Kase recognized for his many years of service to the community

 Bill Kase was selected as the 2015 Business Person of the Year at the Kasson Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting on Jan. 21.
“This person showed up a couple times, and this person has a huge log because this person has no ability to say no to anything,” last year’s winner Cathy Pletta
said of the winner. “One of the nominators mentioned that he would sit in his office and phone another person in town and they would play ‘Where’s Waldo?’ to see where this person was in the DCI that week.”
Pletta and Candy McKern, a Board of Directors member, held up a string displaying numerous contributions that Kase has made to the community that were documented in the DCI. “We have a little evidence of this person’s contributions to our community,” Pletta said. 
Pletta went on to state a very long list of all the different organizations and events Kase has been a part of in the community. Each year members of the Chamber of Commerce can send in a nomination explaining why they feel the individual is worthy of the award. The rules are as follows:
• The person must be or have been a Kasson business owner, manager or an employee of a Kasson business for five years (this includes the retired or deceased.)
•The person must have demonstrated support of the Kasson business community through personal involvement in the community and support of the Chamber’s program.
•The current Chamber Board members are NOT eligible.
Kase, who has been a Culligan household sales representative for 31 years and inducted into the Culligan Sales Hall of Fame in 2007, was shocked to find out he had been selected for the award.
“I was very, very surprised. I had no idea it was going to be me,” he said. “I was very delighted and it is a great honor.”
Beyond Culligan, Kase’s list of involvement is extensive. He served on the Kasson Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors for six years, two of which he was president (2011-2012); he has been a K-M Lions Club member for 11 years; he is on the showcase committee of Rochester Area Builders (RAD); he was the clock keeper for the Dodge County Hockey team for 10 years and, after he retired, he has volunteered to pick up some games here and there.
Kase has also been very involved with First Presbyterian Church; he has been an elder, deacon, superintendent of Sunday school, lay reader, chairperson of stewardship, youth group leader and an usher. Now, however, he says he is just a member.
“It means the world to me because I have been on the Chamber all of these years and always attended the meetings. It is an honor to be chosen by your peers in the Chamber of Commerce to get this award,” Kase said of receiving the award.
Kase added he would like to serve on the board of directors again someday, as he really enjoyed his six years.