Reception and lunch will be held Wednesday at new Community and Meeting Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

City Clerk Donna Leger, who has worked for the City of Dayton for nearly 37 years, has announced her retirement from the city, effective on Friday, July 29, 2022.

On Wednesday, the city will hold a reception for Leger from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in conjunction with the grand opening of its newly remodeled Community and Meeting Center Mayor Ben Baker will be grilling burgers and sausages and other food and drinks will be available for those in attendance. The Center is located at the old YMCA Building at 625 Second Ave.

“Donna Leger has been a dedicated employee of the City of Dayton for nearly four decades and the City thought that this event would be a great opportunity to thank Donna for her years of service and also give the public an opportunity to see our new Community and Meeting Center,” Mayor Baker said.

Donna Leger first started working for the City of Dayton in 1985. She served as Assistant City Clerk from 1990 to 1995 and as City Clerk/Treasurer of the City since 1995. She’s received Municipal Clerk certifications from both the Kentucky Municipal Clerks’ Association (1994) and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks in January (2005).

A native of Dayton, Leger is the second of three children of Jane and Gene Hebel, and she lived with her family on the 900 block of Fifth Avenue until she was 10 years old. She and her family then moved to the 1300 block of Fifth Avenue, an area commonly known in the city as “Leger Lane” because of the number of Leger family members who currently live or have lived there over the years.

Donna married her school sweetheart, Bennie, and they continue to live in Dayton after more than 45 years of marriage. Donna is a third-generation graduate of Dayton High School following her mother, Jane, and her grandmother, Nellie Wagner Hebel. Donna’s sons, Brad and Tyler, are fourth-generation graduates of the high school, and her granddaughters, Gabrielle and Hailey, will soon be fifth-generation graduates.

In addition to her many duties as Dayton City Clerk/Treasurer, Donna has been an active member in the Dayton community and on city boards and organizations, including working with the Dayton Civic Activities Board, the Dayton Parks Board, and the Dayton Heritage Museum.

On December 21, 1990, the Dayton Parks Board recognized Donna “for outstanding contributions to The Dayton Park Board,” and in 2009, Mayor Ken Rankle recognized her as the City’s “Volunteer of the Year” for her many years of “continued support and tireless enthusiasm for volunteering in the city.”

“During her tenure with the city, Donna has performed her job with integrity, honesty, kindness, thoughtfulness, passion, compassion, friendliness, intelligence, and humor,” Mayor Baker said. “The city is deeply appreciative of her time, commitment, and devotion to the City of Dayton. She will be deeply missed by city staff, our residents, and businesses.”