Mayor McFarland Recognizes Murfreesboro Transit Operator Marlene Belcher with STARS Award

Mayor Shane McFarland recognized Murfreesboro Transit Operator Marlene Belcher for her compassionate response after observing a 5-year-old boy wandering the street. Her act of kindness in helping the child was honored during the regular Council meeting, Jan. 19, 2023.

Belcher began her employment with the City of Murfreesboro on Sept. 7, 2021, as a Transit Operator. The following description by City Transportation Department employee Billy Ward nominated Belcher for the STARS award:

“On Dec. 9, 2022, Marlene Belcher observed a 5-year-old little boy walking in the street on South Church. She witnessed this as she was driving her [Murfreesboro Transit] bus. She pulled over to talk with this young boy. The young boy was headed to his grandmother’s house. She sat down with him as she notified [the Murfreesboro] police. She stopped her route to assist this boy. He was missing and no one had reported it. The Murfreesboro Police came and helped the boy. Marlene Belcher displayed an act of kindness for this young boy who was wandering the streets. She definitely went above and beyond for her job and for the City of Murfreesboro.”

STARS stands for “Succeeding Through Attitudes Reflecting Service Excellence.” They are examples of representing the City in a positive light, exhibiting the core values, and creating a better quality of life for citizens.

The STARS Service Excellence program recognizes outstanding employees who embody the city’s standards for service excellence and exemplify the city’s core service values. The purpose of the STARS award is to recognize and reward those employees who go beyond their normal job duties in providing outstanding customer service to internal and external customers.

Congratulations to Marlene Belcher for being named the December 2022 STARS Award recipient for compassionately responding to the needs of a small child on Dec. 9, 2022.