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| Leonard “Ben” Gilliam is London Correctional Institution’s employee of the year. |
Recently, London Correctional Institution (LoCI), one of the largest employers in Madison County, recognized Timothy Goodmote as corrections officer of the year and Leonard “Ben” Gilliam as employee of the year.
Goodemote began his career in corrections in 1987 and is a special duty officer assigned to transportation. He earned the respect of his peers and supervisors for his professionalism and teamwork.
Goodemote started on second shift and has worked every post since. The first advice he heard when entering LoCI was to be to work on time. He has taken this advice to heart and passes them on to new officers.
A quiet, unassuming person, Goodmote describes himself as someone who prefers to go unnoticed. Despite his wishes, he has been nominated and selected by his supervisors for corrections officer of the month numerous times. This year, his peers selected him as corrections officer of the year. He is more of a leader than he gives himself credit for.
Goodemote has been married for 28 years to his wife, Karen. He describes her as “still the love of my life.” They have raised one daughter, Jamie, 26, a graduate of The Ohio State University with a major in history and a minor in French and English. Making this family complete is Libby, a 4-year-old Labrador.
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| Timothy Goodmote is London Correctional Institution’s corrections officer of the year. |
Goodemote has faced many obstacles in his life which define who he really is. His mother passed away from breast cancer when he was 17. He quit school to support himself. With nowhere else to go, he moved to Springfield where he got a job and met Karen. They were married in 1980 and then celebrated the birth of their daughter.
Goodmote knew that his responsibilities had grown and he needed a dependable income and benefits. In 1983, he joined the U.S. Army and he and his family were stationed in Ft. Polk, La. He served for three years and believes that enlisting in the Army helped to put him where he is today.
After the Army, Goodmote and his family moved back to Ohio where he worked various jobs for six months. Then his wife told him about LoCI and he applied and was hired.
One of Goodemote’s milestones in life is when he obtained his GED in 1992. Since then, he has taken an H&R Block tax course and plans to work for the company upon his retirement. Goodmote’s hobbies include fishing and restoring old cars.
Leonard Gilliam began his correctional career at LoCI in 1988. As a corrections officer, he has worked every shift and every post. On Feb. 18, 2007, he was promoted to correctional sergeant; he is assigned to Birch Unit. He, too, exemplifies professionalism and teamwork.
As a child, Gilliam and his family moved around many times to many different states. He joined the U.S. Marines in 1984 and served until 1988. He then moved back to Ohio with custody of his daughter. He had family who worked at LoCI and was encouraged to apply. Several of his family members, including two uncles, his mother and his step-father, also have worked at London.
Gilliam has two daughters, Elizabeth, 22, who will graduate from Ohio Univer-sity this month with a major in education, and Hailey, 14, a student at London City Schools.
Gilliam met his wife, Lisa, at LoCI and they married on April 29, 2005. Immediately following their marriage, Lisa, a member of the Army National Guard, was activated to Iraq for one year. Completing this family is one dog, Chester, and two cats, Little Bit and Emmett.
Gilliam’s hobbies include flying, fishing, traveling and riding motorcycles with his wife.
Gilliam talks fondly of two of his mentors, Capt. Garry Coil who passed away on Feb. 23, 2007, and Capt. Oscar Sigler who passed away on July 7, 2007. He states that he was glad to have the honor of working with both men, who helped to mold him into the officer he is today.
Gilliam is a team player who does not seek recognition for his acts of kindness. Recently as he was leaving for the day, in the middle of a torrential downpour. He saw a gentleman in the parking lot with a flat tire. As this was a fairly new employee, Gilliam did not know him as a staff member. Rather, he saw him as a person who needed help and he assisted the gentleman in changing his tire.
Lastly, Gilliam asked that this article and his award be dedicated to Thomas Burke who passed away on Oct. 24, 2007. Gilliam says Burke was an outstanding person and wishes everyone could have known or worked with him.
