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Boggs wins award for guardian excellence

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Every county has a person who is elected to be the guardian for individuals in the county who are deemed unable to care for and or unable to make decisions for themselves. Webster County is lucky enough to have had the same individual filing that role for ten years: Danielle Boggs.

Boggs was elected in 2012 and began serving Webster County in January of 2013; she serves as the Webster County Public Administrator.

“The bulk of what I do is guardianships and conservatorships for individuals that don’t have friends or family that are able to serve in that role,” explained Boggs. “So it would be individuals with disabilities or mental health issues or individuals with brains injuries or dementia; anything like that where they aren’t able to make all of their decisions independently. So they need someone to help make those decisions.”

“The goal is always for them to be as independent as possible,” detailed Boggs. “…I feel much more comfortable…giving individuals that I am guardian for the leeway to make decisions as much as they can safely. And then if they get to the point where they are making unsafe decisions or it’s just beyond their comprehension...and they aren’t fully able to understand and give informed consent, then I will step in and help them with that. I never want any of my individuals to feel like I am living their life for them.”

“I am really humbled and honored that Webster County would continue to keep me in this position,” shared Boggs who recently attended the National Guardianship Association conference in Dallas, Texas.

During the conference there are two awards presented, one of them being the The National Certified Guardian Excellence Award. The award is given to a public administer that shows exemplary work as a National Certified Guardian, shows knowledge of advanced guardianship concepts, ethics and issues, as well as being involved in their local and professional community.

“I wasn’t expecting the award,” reflected Boggs with a note of surprise. “It’s a nominated award. I was nominated by the Jasper County public administrator…(and) it’s a nation wide award. In Missouri we always try to put in or those things but (don’t expect to win).

“They called me about a week before the conference and told me I had been chosen for that (award) so that was really exciting,” reflected Boggs.

Boggs is active in her professional career serving as President of the Missouri Association of Public Administrators (MAPA) from 2022-2024 and as the Board Secretary for the WC CapeAbilities; a local not-for-profit group that advocates for those with differing abilities.

In her time away from work you can find Boggs volunteering at the Marshfield Community Theatre or with the Hidden Waters Nature Park. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, attending school activities with her kids, thrift shopping and yard sales.

Boggs has a passion for serving the individuals in our county who fall into her care. “It’s like the old saying, if you love what you do then you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s truly how I feel about my job,” shared Boggs. “I really enjoy it and have enjoyed it for the last ten years.”

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