Board of Trustees

Kathryn S. Helfer

Three-year term expires: December 31, 2009

Kathryn Helfer credits her family, friends and co-workers for her ability to be an owner/broker of Hays & Hartzell Realty and be involved with so many organizations throughout Butler County, including her role on the Butler Health System Board of Trustees. Kathryn has been on many civic boards throughout the county, and she became especially endeared to Butler Memorial Hospital when her ailing mother came to live with her family. “My mother was in a wheelchair and had heart problems,” she explained. “We had her at the hospital at least once a year and she always received great care. Before coming to live with us in Butler, she had been treated at several of the top hospitals throughout the United States and she often said she received the best, most personal care here at Butler.” Kathryn believes that a good board member must be knowledgeable about the institution and be able to analyze situations and ask pointed questions. “This is a pivotal time in the hospital’s history,” Kathryn said. “We are state-of-the-art in terms of disease control and technology. Our administration and staff does a great job of staying abreast of the future of health care and initiating programs that keep us on top of what’s going on throughout the country.”

Residence: Penn Township

Current Occupation: Owner, Broker, Hays & Hartzell Realty

Education: Southern Seminary Jr. College, Buena Vista, Va.

Current Board Positions:
• Butler County Community Development Corporation

Former Board Experience:
• South Butler School District
• Butler County Conservation District
• North Suburban Builders Association
• Butler County Real Estate Association
• United Way of Butler County
• Butler County Chamber of Commerce
• Butler Health System Foundation Advisory Board
• Southern Seminary Jr. College, Buena Vista, Va. - President Advisory Council

Of Special Interest: Kathryn has lived with her husband at Highland Pines Farm, a 13-acre apple and horse-boarding farm in Penn Township, for 31 years. In retirement, her husband, Dean, tends to the apples (they have more than 350 apple trees) and dahlias that they share with the community. The Helfers have three children and seven grandchildren.