Medina village clerk/treasurer grateful for career in Medina

Padoleski to retire on June 30 after 41 years in village clerk’s office

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Debbie Padoleski sits at her desk at the Medina village offices after announcing her retirement as town clerk. She has worked for the village for 41 years.

MEDINA – After 41 years of working for the village of Medina, village clerk Debbie Padoleski has decided to retire.

Her letter of resignation was read at the village board meeting March 22, with her retirement date on June 30. Mayor Mike Sidari said her resignation was accepted with “extreme regret.”

“She leaves very big shoes to fill,” he said. “We have a better village because of Debbie.”

Padoleski, a daughter of Don and Jean Sipple of Medina, is a 1979 graduate of Medina High School. She said she had originally wanted to be a teacher, but had a rebellious stage right out of high school.

“I decided I didn’t want to go to college, I wanted to go to work,” she said.

She got a job working in the deli at Super Duper. She had been there two and one-half years when, after taking a Civil Service test, she got a call to come in for an interview as clerk-typist for the village of Medina.

“That was 1980 and I think my starting salary was $3.35 an hour,” Padoleski said.

Peggy Crowley was clerk then, and Padoleski shared a desk with the payroll clerk. In mid-1980, Gloria Maryjanowski retired as deputy clerk, and Padoleski took over from her. When Crowley retired in 2013, Padoleski became village clerk.

“The relationships I’ve formed with the people here are going to make it the hardest not to come to work every day,” Padoleski said. “But 41 years is a long time and I want to retire while I’m still young enough to enjoy life. I’ll be 60 in May and Covid makes you think of your mortality.”

She said she was never one to count down the days to her retirement like many people do.

“I love coming to work every day,” she said. “I love my job and I love the people.”

Padoleski said she and her husband Tom, a self-employed contractor, like to travel, but probably not in the coming year, due to Covid.

They have relations in North Carolina and Georgia and a cottage at the lake, where she said they will spend a lot of time.

Padoleski will be succeeded by Jada Burgess of Medina, who has worked for the village for 13 years. She called Padoleski a great mentor.

“She’s the best,” Burgess said.