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Evelyn Post, director of Central West Virginia Aging Services, recently announced that Betty Talbott, coordinator of the Buckhannon West Virginia Project of the Senior Community Service Employment Program, was honored with the No. 1 ranking at a recent NCOA conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

Talbott had met and exceeded all U.S. Department of Labor goals set forth for the Senior Community Service Employment Program for fiscal year 2008-2009 as well as best budget management practices. The Buckhannon Project ranked No. 1 out of 28 projects nationwide through the National Council of Aging.

Talbott's prize was an expense-paid trip to the 2010 annual conference of the NCOA and the American Society of Aging in Chicago in March 2010.

Talbott emphasized that meeting the goals was a collaborative effort of her job developers, Shirley Alkire, Barbara McClain as well as fiscal officer Majorie Heckert.

"I was completely astonished," Talbott said. "Imagine being No. 1 in the nation, going up against San Francisco, New York City and Washington, D.C., and everywhere else. This was a total surprise."

The Buckhannon Senior Employment Project covers the counties of Barbour, Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur and Webster.

"Congratulations to Talbott and her staff for a job well done," Post said.