Ed Koster, an auto mechanic at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) highway maintenance facility in Ironton, has retired after 11 years of service.

Tuesday, December 14, 1999

Ed Koster, an auto mechanic at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) highway maintenance facility in Ironton, has retired after 11 years of service.

He began his ODOT career in 1988 as a highway maintenance worker. He served in that position for five years before being promoted to auto mechanic. As an auto mechanic, Koster repaired heavy equipment, such as bulldozers, trackhoes and dump trucks, as well as smaller highway maintenance equipment, such as chain saws and brush-cutting equipment.

In 1998, Koster and other District 9 county highway maintenance facility mechanics were featured in the ODOT’s spotlight of the month for their year-round efforts.

A Lawrence County native, Koster is a graduate of Decatur Washington High School. He attended the Ohio University Southern Campus and Ashland Business College. He also received a diploma in advertising.

He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1957-61. In addition to his employment with ODOT, Koster was a control room operator at Lonestar Cement Manufacturing in Pedro for 13 years and ad manager at The Ironton Tribune for 13 years.

Koster and his wife, Mary, have four children: Debra Stamper of Kitts Hill, Kim Holzapfel and Melissa Thompson, both of Ironton, and Ed Koster Jr., at home. They have four grandchildren: Ricky Stamper, Davis Crossan and Kaitlyn Thompson, all three of Ironton, and Jimmy Stamper of Columbus.

Although retired, Koster plans to continue running his own tire shop and plans to spend time woodworking, being active at Kelley’s Bridge Independent Baptist church and spending time with his grandchildren.

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Michael Morgan has been named president of the AAA West Penn/West Virginia/South Central Ohio region. AAA South Central Ohio serves 16 counties and has an office in Ironton.

Morgan replaces Robert Morton, who has been named to a new position as South Central Ohio president emeritus.

Morgan has worked with AAA since 1981, beginning his work as director of emergency road service. In 1985, he became staff operations director, and in 1989, he was named vice president of club operations. In 1994, Morgan became South Central Ohio’s executive vice president. In that position, he coordinated the work of staff and supervised operations of all 12 South Central Ohio AAA offices.

Morgan and his wife, Melody, live in Jackson, and they have two children. He is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and holds a master’s degree from the University of Dayton. He taught high school biology and coached football for three years. He then worked for Hercules/OHPI for a number of years before coming to work for AAA.

He holds a certified travel counselor (CTC) designation from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents and has a certified tour professional (CTP) designation from the National Tour Association.

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Two new positions recently were announced at King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Ky.

Karen Doran, a 10-year employee, has been named call center coordinator, and Jane Whaley, RN, has been named patient care manager of the occupational medicine program and the KDMC Family Care Center network of seven clinics.

The call center serves as a clearinghouse for physician referral, class and seminar registration, service offerings, health screenings, literature disbursement and any information promoted in external communications by the medical center. As call center coordinator, Ms. Doran, a lifelong Greenup County resident, handles requests for information and class registration and maintains a database to help match health information and programming with callers’ needs and interests.

Ms. Whaley is responsible for the clinical supervision and coordination of clinical activities at the occupational medicine program and family care centers. The occupational medicine program provides pre-employment physicals and drug screenings for area companies, Department of Transportation exams, respirator exams, worksite health services and evaluations and care for work-related injuries. She previously was manager of corporate and community wellness services at St. Mary’s Hospital in Huntington, W.Va. She is a graduate of the St. Mary’s School of Nursing and is a native of Ironton.

Jennifer Allen is publisher of The Ironton Tribune.