Bill Fiander went above and beyond the call of duty by attending the 2002 funeral for Emogene Shepard, president of the Tennessee Town Neighborhood Improvement Association, said her grandson, Michael Bell. As an employee of the city of Topeka’s planning department, Fiander had worked with Shepard and shared her commitment to making a better place out of the violence-plagued central Topeka neighborhood where she lived…. Tennessee Town benefited from Fiander’s considerable skills and education, as well as his willingness to connect with residents on a personal level while realizing he was “helping living, breathing people,” Bell said. Fiander’s last day with the city was Friday. He retired at age 57 as director of planning and development to take a job teaching political science at Washburn University, where he already worked part-time as an adjunct professor.
Source: CJonline
