah Computer Center on Second Street closed permanently and Joyce moved the printing services into the Town of Shenandoah Museum and Welcome Center at 507 First Street. She cataloged and displayed historic artifacts and pictures that were given or loaned to the museum. On Saturday June 18, 2022 the town held a Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the museum.
Shenandoah Newz would like to personally thank Joyce for the timely distribution of the biweekly council minutes and town E-Newsletters. Information we found in these updates helped us write many articles over the years.
Attached picture of Joyce was taken at Shenandoah Computer Center for their 10th Year Anniversary and was taken on March 6, 2015 at the Computer Center at 411 Second Street in Shenandoah.
Pictured above is Joyce with former Shenandoah Town Councilman Charlie Jenkins at her retirement party.
Pictured above is Joyce at her retirement party at the Shenandoah Museum and Welcome Center on March 7, 2023.
