A fine place to work: This publication placed Olathe Public Schools in 12th place

Olathe Public Schools has been named the 12th best mid-size employer in the United States by Forbes magazine. The district said it was the only K-12 school district in the magazine’s top 60 rankings.

“We are extremely proud to be among the top mid-size employers nationwide,” Superintendent Brent Yeager said in a news release.

“This type of honor is only possible because of the community that we have built together. With the common goal of preparing our students for their future, we have been able to create an environment that people want to be a part of.”

Forbes compiles the list with Statista, a market research firm. About 45,000 workers at U.S. companies and institutions with 1,000 to 5,000 employees are surveyed. Participants are asked if they would recommend their current employers to friends and family as well as recommend other employers.

New deputy county manager named

Julie Karins has joined Johnson County government as deputy county manager.

She replaces Maury Thompson who left Johnson County for a new position last November. Karins has 23 years of local government experience both at the county and city levels. She most recently was city manager of Goodyear, Arizona.

New Shawnee city manager to take office

Doug Gerber will be sworn in as the new city manager of Shawnee at the March 27 City Council meeting.

Gerber most recently worked for JEO Consulting Group. Before that he had a 22-year career in the public sector, including numerous positions for the City of Topeka. In Topeka, Gerber served as deputy city manager, director of administrative and financial services, interim director of utilities, interim director of public works and interim city manager.

Before working in Topeka, Gerber served as city manager of both Goodland and Beloit, Kansas. A native of Newton, Kansas, Gerber earned his bachelor’s and master’s in public administration from Kansas State University.

Kansas City Monarchs On Tap in Shawnee

Shawnee’s History on Tap will present “The Kansas City Monarchs and America’s National Pastime” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. March 22 at Shawnee Town Hall, 11600 Johnson Drive, Shawnee. Phil Dixon, historian and co–founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will talk about the impact of the Negro Leagues on baseball. Alcohol will be served so attendees must be 21 or older.

To register, go to: jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events and search On Tap.

Egg hunt ahead in Leawood

“For Peeps Sake,” an environmentally friendly egg hunt, will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 2 at Ironwoods Park, 14701 Mission Road, Leawood.

The event will consist of locating eggs throughout a designated area in the park. The eggs will be redeemable for prizes. Other activities and entertainment will include face painting, demonstrations from “Goats on the Go,” music, information and demonstrations on backyard beekeeping and a candy take-home treat. The event is for those ages 1 to 11. Preregistration for the children is required. Cost is $15 per Leawood resident and $18 per non-resident. To register, go to: web2.myvscloud.com/wbwsc/ksleawoodwt.wsc and scroll to special events.

Housing advocate training in Edgerton

Edgerton will host a Community Housing Advocate Training by United Community Services. The training is designed for anyone who wants to learn more about how to address housing issues in Edgerton or address a housing concern. United Community Services and the Johnson County Health Equity Network are providing a free six-session training that will be held in April and May.

The goal is to help people find common ground when addressing housing challenges. For more information, contact Kara Banks at kbanks@edgertonks.org

Artist exhibition opened in Merriam

The 27th Annual Heartland Artist Exhibition has opened at the Tim Murphy Art Gallery in the Merriam Community Center at 6040 Slater St., Merriam. The juried show runs through April 1. The art gallery is free for the public to view during regular community center hours. For hours, go to merriam.org/Government/Departments/Parks-Rec/Merriam-Community-Center.

To view previous shows online, go to merriam.org/artgallery.